Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos Recipe

Wrapped in warm corn tortillas, these crunchy Mahi Mahi fish tacos are perfectly tender, flaky, and crispy all at the same time. Served with creamy and spicy toppings, they’re an explosion of flavors and textures.

Easy Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

With Spring Break right around the corner, these mahi mahi fish tacos are just what you need to get into a tropical, coastal mood. Packed with your favorite toppings, this recipe is an exciting seafood fiesta in your belleh!

Dipped into a seasoned homemade batter and deep fried until golden, you’ll love how juicy and tender the fish is despite the crispy exterior. Served in corn tortillas like authentic fish tacos, these are way better than anything you can find at restaurants— and super quick to make.

Drizzled with chipotle mayo and topped with shredded cabbage, these mahi mahi fish tacos are a pop of color on your plate that’ll have you biting into them non-stop. Prepped ahead for a quick lunch, they’ll be your new favorite meal with tropical vacation vibes this spring.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Here are a couple of reasons you’ll be making these fish tacos weekly (or almost weekly):

• Prep-friendly. You can prepare the fish, chipotle mayo, and toppings in advance so that all you need to do is assemble the tacos when it’s time for lunch or dinner.
• Crowd-pleaser. With a variety of crunchy, creamy, and spicy toppings, this recipe will be a make-it-your-own meal that everyone will love.
• Easy. There are no fancy ingredients or complicated techniques for these tacos. It’s an easy meal.

What You’ll Need

It’s all about simple ingredients for these tacos. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.

To Make the Batter

• All-purpose flour: Don’t use bread or cake flour for this.
• Cornstarch: Try not to swap this out for more flour; otherwise, the batter won’t be as light and airy.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
• Red pepper flakes
• Water

For the Fish

• Mahi Mahi fish fillets: If you can buy them boneless and skinless, it will save you a lot of time.
• Salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil: Corn and canola oil will also work.

For the Chipotle Mayo

• Mayonnaise: Low-fat works too.
• Chipotle in adobo: Any chipotle sauce is a good substitute.

To Make the Tacos

• Corn tortillas: Don’t use flour tortillas for this.
• Green cabbage: Purple cabbage is a great substitute and adds a nice pop of color. Feel free to use a combination of them.
• Carrots
• Hot sauce: You can also use your favorite salsa.

What is Mahi Mahi?

Mahi Mahi is the Hawaiian name for dolphinfish or dorado. It’s a saltwater species that prefers warm waters. For this reason, it’s commonly found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific. It’s also a lean, firm, and white meat fish that doesn’t have a strong fishy flavor. Mahi-mahi is perfect for marinating, grilling, and frying because it doesn’t fall apart easily.

How to Make Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos

Prepping ahead is the key to quickly throwing these tacos together on a weekday.

For the Fish

• Make the batter. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes in a medium-sized bowl until well combined. Add half of the water and mix well. Add more water as needed to adjust the consistency. It should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Set it aside.

• Season the fish. Season the mahi mahi with salt and pepper to taste on all sides.
• Prepare the oil. Pour the vegetable oil into a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Let it heat for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, lower the mahi mahi pieces into the batter. Stir them around until they’re completely coated.
• Fry them. Take one battered fish and dip the tip into the oil. If it sizzles right away, it’s ready. Gently lower a couple of battered mahi mahi pieces into the oil. Let them fry for 30 seconds on each side or up to 1 minute until golden brown. Remove them from the oil and set them on a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack. Slice it in half and check for doneness. It should flake and be completely opaque on the inside. The thicker the fish, the longer the cooking time. Adjust the frying time as needed by increasing or decreasing it. You can also lower the heat as needed. Let the oil reheat for 30 seconds before frying the next batch.

To Make the Tacos

• Make the chipotle mayo. Whisk the mayonnaise and chipotle until you get a smooth mixture. Adjust the flavor to taste. Add more mayonnaise for a milder sauce, and more chipotle for a spicier one.

• Heat the tortillas. Place the tortillas on a griddle or comal over medium-low heat. Let them heat on each side for 1-2 minutes or until warm. Remove them from the heat.
• Serve. Place the tortillas on a serving plate. Additionally, place the fried fish, shredded cabbage, and shredded carrots on separate plates too. Let everyone assemble their own tacos with a tortilla, fish, and their favorite toppings. Add chipotle mayo and hot sauce to taste.

Tips & Variation Ideas

These tips and variations will help you make the best possible mahi mahi fish tacos.

• Use other kinds of fish. Tilapia and halibut are excellent substitutes if you’re out of mahi-mahi.
• Use baking powder and soda. Although adding one or the other might be tempting, you must add both if you want the batter to fizz up. It’s the only way it’ll be nice and airy when frying.
• Make chipotle coleslaw. Mixing the chipotle mayo with the cabbage and carrots can give you a 2-in-1 chipotle coleslaw topping.
• Add more toppings. Pickled red onions, cilantro, and even diced mango are great toppings for more flavor.
• Use breaded fish. You can use regular breaded fish when you don’t have enough time to make the batter and fry the fish.

Don’t store fully assembled mahi mahi fish tacos because they’ll soften too much. The tortilla will also break when you try to pick up the tacos after reheating. You want to store the taco elements separately if there are any extras.

• Refrigerate the chipotle mayo in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
• The shredded cabbage and carrots can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
• The fried fish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• None of the toppings need to be reheated, only the fish. You can microwave it for up to a minute or until warm. You can also heat it in a pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Assemble the tacos as usual.

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