Tender and flaky Grilled Mahi mahi served with the most creamy and delicious Mango butter-wine sauce. This easy mahi mahi recipe is the perfect seafood dish to serve during summer or on special occasions.
We first tried this amazing mahi-mahi recipe on a trip to Hawaii while visiting one of my favorite restaurants in Maui – The Hali’imaile General store. It was love at first sight! Yes, my husband was there, but I’m actually talking about this mahi mahi fish with the most luscious mango butter-wine sauce ever!
This grilled mahi mahi may look fancy, but trust me – this restaurant style recipe is very easy to make and you can have dinner on the table in about 35 minutes. Seriously, it takes less time to make mango wine-butter sauce than to make mango salsa!
What is Mahi-Mahi?
Mahi-mahi also known as dorado and dolphinfish is a very lean fish with pinkish white flesh and a distinctive but mild taste. Mahi-mahi has a firm texture which makes it the perfect fish for grilling. Mahi is such a popular fish in Hawaii that some people call it Maui fish.
This sustainable fish is a great alternative to the more expensive halibut. Choose wild mahi if available. If you can’t find it fresh, your best option is to buy it frozen .
What is Mango Butter-Wine Sauce?
This mouthwatering, smooth and silky sauce is nothing more than a wine-butter sauce called “beurre blanc” pronounced “burr blonk”. It may sound fancy but it’s one of the easiest sauces to make.
Instead of making a sauce with just wine and butter, we are flavoring it with mango and ginger. The sweetness of the mango pairs wonderfully with the smokiness of the grilled mahi bringing this fish recipe to new delicious heights.
Chef Tip
The secret to perfect beurre blanc or wine-butter sauce is NOT TO BOIL THE SAUCE. If the sauce reaches a boiling temperature it breaks and will look almost like scrambled eggs.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Ingredients
FOR THE FISH:
- Mahi-Mahi: You can get skinless or skin-on mahi. I try to get 5-6 ounces portions that are about 1-inch thick.
- Olive Oil: Any mild oil can be used but I recommend olive oil.
- Seasonings: Salt, ground black pepper and Italian Seasoning.
FOR THE MANGO SAUCE:
- Mango: Chose a ripe mango. The best way to tell if a mango is ripe and sweet is by smelling its stem end. It should smell fruity. Another way is to gently squeeze it. A ripe mango will lightly give. Please do this gently not to bruise the flesh.
- Ginger: I prefer fresh or frozen ginger.
- Limes: Freshly squeezed lime juice is a must.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted butter as it allows me to have better control of the saltiness of the dish.
- Wine: Use a dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay can also be used.
- Heavy Cream: You can use Half and Half but heavy cream will produce a richer and cremier sauce.
- Sugar: I use granulated sugar.
How To Cook Mahi Mahi
Cooking mahi mahi is quite easy. Because of its firm texture, this is the perfect fish to cook on the grill or grill pan however, mahi mahi can be pan seared, baked and fried.
- Size Matters: For grilling, make sure the fish is about 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Because of its low fat content, very thin fish fillets can easily dry up and crumble when cooked on a grill.
- Rinse and Pat Dry: Always rinse the fish with cold water before cooking it. Pat dry the fish with paper towels to remove extra moisture. This step also helps with searing and getting beautiful grill marks.
- Oil and Season: Generously brush the fish with oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill grates. Season the fish generously with salt.
- Use a Hot Grill: Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium high heat (450 degrees F.)
- Cook Quickly: Mahi mahi doesn’t take that long to cook. Place the fish on the grill and allow it to cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side. Flip it and cook for about 3-4 minutes on the other side. The fish should look white (not translucent), the flesh will look set and you should have golden brown grill marks.
How To Prevent The Fish From Sticking To the Grill?
To prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, make sure your grill grates are clean and always preheat the grill to high heat. It is also important to brush the fish with oil on both sides. If you prefer, you can also oil the grill grates, right before placing the fish on the grill.
Once you place the fish on the hot grill, allow it to cook without moving it. Allow enough time for the fish to get charred grill marks before trying to flip it. If the fish is stuck on the grill grate, give it time. The fish naturally releases when it’s ready to flip. If you are worry about over cooking it, simply cook it for less time after flipping it.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi Recipe Tips
- You can grill the fish on a grill pan. You can also pan sear the fish on the stove top.
- Make sure you pat dry the fish. Extra moisture will prevent the fish from getting charred grill marks.
- If grilling skin-on fish, place the fish skin side up first. This guarantees nice grilled marks on the surface.
- If you would like to make the sauce ahead of time, keep it warm for a couple of hours in a small thermos.
