Blackened Mahi Mahi & Homemade Cajun Spice Rub

Blackened Mahi Mahi & Homemade Cajun Spice Rub is your favorite fish fillet coated in Cajun spices and pan seared to perfection with this filleting tips perfect for it. Paprika, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and more combine to make the perfect flavor combination. This dish has spicy kick to it, and is perfect for pairing with a salad or even in a fish taco. 

Here’s a fast and flavorful recipe for all of you fish lovers out there. Blackened Mahi Mahi & Homemade Cajun Spice Rub has that great spicy kick you’d expect from a blackened fish, while using one of the meatier filets available. I’ve also made this a bit lighter by using olive oil instead of butter in the skillet.

And it only takes about 20 minutes to make! It’s quick, flavorful, and easy. That’s a winner in my house.

Here it is, Monday has come around once more. And what better way to start the week than with a tender, juicy fillets of amazingness coated with spicy seasoning and pan seared to perfection?

The best part about this dish is not only the out-of-this-world flavor, but also the fact that it takes almost no time to make! Sprinkle the Cajun spice rub into each side of the fish, and pan-sear on for about 6 minutes. That’s it! Easy peasy.

Have you noticed the beautiful char on these fillets? I made up a pretty big batch of this blackened mahi mahi while I had the skillet nice a hot, so I can confidently tell you that this char is the tastiest thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. Ever. Or maybe this week. I’m not sure. But it’s pretty darn good.

It does have a pretty big kick of spice on it, though, so you have to be into that kind of thing. Or, you can also leave out the cayenne pepper, and that should help bring down the spice significantly.

Or add more, if you’re daring. 

Right after we made this blackened mahi mahi recipe – and had time to get over how amazingly flavorful this Cajun spice rub is – we put it over a beautiful bed of greens with some lemon wedges and had it that way for dinner.

But with the leftovers, we discovered that blackened mahi mahi is actually perfect for fish tacos. We used the same toppings as these oven fried fish tacos, but switched the fish out for this right here. SO good. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is going to be a staple in this house for a long time to come.

Does it have to be blackened mahi mahi with Cajun spice rub?

I’d also say that this Cajun spice rub can be used on any type of white fish that you have. I personally like blackened mahi mahi because it’s a meatier fillet, and I think it’s pretty filling. But you can use whatever happens to look good at the grocery store that day.

I use fresh from the store, but this recipe would also turn out great with a frozen fillet. Just make sure to completely thaw it out before you use it, and pat it dry if it looks like it has some extra moisture on it from defrosting.

I’m even considering trying this out on chicken! Because that’s how much I love it.

Blackened Mahi Mahi & Homemade Cajun Spice Rub

Blackened Mahi Mahi & Homemade Cajun Spice Rub is your favorite fish fillet coated in Cajun spices and pan seared to perfection. Paprika, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and more combine to make the perfect flavor combination. This dish has spicy kick to it, and is perfect for pairing with a salad or even in a fish taco. 

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Cajun

Author: Jacqui

Yield: 6 fillets

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 24 oz mahi mahi fillets, (about 6 filets)
• ▢ 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 tbsp paprika
• ▢ 2 tsp mustard powder
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp white pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Equipment

• skillet

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, mix together all spices (paprika, mustard, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, white pepper, thyme, salt, garlic, onion powder).
• Lay mahi mahi on a plate. Brush fillets evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil. 
• Sprinkle half of seasoning evenly over all fillets, patting down to make sure it sticks to fish. Flip fish over and repeat on other side. 
  
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining olive oil. 
• Once the pan is hot, add each fillet. Cook 4-5 minutes, or until bottom side looks charred. Turn over fish and repeat for the other side. 
• When fish is cooked through, remove from pan. 
  

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!

 

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 83mg (28%)Sodium: 490mg (21%)Potassium: 526mg (15%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 826IU (17%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 32mg (3%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish and tag #dishingdelish!

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