Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe

My Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe is a light, fresh and delicious way to enjoy this fish. Make it with my amazing Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce and enjoy an easy but sophisticated dinner that everyone will love. Save this now so you can make it next time you get in the mood for seafood!

Mahi Mahi is probably my favorite type of fish. It’s light, meaty, flakey and as long as you get it fresh or flash frozen it doesn’t taste at all fishy. It also always makes me think of summer, vacation and Hawaii. Since I didn’t go anywhere specifically tropical on vacation this year, I thought I would bring a little vacation flavor to the farm with my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe and it’s smooth and dreamy Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce. 

What is Mahi Mahi?

Mahi Mahi is the Hawaii name for a fish called “dolphinfish”. However, Mahi Mahi is not dolphin nor is it related to that mammal. It does tend to swim in front of ships similar to what dolphins do. Mahi Mahi is high in B3, B6 and B12 nutrients. The B family of vitamins helps with liver and brain function as well as controlling cholesterol, maintaining energy and protecting joints, according to Web MD. It’s also high in lean protein which helps to control your appetite and plays a role in helping to rebuild muscles after working out. 

What is flash frozen fish?

I know Mahi Mahi isn’t as well known as say salmon. It’s certainly a fish that I don’t get to enjoy too often. It is a more tropical and found in warmer waters. Since I live in the middle of the country it can make it really difficult to find good, fresh Mahi Mahi. So my fish in my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe is flash frozen. This means it is frozen within 25-35 hours of being caught. Unlike normal freezing processes, flash freezing seafood uses ultra-low temperatures to freeze the fish which is frozen in a matter of hours. Regular frozen fish takes days to freeze. Freezing them in a fresher state helps to extend their “shelf life” and helps to lock in nutritional aspects, texture and flavor.

It also helps to maintain the look and feel of fish without using artificial preservatives. 

My Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe

I will tell you, I’m not a huge coconut lover – unless it’s in a Pina Colada. That said, I love the light Coconut Taste in this Mahi Mahi recipe. It’s not overpowering and oddly, doesn’t make this dish sweet at all. In fact, my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi is a savory dish and so is the Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce. 

To begin my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe, I season the fish with a little coriander, paprika and sea salt and pepper. Then it’s given it’s lovely coating that is a flour mixture, egg wash. Finally it is dredged through a mix of the toasted coconut flakes and panko bread crumbs. Each piece is sautéed in a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes and then that whole pan is added to the oven to finish off. 

I actually make the sauce for this first because it needs to be heated and allowing it to sit will help to thicken it. Beer (Ideally something like Corona) and pineapple juice are heated over a medium flame in a sauce pan to reduce the alcohol. Then dijon, honey, butter and a touch of lime juice are added for a lightly sweet and very savory sauce that gets poured over the fish. 

Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce

There are some sauces that you don’t always truly need for a recipe. However, this isn’t one of them! This sauce is incredible and make the already delicious fish a standout. It’s smooth, savory and even a little luxurious. I love how it really is a balance between savory and sweet with a hint of sweetness from the pineapple and the honey in it. However, with the main ingredient being butter, the sauce really has a delightful sophistication. Even if you’re not a fan of fish, this sauce could be good over chicken too. 

Tips for making my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe

• As mentioned, make the sauce first. It’s pretty quick to make and it will begin to thicken as it cools and sits. 
• Set up the breading station before seasoning the fish. This way you are all ready to go and the fish can stay in the refrigerator for as long as possible.
• take flash frozen fish it out of the freezer the night before you want to serve the Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe. Put it in the refrigerator to de-thaw overnight for the next day. If you find it is still a little frozen when you need it, you can run it under some cold water to help fully thaw it. 
• We like to serve this over a little cilantro lime rice, which isn’t hard to make. Simply mix about 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro and toss it with the rice and 2 Tbsp. of fresh squeezed lime juice.
• You need to use an oven safe pan to make the Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi. I used my Ninja Foodi pan that I love. You can find it {HERE}. It truly doesn’t stick and transfers from the oven to the stove nicely. 
• Because this is a seafood recipe I do no recommend making this ahead of time. If you do have leftovers you can store the in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat it in the oven (never the microwave!) at 350 for about 10 minutes. 

Looking for other seafood recipes?

If you’re a seafood lover, try these recipes too!

• Grilled Salmon Salad with Basil Cilantro Dressing {HERE}
• Easy Shrimp Salad with Old Bay {HERE}
• Chimichurri Shrimp Skewers {HERE}
• Mediterranean Baked Cod {HERE}
• Salmon with Goat Cheese and Herbs {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse and @sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is @sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating!

Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe

My Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi recipe is a light, fresh and delicious way to enjoy this fish. Make it with my amazing Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce and enjoy an easy but sophisticated dinner that everyone will love. Save this now so you can make it next time you get in the mood for seafood!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coconut crusted mahi mahi, mahi mahi, mahi mahi recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Servings: 3

Author: Rachel

Equipment

• Large, non stick oven safe pan

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce

• 1/2 cup Pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup beer I used Corona
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 juice of a fresh squeezed lime

Ingredients for the Mahi Mahi

• 3-4 Mahi Mahi filets
• 1 tsp. ground coriander, divided
• 1 tsp. paprika, divided
• 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. cold water
• 3/4 cup shredded, toasted coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp.  butter
• Optional topping: Cilantro or microgreens

Instructions

Instructions for the Pineapple Dijon Butter Sauce

• In a small sauce pan on the stove add the pineapple juice and beer. Allow it to reduce to medium heat until there is about 1/3 of liquid left. About 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add in the Dijon mustard and honey. Whisk vigorously to combine.
• Whisk in 1 Tbsp. of butter at a time. Whisk vigorously until it dissolves and then add another.
• Set aside until the fish is done to let it thicken.

Instructions for the Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi

• Preheat the oven to 350 and then toast the coconut flakes for 5-10 minutes or until they’re started browning. Let cool and combine with the Panko breadcrumbs.
• Preheat the oven to 425.
• Whisk the water and eggs together and then set up the breading station. Use one bowl for the flour, one bowl for the egg mix and one for the coconut flakes mix.
• Pat each filet dry and sprinkle half the spices over each side of the fish.
• Dunk each piece of fish in the flour mix, then the egg wash and finally the coconut breadcrumb mix.
• In a large, oven safe, non-stick pan, melt butter over medium heat and then add the mahi filets. Sauté 1-2 minutes per side depending on thickness.
• Place the whole pan in the oven and bake for 10- 15 minutes.
• Remove and serve with the Sweet Pineapple Dijon Sauce, cilantro and microgreens. Enjoy!