Chili Lime Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe with Avocado Cream Sauce
If you’ve ever been curious about how to cook mahi mahi, this is the post for you! This low-carb baked mahi mahi recipe is bursting with flavor! My mahi mahi dish is baked in a chili-lime marinade and topped with a creamy avocado sauce. Trust me when I say it’s a recipe you’ll want to make over and over again!
I’ve always stayed away from white fish filets because I usually find the finished product very bland. Preparing seafood is definitely not my forte!
But when my husband requested that we include more seafood in our diet, I knew it was time to get serious about learning how to properly cook it.
Because variety is the “spice of life”, we’ve committed to buying a Fish-of-the-Week to try something different each week instead of the tried and true salmon recipe we usually make.
Related: Check out my recipe for Keto Salmon Patties the Whole Family will Love!
That week was mahi mahi, and purchasing it meant I had to learn how to cook mahi mahi fast!
My first go at this dish was a bit…. Underwhelming. It was lacking in flavor, but edible. Not worthy of sharing, lol
So, the next attempt, I went all out with the seasoning! More chili powder! More lime juice! More limes slices! More garlic and onion powder!
And it worked! So well in fact, that my husband said I should never prepare mahi mahi any other way.
It was a hit!
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What is Mahi Mahi?
If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying mahi mahi, you are missing out. This lean white fish, also called Dorado or Dolphinfish, is found in the waters off Hawaii and the Gulf of Mexico.
I don’t know if the fish is native to both locations or if mahi-mahi was relocated across the Americas at some point in history. I have to remember to look that up sometime!
Mahi-Mahi is quality seafood, but less expensive than halibut, another one of my favorites!
It’s super versatile, once you know how to properly prepare it, and is great for grilling, broiling, frying, and pan searing.
Oh! And it’s perfect for fish tacos! Mahi-mahi is a much better choice than the farm-raised tilapia you’ll find in stores. If you want to know more about why you should stay away from Tilapia, check out this article by Green Lifestyle Market.
Health Benefits of Mahi Mahi
Mahi-Mahi is also chock-full of healthy goodness!
Low in calories, low in fat, but high in protein, this fish is great for any weight loss program! It’s especially great for the ketogenic folks out there trying to lose weight while keeping their protein in check.
In addition to the fantastic macronutrient profile, mahi-mahi is high in Vitamin B, Omega-e fatty acids, and potassium (which is an important component of your electrolytes).
Tasty, good for weight loss, AND healthy?!? The Mahi-Mahi fish has it all!
How to Cook Mahi Mahi – My Chili Lime Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe with Avocado Cream Sauce
This baked mahi mahi recipe is super easy to make and is basically foolproof. Even if you’ve never cooked fish before, you’ll be happy to know, this is hard to mess up.
If the filets are frozen, simply run cool water over them for 15-20 minutes to thaw out.
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.
Gently pat the mahi-mahi filets with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Place two or three lime slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet for each mahi-mahi filet.
Brush the chili-lime mixture over one side of the filets and place them on top of the lime slices.
Then, brush the rest of the chili-lime mixture over the top of the filets. Use ALL of the chili-lime mixture.
Finally, place two or three lime slices on top of each mahi mahi filet.
Bake the mahi-mahi for 10-12 minutes, until the filets flake easily with a fork.
While the fish is baking, mash together the avocado cream sauce ingredients until smooth.
Related: If you love guacamole, you’ll love this Homemade Guacamole and Keto Pita Chips.
When the mahi mahi is finished baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then serve it topped with the Avocado cream sauce.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a sealed container; however, I suggest making the avocado sauce fresh right before serving.
Some More Recipes to Try!
Chili Lime Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe with Avocado Cream Sauce
This low-carb mahi-mahi dish is bursting with flavor! Baked in a chili-lime marinade and topped with a creamy avocado sauce, it’s a recipe you’ll want to make over and over again!
Ingredients
For the Mahi Mahi:
- 2 Mahi Mahi fillets (about 6 ounces each)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 lime (cut into slices)
For the Avocado Cream:
- 1/2 avocado (diced)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp plain Greek Yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Gently pat the mahi-mahi filets with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place half the lime slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush the chili-lime mixture over the fillets (use all the mix), and place them on top of the lime slices.
- Place the remaining lime slices on top of the mahi-mahi.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the fillets flake easily with a fork.
- While the fish is baking, mash together the avocado cream sauce ingredients until smooth.
- Serve the mahi-mahi topped with the Avocado cream sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1/2 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 349Total Fat: 16gCarbohydrates: 13gNet Carbohydrates: 7gFiber: 6gProtein: 41g
What do you recommend serving with this dish?
Hey Courtney! We usually just have it by itself since it includes the avocado cream sauce, but it would pair nicely with asparagus or a salad 🙂
Great recipe, thank you! My mom is allergic to onion and garlic so I took those out and added paprika.
Paprika is one of my favorite spices! I bet it turned out great!
Is there anything I can substitute for the Greek yougurt?
You could try subbing either sour cream or mayo, but I haven’t tried either one to see how the taste is.
I’d love it if you could post the nutrition on this dish. Making it for the second time tonight for dinner – it was SO DELICIOUS!
Thanks for letting me know Phyllis! I changed recipe cards recently and my nutrition data was wiped out in the migration. It’s fixed now 🙂
I’ve never made mahi mahi before but this sounds great and the fish and sauce look delicious! Thank you!
We’ve made this recipe so many times! It’s a hit with the whole family 🙂