Blackened Mahi Mahi

5 from 1 vote

Mahi mahi fillets coated in Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika, then seared hard in a cast iron skillet until a dark crust forms. About 15 minutes from frozen fillets to the plate, with Creole rice and mango salsa on the side.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 677kcal

Author: Rose Sioson

Equipment

1 cast-iron pan or skillet

Ingredients

3 mahi-mahi fillet
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Pat the mahi mahi fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels, both sides.
3 mahi-mahi fillet
Combine the Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Taste a pinch and add salt if your blend needs it.
2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon Spanish Smoked Paprika, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Press each fillet into the spice mix, coating both sides and the edges.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high until the butter stops foaming and the surface shimmers. Turn on your fan or open a window.
¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoon butter
Lay the fillets in the pan and leave them undisturbed for 3 minutes. Flip once, when the fish has cooked just past halfway up the side, then cook another 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches 137°F internal and flakes with gentle pressure.
Spoon the pan butter over the fillets and serve immediately.

Notes

Pat the fish dry, then pat it again. Thawed fillets keep releasing water as they sit. Damp fish steams instead of searing and the seasoning ends up in the pan.
Press the seasoning in, don't sprinkle it. Sprinkled spices fall off. Pressing the fillet into the dish gives you a layer that stays put and becomes the crust.
Get the pan properly hot before the fish goes in. Wait until the butter stops foaming. Fish in a warm pan poaches in its own liquid.
Don't touch it for 3 minutes. Lifting a corner to check peels the crust off with it. If the fish resists when you go to flip, it isn't ready yet.
Pull it at 137°F. Mahi mahi goes from done to dry in under a minute. A thermometer is worth using here.
It smokes. That's the spices toasting, not something going wrong. Turn the fan on before you start.
Taste your Cajun blend first. Some are salt-forward and some are barely salted, so this tells you whether the fish needs extra salt.
From frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge, or seal in a bag and sit in cold water in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. Don't refreeze thawed fillets.
Storage: Up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in a skillet or at 275°F in the oven. Skip the microwave, which steams the crust off.
Homemade blackening blend: 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, and kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne.

Nutrition