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    Home » Recipes » Seafood

    Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa

    Published: Jun 15, 2023 by Mollie · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    These blackened mahi-mahi tacos are served with the best mango salsa and a super easy cilantro lime sauce. They're fast and easy, and the toppings are easily customizable. They're the perfect summer fish tacos.

    Three mahi-mahi tacos topped with mango salsa and cilantro lime sauce.
    Jump to:
    • 💗 Why We Love These Tacos
    • 🐠 Key Ingredients and Substitutions
    • 📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Side Pairings
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    💗 Why We Love These Tacos

    • They're not fishy: Mahi-mahi has a mild flavor and a firm texture, so it takes on other flavors really well and provides the meaty bite that you want in a good taco. It's especially good with blackening seasoning, which you can throw together on your own in literally a minute.
    • They're inexpensive: We usually buy a bag of frozen fish from Costco, Sams, or the grocery store about once a month. Wild-caught frozen mahi-mahi is usually less than $10 a pound.
    • They're fast: The mahi-mahi itself takes barely any time at all to cook, and you can customize the toppings to fit your schedule and time restraints.

    🐠 Key Ingredients and Substitutions

    Blackened mahi-mahi taco ingredients on a countertop.

    For the tacos:

    • Mahi-Mahi: We usually buy our mahi-mahi frozen at Costco, Sams, or our local grocery store. Walmart has it too. We prefer wild-caught fish, but use whatever you prefer. You can also use fresh mahi-mahi if you live in the right region. To defrost your frozen mahi-mahi, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
    • Blackening seasoning: We make our own blackening seasoning with cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. If you prefer, you can buy store-bought blackening seasoning.
    • Bacon: We love topping our mahi-mahi tacos with bacon for added flavor. We use thick-cut bacon and cook it til it's crunchy.
    • Corn tortillas: You can substitute flour tortillas if that's what you prefer, but we like the flavor of the fish better in corn.

    For the mango salsa:

    • Mango: Use a fresh mango for best results. Follow this tutorial if you don't know how to cut a mango. Peaches are a great substitute if they're in season!
    • Cherry or grape tomatoes: You can also dice a large tomato.
    • Cilantro: If you're one of the unfortunate souls that thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you can leave it out.
    • Jalapeño: If you want something more mild, use a bell pepper instead.
    • Red Onion: If your red onion is too strong, soak it in some ice water for a few minutes after cutting it.
    • Lime juice: We use fresh lime juice, but you can use bottled if you're in a time crunch or if that's what you prefer.

    For the cilantro lime sauce:

    • Plain greek yogurt: You can substitute sour cream or even mayonnaise if that's what you prefer.
    • Cilantro
    • Lime juice
    • Jalapeño

    📋 Step-by-Step Instructions

    Step 1: Make the mango salsa. Finely dice the mango, tomatoes, jalapeño, and red onion and add to a mixing bowl. Chop the cilantro and add that to the bowl, followed by the lime juice and salt. Mix to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the other components.

    Mango peach salsa ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

    Step 2: Add all of the cilantro lime sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until combined and smooth. Set aside.

    Mixed up aioli in a food processor.

    Step 3: Add cayenne powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and cumin to a bowl and mix to combine. Then pat the mahi-mahi dry with a paper towel and coat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Evenly apply the seasoning mixture to the fish.

    Blackening seasoning mixed together in a small clear bowl.
    Mahi-mahi filets in a mixing bowl coated with seasoning.

    Step 4: Heat a cast-iron or non-stick pan over high heat with the rest of the oil. Once hot, turn down to medium-high heat and add the mahi-mahi. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute and a half or until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and cut into bite-sized chunks.

    Mahi-mahi filets cooking in a large pan.
    Cut up cooked mahi-mahi in a serving bowl.

    Step 5: Construct the tacos. Add blackened mahi-mahi, bacon, mango salsa, and cilantro lime sauce to each tortilla and enjoy!

    hree mahi-mahi tacos topped with mango salsa and cilantro lime sauce.

