Air Fryer Mahi Mahi is a delicious flakey fish that is simply seasoned and ready for dinner in less than 10 minutes. For an extra fresh flavor, make the tomato avocado salsa to serve with the fish fillets.
Living in Florida, we have opportunities to eat a lot of seafood. My husband is an adventurer. He will try anything; calamari, all types of fish, and any and all shellfish. I am not so enthralled with seafood, so mild, white fish is right up my alley. And I believe the Mahi Mahi will be picky-eater approved in your family as well.
Cooking the fish in your air fryer guarantees an easy weeknight dinner. Just a bit of butter and spices and in less than 10 minutes, dinner is ready.
The tomato and avocado salsa is full of fresh ingredients with a hint of heat. It is not rich or heavy so it the perfect go-along with the lighter fish.
Recipe Ingredients
I used thawed Mahi Mahi fillets, melted butter. Mix together some Old Bay and some cajun or Italian seasonings.
Flavor Variations
Light Teriyaki: Brush with a thin glaze during the last minute of cooking.
Lemon Garlic: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garlic before serving.
Cajun Style: Use Cajun seasoning in place of Old Bay.
Simple Butter Sauce: Drizzle melted butter over the fish right after cooking.
How to make Mahi Mahi in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Brush melted butter on both side of fish.
- Press the seasonings into both sides.
- Lower temperature to 375°F and cook 4 minutes one side without moving it.
- Then carefully flip over and air fry the other side 4 minutes or until flakey and meat thermometer reads 145°F.
How to make Avocado Tomato Salsa
- We are using fresh lime, Roma tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, red onion, rice wine vinegar, avocado and some seasonings.
- To substitute: you can use cherry or whole tomato if you prefer. I like the Roma since it has less seeds. Scrape out more before you chop them.
- To make the salsa, it is all chop and mix. I love using my mini chopper or mini food processor. But a good sharp knife will do the same.
- Mix the chopped vegetables (remove seeds from jalapeno) with the lime juice, vinegar and seasoning. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- If you like to try a tomato relish on your Mahi Mahi, I've made this to serve with tuna steaks. Or if you'd like to try a sweet and spicy relish, my orange jalapeno is so delicious!
Recipe Tips
- Don't defrost the Mahi Mahi under warm water or microwave them. You will risk introducing bacteria as the fish will partially cook. And it will change the texture of the fish.
- My grill insert fits 3 fillets perfectly without crowding them. You want the hot air to circulate as they air fry. If you are making more, cook in them in separate batches.
- As the fish is cooking, don't move it around since it might stick to the pan. Wait the full 4 minutes and then carefully slide the spatula underneath to flip the fillet.
- Check the edges of the fish when you flip it. If it looks firm already at that point, the Mahi Mahi is close to being done. Test with a thermometer in a few minutes. Over cooking can cause fish to become rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to defrost my packaged fish in the refrigerator overnight. However I have occasionally defrosted a sealed package in a bowl of cold water for about an hour, changing the water every 20 minutes, making sure it is cold.
Wiki states you can cook the fish right from frozen by holding the fillets under cold running water to remove ice crystals. Then patting dry and cook as per the recipe. The cooking time will take an extra few minutes, depending on how thick the fish fillet is.
Since it is a very mild tasting fish, you don't want to overwhelm its flavor with side dishes that are overly strong. We love many different vegetables so that is what we always serve to go along. I like to choose quick cooking, steamed or pan fried so that they are ready when the fish is done. Marinated asparagus, Marinated Broccoli and Blackened Green Beans are delicious choices for a side dish. Or try a healthy salad with creamy garlic dressing. Another option is my Butter lettuce salad.
If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a comment an a rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
Some other seafood recipes to try:
Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Air fryer mahi mahi is a quick and reliable way to cook this firm, mild fish without drying it out. Using a blend of blackening seasoning and Old Bay adds bold flavor, while a fresh avocado tomato salsa keeps everything balanced and fresh. This method works especially well with thawed fillets and takes just minutes to cook.
Ingredients
- Tomato Avocado Salsa
- 2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely minced
- ½ ripe avocado, diced
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ( or white wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic power
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Mahi Mahi Fillets
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning *
- 1 teaspoon Blackened seasoning *
- 3 Mahi Mahi fillets, approximately 5 oz. each
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
Salsa
- With a mini food processor, chopper or with a sharp knife, mince the tomatoes, pepper and onion.
- Stir in the lime juice, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Add chopped avocado last and squeeze more lime juice over it to prevent browning.
- Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Mahi Mahi Fillets
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes. Then lower to 375°F before cooking. Lightly spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Combine the seasonings in a bowl.
- Pat the fillets with a paper towels to dry.
- Brush melted butter on both sides of fish. Pat the seasonings onto both sides.
- Place mahi mahi in air fryer basket and cook for 4 minutes without moving the fish.
- Slide a spatula under the fish and flip over and cook for another 4 -5 minutes or until the fillet is flakey and is opaque (not see through).
- Serve with lemon slices and tomato relish.
Notes
*If using frozen fish, defrost in refrigerator overnight. Or placed in a sealed bag or container and place in bowl of cold water for about an hour. Change out the water for fresh after 20-30 minutes.
*To sub for Blackened seasoning, use ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ¼ cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika. To sub for Old Bay use ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ onion powder, ¼ celery salt, ¼ lemon zest.
* If your fish is larger or thicker, the cook time will increase by a few minutes.
*To reheat leftovers, pan fry for a few minutes over low-medium flame. Or air fryer at 375°F until hot, about 2 minutes. You could also serve the Mahi Mahi cold over a salad.
**The prep time and nutrition does not include the tomato and avocado salsa.
Kalyn says
Easy enough for weeknight meals! Love the salsa
Deb Belsha says
Thanks!
Kate says
The salsa was so great on the fish. I’m going to try it on some shrimp tacos too
Jay says
Looks great
meg says
I love how quick this recipe is!