Parmesan Crusted Baked Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi is a wonderful white fish with thin skin and firm meat. Besides salmon, my other two top choices for fish is mahi mahi and cod. There is something about the firm yet juicy meat that is delightful to eat and easy to cook.

Mahi Mahi doesn’t fall apart when it cooks because of the dense meat consistency. That makes it easier to cook but also makes it important not to overcook.

Besides the firm flesh, mahi mahi has a pleasant mild flavor with a little sweetness to it. The mild flavor is perfect because it means that this fish will go with a wide variety of flavors and can be served with many different sides. Mahi Mahi is a good fish to pan fry, bake in the oven, grill, and it is great in fish tacos too.

Tips And Steps To Make Parmesan Crusted Baked Mahi Mahi

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. I highly recommend parchment paper (not waxed!) because the fish slides right off.
• Set three wide and shallow bowls in front of you. Mix  flour with salt, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk eggs with salt and pepper in another bowl. Mix Panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and salt in a third bowl. (Remember to season each layer of the breading!)
• Coat each piece of fish in flour first, then in egg, and last in the Panko mixture. Pat the coating onto the fish firmly and lay in on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish filet.

How To Tell When Mahi Mahi is Done?

• As I mentioned before, it’s best not to overcook mahi mahi or it will be dry. So cook it just until it just turns opaque throughout and flakes easily. That is easy to tell when cooking the fish without coating. Unfortunately, it makes it a bit harder if it’s coated. (But coating also preserves moisture, so there is that benefit.)
• You can always flake off a piece on the thicker side to check inside.
• Or, you can use a meat thermometer and insert it into the center of the thickest part in the fish. Safe fish temperature is 145°F but I find it a little dry at 145°F. I pull my mahi mahi out around 137­°-140°F.

Serving Suggestions

• Since the flavor of mahi mahi is so mild, it goes with just about anything you want to serve it with.
• You can serve it over a salad as a healthy dinner salad option. Make homemade Caesar salad or a simple side salad and add some shaved Parmesan cheese to the salad and balsamic vinaigrette to compliment the fish.
• Roasted vegetables make a great option here too. It can actually be cooked at the same time as the fish in a separate baking sheet or in the same one. Try asparagus, green beans, red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower.
• Mashed potatoes or over roasted potatoes would be great as a comforting side dish option.

How To Make This Mahi Mahi Gluten Free?

• Don’t let the coating put you off because with just a couple of substitutions, you can make this mahi mahi recipe gluten free.
• Use all purpose gluten free flour for the first coating and use gluten free bread crumbs in the outer coating instead of Panko.
• Make sure that Parmesan cheese is freshly grated and there is no additives that could contain gluten.

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More Delicious Fish Recipes To Try

• Fried Fish Tacos
• Lemon Herb Butter Baked Cod with Asparagus
• Lemon and Garlic Baked Cod
• Pecan Crusted Salmon
• Salmon Recipes

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on January 8, 2019.