Tortilla-Crusted Mahi-Mahi

Inspiration: A few weeks ago I ran across this post for tortilla chip coated salmon. I’ve kept it in mind ever since, because I, too, always end up with a quarter bag full of tortilla chip crumbs that just aren’t big enough anymore for dipping in salsa or guacamole. Several years back, I would also occasionally purchase a tortilla-crusted tilapia from the grocery store that I really enjoyed, so I don’t know why I never thought of making it myself at home. Now I have :)

What we Loved: I always love a crunchy coating on fish or chicken, and this coating was really crunchy with a nice flavor. Tortilla chips lend themselves really well to Mexican-type flavors, so I mixed the crushed chips with a lot of spices and served the fish alongside my homemade refried beans (sans cheese) and topped with pico de gallo. This meal was healthy, light, and flavorful, perfect for a weeknight.

Helpful Hints: This coating would work well on any kind of fish you prefer, and it would also work well with chicken. You could leave out the spices and just use tortilla chips for a plain breading, or mix any other spices in that you prefer for a different spin on the flavor. I always buy unsalted tortilla chips, but you could use salted and leave out the additional salt when adding the spices.

Similar Recipes: pistachio-crusted mahi-mahi, parmesan-crusted tilapia

Tortilla-Crusted Mahi-Mahi
Source: Inspired from Macheesmo

2 mahi-mahi filets
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup crushed unsalted tortilla chips, more if necessary
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and the egg in a second shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, mix the tortilla chip crumbs with a sprinkle of chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 

2. Dip the fish filets in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the tortilla crumb coating. Place the coated filets on a plate.

3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the filets, and saute until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes per side.

Mahi-Mahi Tacos

I adore fish tacos. They’re so fresh, healthy, and delicious, and along with chickpea tacos, they’re probably the kind of taco that I make the most frequently. I like to marinate the fish (I used mahi-mahi this time, but I usually use tilapia, and any white fish will work) in a cilantro marinade before sauteeing it until it’s nice and brown in olive oil. Often, I cook fish this way and serve it as is (like in my cilantro tilapia dish), but when I’m making tacos I shred the fish and top it in the taco shells with shredded cheese  and a simple pico de gallo. Yum! I just love the contast in textures between the soft fish and the crunchy taco shells, and the flavor of the fish that has been marinated and browned is just fantastic, especially if you’re a huge fan of cilantro like B and I are. Tacos served this way taste just like a healthy summer day.

Mahi-Mahi Tacos
Source: Marinade adapted from Jason Cooks

Marinade
2 mahi-mahi fillets, or whatever white fish you’d like
1 handful of cilantro, about a cup
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, roughly chopped
1 lime
Extra virgin olive oil

Pico de Gallo
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 handful cilantro, finely minced
Juice from 1/2 lime
Black pepper

1/2 cup cheese, shredded (Whatever kind you like. I used chihuahua cheese, but I often use cheddar.)

1. Combine the cilantro, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and juice from 1 lime in a food processor, and puree.

2. Coat the fish in the marinade, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

3. While the fish is sitting, combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, juice from 1/2 lime, and black pepper in a bowl, and mix.

4. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan. Add the fish and cook until the it is browned and flakes easily with a fork, approximatel 7-8 minutes.

5. Shred the fish with two forks, and serve in crunchy taco shells with the shredded cheese and pico de gallo.

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Pesto and Prosciutto

Yesterday was my grocery shopping day, and I wanted something quick for supper after being gone all day at work and at the grocery store. I recently ran across a recipe for a prosciutto-wrapped tilapia at Confections of a Foodie Bride, and I thought that it was such a great idea for an easy-to-prepare meal that would taste great, too. I love cooking with mahi-mahi because it’s more meaty and filling, so I used the prosciutto-wrapped tilapia idea to create a mahi-mahi dish, and it turned out wonderfully! I coated the fish in pesto before wrapping it in prosciutto and baking it in the oven, and the flavor combination was just delicious. I’ve had a lot of luck lately with fish recipes that I’ve been trying, and I feel like this one was even better than the last few that I raved over. The fish was so nice and moist from the pesto and the olive oil that leaked out from the pesto as the fish cooked, and the prosciutto provided a really delicious salty flavor. All in all, I thought that this recipe was perfect, and I’ll be making it often on days when I want a quick meal.

Baked Mahi-Mahi with Pesto and Prosciutto
 Source: Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

2 mahi-mahi filets
3 tablespoons pesto
4 slices prosciutto
Kosher salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

1. Grease a glass baking dish with a very small amount of olive oil.

2. Season both sides of the mahi-mahi with salt and pepper. Coat the top of each mahi-mahi filet with 1.5 tablespoons pesto, and then wrap each filet with 2 slices of prosciutto.

3. Place the filets in the baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pistachio-Crusted Mahi-Mahi

I’m pretending that it’s summer. After too many months of freezing weather and comfort foods, it’s finally staying light until 7:30 now (!!!), and I’m more than ready to start having cookouts and taking evening walks and eating super healthy. I realize that, realistically, we’ve still got  at least a month or so of cold, winterish weather left, but in my heart it’s already summer. And in the summer time, I love eating a lot of light, healthy meals, particularly fish. This fish was baked in the oven, not grilled by B as I like my summer fish to be, but it still tasted really great. It was actually one of the better meals that I’ve ever made with fish. I coated the mahi-mahi in a pistachio and panko crust, then drizzled it with olive oil and baked it in the oven. The pistachios and the olive oil gave the fish a great flavor, and the best part was that the pistachio crust was super surprisingly crunchy. Mmm. I served this with some white rice topped with a veggie mix of julienned tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos mixed with olive oil, salt and pepper, and pistachios. Healthy and summer :)

Pistachio-Crusted Mahi-Mahi
Source: Original Recipe

2 mahi-mahi filets
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup pistachios, more if needed
1/4 cup panko, more if needed

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the mahi-mahi filets with salt and pepper, and rub the filets with olive oil.

2. Process the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop them with a knife. Mix the pistachios with the panko, and place the filets into the pistachio mixture to coat the top. Place the filets in a greased baking dish, and add more of the pistachio mixture on top, patting to coat. I pressed a lot of the extra mixture onto the top, which resulted in a super crunchy topping.

3. Bake the filets for approximately 15 minutes in the oven, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado Salsa

Yum. This was the best meal that we’ve had in a long time. So, so good. B grilled the mahi-mahi nice and crispy, then we topped it with a really fresh salsa made with avocados, hot peppers, cilantro, and red onions. This might be the best fish I’ve ever had.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado Salsa
Source: Adapted from Laylita’s Recipes

I used the above salmon recipe as inspiration, but my meal ended up being quite different. Here’s what I did:

2 mahi-mahi fillets

Marinade
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
sprinkle of salt

Salsa
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3-4 slices of red onion (thin)
1 hungarian hot pepper, seeded and diced
Juice from 1 lime
A handful of chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste

 

1. Mix the coriander, cumin, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and salt together. Rub the mahi-mahi fillets with olive oil and the seasoning mix, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine the avocado, red onion, hot pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a bowl and mix well, chilling until ready to use.

3. Grill the mahi-mahi until cooked through and crispy on the outside. Serve the fish topped with the salsa.