    💭 Top Tips

    • Heat the tortillas before filling them to make them more pliable and less likely to break. We heat ours directly over our gas stove, but you can also heat them in a pan over medium heat or pop them in the microwave.
    • Only flip the fish once. Allowing it to cook undisturbed helps it develop a nice blackened crust and keeps it moist.
    • Use our recommended toppings if you have time! They complement the fish so well. If you don't have time, Costco has a delicious mango peach salsa.
    • You can use store-bought blackening seasoning to cut down on time. Just make sure it contains salt. If it doesn't, add about ½ teaspoon to the fish.
    A hand holding a mahi-mahi taco.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a good seasoning for mahi-mahi?

    We use our own blackening seasoning, but store-bought blackening seasoning also tastes great. If you prefer something different, store-bought taco seasoning would also work well and be super easy!

    What is a good sauce for mahi-mahi tacos?

    We love ours with mango salsa and cilantro lime sauce. If you don't have time to make those, guacamole, pico de gallo, and store-bought salsa are all good options.

    How do I store these tacos?

    If you have leftovers, store all of the components in separate air-tight containers for up to 3-4 days. To reheat the mahi-mahi, cook it in a pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until warm.

    Side Pairings

    These sides go well with our mahi-mahi tacos:

    • Mango peach salsa with tomatoes in a serving bowl with a spoon.
      Mango Peach Salsa (with Tomatoes)
    • Escabeche vegetable salad in a bowl.
      Escabeche Vegetable Salad
    • Mexican Black Beans
    • A virgin frozen strawberry mango margarita in a cocktail glass, garnished with a lime slice.
      Virgin Strawberry Margarita with Mango
    Print

    📖 Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Three mahi-mahi tacos topped with mango salsa and cilantro lime sauce.

    Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Mango Salsa


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Mollie
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 8 tacos 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These blackened mahi-mahi tacos are served with the best mango salsa and a super easy cilantro lime sauce. They're fast and easy, and the toppings are easily customizable. They're the perfect summer fish tacos.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the tacos:

    1 pound mahi-mahi, fresh or frozen (defrost if frozen)

    2 tablespoons oil (we use avocado oil), divided

    ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

    ½ teaspoon salt

    ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    ½ teaspoon paprika

    ½ teaspoon chili powder

    ½ teaspoon cumin

    6 slices cooked bacon, chopped

    8 corn tortillas

    For the mango salsa:

    1 mango (peaches work well too)

    3 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes

    ¼ cup cilantro

    ½ large jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed

    ½ medium red onion

    2 tablespoons lime juice

    ¼ teaspoon salt

    For the cilantro lime sauce:

    ¼ cup plain greek yogurt

    ½ cup cilantro

    2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    ½ large jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed

    ¼ teaspoon salt


    Instructions

    1. Make the mango salsa. Finely dice the mango, tomatoes, jalapeño, and red onion and add to a mixing bowl. Chop the cilantro and add that to the bowl, followed by the lime juice and salt. Mix to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the other components. 
    2. Add all of the cilantro lime sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until combined and smooth. Set aside.
    3. Add cayenne powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, and cumin to a bowl and mix to combine. Then pat the mahi-mahi dry with a paper towel and coat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Evenly apply the seasoning mixture to the fish.
    4. Heat a cast-iron or non-stick pan over high heat with the rest of the oil. Once hot, turn heat down to medium-high and add the mahi-mahi. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute and a half or until it flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and cut into bite-sized chunks.
    5. Construct the tacos. Add mahi-mahi, bacon, mango salsa, and cilantro lime sauce to each tortilla and enjoy! 

    Notes

    Heat the tortillas before filling them to make them more pliable and less likely to break. We heat ours directly over our gas stove, but you can also heat them in a pan over medium heat or pop them in the microwave.

    You can use store-bought blackening seasoning to cut down on time. Just make sure it contains salt. If it doesn't, add about ½ teaspoon to the fish.

    Nutritional information is only an estimate and includes the tortillas, fish, salsa, and sauce.  

    • Prep Time: 25
    • Cook Time: 5
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Pan-Seared
    • Cuisine: Mexican

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 2 tacos
    • Calories: 521
    • Sugar: 14.6 g
    • Sodium: 409.8 mg
    • Fat: 27.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 39 g
    • Protein: 31.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 112.8 mg

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us @hangryeconomist — we can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rochelle says

      June 16, 2023 at 3:31 pm

      Love these for a quick and easy dinner!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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    Primary Sidebar

    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

    More about us →

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