If you’re looking for a dinner that’s both quick and delicious, our easy pan-seared mahi-mahi recipe is everyone’s top pick. Not only is it our most popular one-pan recipe to date, boasting rave reviews, but it’s also remarkably simple to make. It requires just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time (just five minutes!). Plus, the lemon butter sauce elevates this dish to a whole new level — you’ll want to drizzle it on everything.
This recipe has earned its place as our #1 one-pan 30-minute dinner for good reason. Let’s dive into what makes this recipe so amazing and why it’s a must-try for busy weeknights.
What Makes This Recipe So Amazing
Our pan-seared mahi-mahi with lemon butter sauce hits all the right notes when it comes to flavor and ease of preparation. Mahi-mahi, a firm, lean white fish, is seared in a hot pan, which creates a beautiful crust while maintaining a tender, flaky interior. It’s mild in flavor, which makes it the perfect canvas for the tangy lemon butter sauce.
So what’s the secret to perfectly seared fish on the stovetop? Use a hot pan and dry fish. In order to achieve a golden-brown crust, make sure the pan is just starting to smoke and the mahi-mahi has been patted completely dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture (excess moisture will just steam the fish instead).
The lemon butter sauce, though, truly steals the show. Made with lemon juice (and lemon slices for extra lemon flavor!), garlic, butter, and parsley, this sauce adds a burst of freshness and richness to the dish. It comes together quickly in the same pan that we seared the mahi-mahi in, then gets drizzled generously over the fish.
You all love this easy recipe as much as we do! Here are just a handful of our favorite reviews.
With such glowing feedback, it’s clear that this dish is a winner.
What to Serve with Pan-Seared Mahi-Mahi
We love the simplicity of this recipe, and it pairs well with a whole range of side dishes. Here are a few of our favorites.