Calling all lovers of heat! There is something about the spicy combination of blackened mahi mahi with a fresh fruit salsa that makes us swoon. We’re sharing our all purpose blackening spice blend — great on all seafoods, chicken, pork, and roasted veggies! — along with a refreshing pineapple-mango salsa that makes the mahi mahi shine. You could honestly serve the salsa with a big bag of tortilla chips and call it a day, it’s that good!!
Here’s why we love this blackened fish so much:
- Spicy, le duh! If you’re here because you love blackening spice, you already know it packs a punch. I’m giving two options for ya: spicy and extra hotttt!
- Sweet salsa, to cool you down! Ain’t no shame in pairing spicy foods with something mild and sweet. Pineapple and mango work so well together, and they’re the perfect counterpoint to the spicy dry rub.
- Quick cook time! 10 minutes!! You read that correctly! Once you get the rub on the fish, the mahi mahi fillets cook up in just 10 minutes flat.
For an extra creamy touch, serve with sour cream or ripe avocado. You’ll love the fish over cilantro-lime rice (we’ve tried it with cauliflower rice and honestly prefer real deal white rice here) with a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end to help round out the flavors.
Ingredients For Blackened Mahi Mahi
Start with 4 mahi mahi fillets about 5-6 oz each in weight. Next, you’ll want a blackening spice blend. We’re making ours at home (ingredients listed below!), but you can absolutely use your favorite store-bought brand if that’s easier. We like this Black Magic blend by Spiceology.
Ingredients For Pineapple Mango Salsa
This is an absolute must make and is best during the summer when both pineapples and mangoes are sweetest!
- Fresh pineapple, ripe
- A whole mango, ripe
- Red onion
- Scallion
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Kosher salt
If we weren’t serving this along side blackened fish, we’d recommend adding a jalapeño to the salsa. However, the blackening rub is already pretty spicy, so we’ve left it out. It’s included as an optional ingredient in the recipe card below.
How To Make Blackened Mahi Mahi
- Make the blackening spice. Combine all dried herbs and spices in a bowl, then whisk to combine.
- Coat the fish. Preheat an oven to 400F. Brush the mahi mahi fillets lightly with olive oil on both sides, then sprinkle blackening spice on top, covering as much of the flesh of the fish as possible.
- Cook the fish. Cook for 10 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 137F is reached. If you prefer the fish to be slightly more medium, cook to an internal temperature of 145F.
- Garnish, then serve. Give the fish a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then add any fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and pineapple-mango salsa.
- Optional: to tone down the heat, serve with sour cream and cubed, ripe avocado.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Our Go-To Blackening Spice Blend
To make our house blackening spice blend, combine the following: Kosher salt, paprika, Italian sesaoning, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and dried basil.
Exact quantities included in the recipe card below! The nice thing about making a blackening blend is (1) it’s a great way to use up dried spices (yep, those can go bad and lose flavor over time!), but also (2) it can be made up to 1 month in advance.
Simply store in an airtight container at room temperature until needed, then add it to everything from seafood and chicken to roasted veggies. Delicious on burgers too!
What To Serve With Blackened Mahi Mahi
100% must serve with our homemade pineapple mango salsa!! It’s light, fresh, juicy, and so necessary to counterbalance the heat from the blackened mahi mahi.
Our other favorite sides and toppings include: cilantro lime rice, sour cream, and fresh avocado. You could also serve this with a fresh corn salad, and that would be amazing!
As far as vegetables, anything goes! We love to serve this with blistered string beans or grilled asparagus, but you can’t go wrong with any grilled, roasted, or sautéed green veggies. Keep the flavor profile neutral there, as both the fish and the salsa pack big, bright flavors!
Variations On Blackened Fish
- Don’t love or can’t find mahi mahi fillets? You can make any seafood blackened: salmon, shrimp, scallops, catfish, grouper, cod, tilapia, or swordfish to name a few.
- Meat proteins: if you’ve got picky eaters who don’t love seafood, switch it up and use the blackening spice rub on chicken or pork!