- The wine butter sauce can be reheated with gentle heat in a water bath (bain marie). Pour the sauce into a heat safe container and place it inside a pot of hot simmering water.
- The sauce should not be reheated in the microwave!!
What To Serve With Mahi Mahi? Here are a few side dishes you may like:
Other Easy Recipes:
- Baked Salmon (with Lemon Herb Butter)
- Grilled Chicken (with the best Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette)
- Grilled Steak (with Chimichurri Sauce)
- Instant Pot Carnitas
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Mahi Mahi with Mango Butter-Wine Sauce
Ingredients
For the Mango Lime Butter
- ½ cup chopped fresh mango
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and minced
- Juice of 2 limes, freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 (6-ounces) Mahi Mahi fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the mango-lime butter, in a small saucepan, combine the chopped mango, wine, sugar, ginger and lime juice. Simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until it becomes syrupy.
- Add the cream and mix well. Remove from the heat and pour into a blender. Blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. You want the sauce to thicken a little.
- Add the butter, one piece at a time stirring after each addition until well incorporated. Do NOT boil the sauce or it will separate.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat (450 degrees F).
- Pat dry the fish and brush with olive oil on both sides. Season with salt, ground black pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Place the fish on the hot grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side then, flip it and cook for 3-4 minutes or until opaque. Remove from the grill.
- Serve the fish with the mango butter-wine sauce.
Chef’s Tips
- To prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, make sure your grill grates are clean and always preheat the grill to high heat.
- Make sure you pat dry the fish. Extra moisture will prevent the fish from getting charred grill marks.
- If grilling skin-on mahi mahi, place the fish skin side up first. This guarantees nice grilled marks on the surface.
- If you would like to make the sauce ahead of time, keep it warm for a couple of hours in a small thermos.
- If you would like to make this recipe for 4 people, simply use 4 fish fillets and make the sauce as written on the recipe above. you may have a little extra sauce but trust me, it’s so good you will want to drink it with a straw!
- Recipe inspired by Bev Ganon
Nutrition
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.
Mike C. says
hi.
is the beurre blanc something I could make either partially (reheat and add the butter) or completely a day in advance?
Kathy says
Hi Mike, Beurre Blanc can keep up to 2 – 3 days if the recipe includes a stabilizer like heavy cream, which this recipe has. However, I haven’t try to keep this sauce for more than a couple of hours so I would hate to give you the wrong advice.
If you are willing to give it a try, make the sauce minus the butter and add the butter when you warm up the sauce. I think that could work. Chef Tip: You can actually fix a broken sauce but it requires some elbow grease! If the sauce is warm and breaks, add a cold liquid and whisk as if your life depends on it! 90% of the time this works! If a cold sauce breaks, add a hot liquid and whis away!
Sorry this is super long. I hope it helps!
Joanne K. says
This AMAZING sauce totally elevated the seared Chilean Sea Bass. Served with a spinach mushroom pilaf. Just the right ratio of sweet/tart.. Such a dreamy sauce we all had to pause and close our eyes for a minute to savor.
Kathy says
Thank you Joanne! I am so glad you liked it. It is one of my favorite dishes to make.
Susan says
Delicious! Easy! Impressive!
Kathy says
Thank you!
Roxie says
This was an immediate hit. The sauce is amazing. This will be a recipe that I’ll carry through life. I used the rest of the mango and made a little cabbage salad with cilantro, lime coconut flakes and green onion with some Jasmine rice. Soooo good. I want to try it with peaches!
Kathy says
Oh Roxie I am so happy! Not a lot of people are adventurous enough to try this recipe and it is honestly one of my favorite in the entire site! I always make it on Valentine’s Day! Now, let’s talk about that salad you made. It sounds FABULOUS!!!! You may have to send me the recipe 😉
Mahi says
Hello Kathy! You’re amazing. These pictures are looking so yummy mouth-watering, and this recipe is probably will my most favorite recipe, cause it’s lookingggg so delicious. I had never tasted this before. Thank you soooo much! Please keep sharing your experience. By the way, now you can easily Buy Fresh Mahi Fish at a reasonable price these days. Please visit our website for further details. 🙂
Kathy says
Thank you for your kind words. That is one of our favorite recipes! Enjoy!
Christina says
I made this recipe and can’t tell you enough how much I like it. Is very simple, delicious and it’s not that kind of recipes that you need to be for too long in the kitchen. DELICIOUS!!
Jessy says
This recipe was AMAZING! Unbelievably delicious and very easy to make. I kept the sauce on a thermos to keep it warm. Will make it again for sure. Thank you
Kathy says
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed it. The thermos is the best way to easily keep the sauce warm!!!