- What to do with leftovers: toss with pasta and heavy cream for a simple weeknight blackened alfredo! We can attest that the creaminess and heat from the dry rub is a killer combo! Or…! Simply add your leftover blackened mahi mahi to corn or flour tortillas with your favorite salsa and voila! Blackened fish tacos!
- Turn this into a burrito or tacos! We love to grab an extra large flour tortilla, pile it high with cilantro lime rice, blackened mahi mahi, pineapple mango salsa, avocado, and sour cream, then roll it up, wrap it in foil, and meal prep for the week. They’re so easy to reheat too! Simply bring to temp in a preheated oven at 275-300F for about 10 minutes. (Yes, you can serve sour cream on the side if not eating immediately!)
FAQs About Blackened Mahi Mahi
- I’ve never had mahi mahi before. What does it taste like? Mahi mahi is a sweet, lean, and firm fish (similar to swordfish). It’s mild in flavor, making a great introductory fish for people trying to get more into seafood.
- How long will the pineapple-mango salsa keep? If there are any leftovers (there likely won’t be!!), store in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- I’m sensitive to heat. Will this blackening spice be too spicy? We’re including instructions for people who want to blow out their palettes (lol, not really — but you know what we mean, for folks who love spicy food!) as well as a slightly more tame version of the rub. Two recommendations for you: first, only use the rub on one side of the fish to start. That’ll bring the spiciness down quite a bit. But also, second, make sure to serve with sour cream and ripe avocado. Those help to combat the heat beautifully and are a natural pairing with the flavor profile of the dish!
Love blackening spice? Check out our cajun shrimp and grits and this simple blackened salmon with pineapple avocado salsa. Seriously delicious!
Seriously, this is such a quick, not-at-all-boring weeknight dinner! You’ll love the short cook time (we certainly do!) and the bold flavor you get from the spice blend, as well as the light, vibrant pineapple mango salsa. If you make this Blackened Mahi Mahi recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
For more seafood recipes, check out the following:
- Salmon escabeche
- Lemon Garlic Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops
- Butter Poached Cod
- Grilled Lobster Tails and Clams
- Stuffed Clams with ‘Nduja
Blackened Mahi Mahi Recipe with Pineapple Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 (5-6 oz) mahi mahi fillets
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Cilantro for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
- Sour cream for serving
- 1 Avocado peeled and cubed, for serving
For the blackening spice
- 3 ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper if you LOVE heat, use the full 1 tsp, otherwise start with half — it's plenty hot!
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried basil
For the pineapple-mango salsa
- 2 cups pineapple peeled and diced
- 1 whole mango peeled, pitted, and diced
- ½ small red onion diced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ – 1 jalapeño diced, optional (we only add this if serving without the already very spicy blakcened fish — see note below)
Instructions
- Make the blackening spice. Combine all dried herbs and spices in a bowl, then whisk to combine.
- Coat the fish. Preheat an oven to 400F. Brush the mahi mahi fillets lightly with olive oil on both sides, then sprinkle blackening spice on top, covering as much of the flesh of the fish as possible. For extra heat, coat both sides of the fish in spice rub.
- Cook the fish. Cook for 10 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 137F is reached. If you prefer the fish to be slightly more medium, cook to an internal temperature of 145F.
- Garnish, then serve. Give the fish a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then add any fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges, pineapple-mango salsa, and sour cream and avocado, if using. Recommended over cilantro lime rice.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include cilantro lime rice, avocado, or sour cream.
- The pineapple-mango salsa will keep in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To cut back on the heat: (1) use 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper instead of 1 tsp; (2) only use the blackening rub on one side of the fish to begin; (3) serve with sour cream and ripe avocado. All these things combined will help cut back on the spice level!
Debated making his because there weren’t very many reviews and company was coming… it was awesome! Everything from the blackening spice to homemade salsa, it was perfect. I did not do any garnish after cooking other than the super delicious salsa and avocado.
Oh man, that is some SERIOUS trust! Thank you, thank you for believing in my recipes. I hope your friends enjoy spice because that blackening seasoning blend is no joke, am I right?! Thank goodness for refreshing cool salsa! Cheers! xo, Ari