Parmesan Herb Baked Mahi Mahi

Parmesan Herb Baked Mahi Mahi is the perfect fish dish. Tender, flaky fish with a cheesy golden crust. The best baked mahi mahi recipe ever!

Parmesan Herb Baked Mahi Mahi

I love having fish for dinner because it makes for an easy, light, high protein meal. For this recipe, and other seafood recipes, you can round out your meal with a simple rice pilaf, a baked potato, or some easy roasted veggies or green beans. 

This Parmesan Herb Baked Mahi Mahi is the perfect recipe to try if you aren’t the biggest fan of fish. Mahi Mahi is a mild white fish and bakes up so quickly. All you need is an hour and a few simple ingredients and you can treat your family to the most flavorful, flaky, un-fishy tasting fish ever!

Benefits of Eating Fish

Besides tasting delicious, fish has multiple health benefits. It’s packed with nutrients (omega-3’s, vitamin D, protein), it could lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, autoimmune diseases (diabetes), and even asthma. It can also improve vision and sleep!

Sometimes fish can be hard to include in your diet because it can taste, well… fishy. Recipes like this Parmesan Herb Baked Mahi Mahi are great for easing in to fish because you get perfectly tender, flaky, flavorful fish without the strong fishy flavor. My husband, who has a bit of an aversion to fish, absolutely LOVES this and has actually REQUESTED this dish more than once (which is kind of a big deal).

What Does Mahi Mahi Taste Like?

Mahi Mahi has a moderately mild taste to it, much like cod or grouper. It is a wild-caught, white-fleshed saltwater fish so it doesn’t have much of a “fishy” flavor to it.  Mahi Mahi has a better flavor and texture than tilapia (in my honest opinion) and is more meaty. It is slightly more firm and a little sweeter that other ocean-caught fish. It flakes easily and takes on different flavor profiles very well. Mahi Mahi is the perfect fish for this recipe. It takes on the slightly tangy flavor of the marinade as it bakes and flakes off in perfect, savory bites.

Key Ingredients

This recipe does’t have many ingredients, but the ingredients that are used make all the difference! Here are some of the key ingredients used:

• Good Seasons Zesty Italian Seasoning – what we love about this Italian seasoning is that it is easy and flavorful. It really complements the fish and gives it a bright flavor.
• Mayonnaise – We like using mayo instead of butter because of the flavor. It infuses the fish while also making it tender and juicy.
• Parmesan cheese – In Italy adding cheese to seafood is a cardinal sin. BUT this isn’t really meant to be an Italian recipe (despite using “Italian seasoning”). Don’t worry, the parmesan doesn’t overpower the fish. If you really are worried about it or if you are an Italian that is offended by this recipe, you can leave it out.
• Breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs are the secret to getting that nice, crispy coating. You can use regular or panko breadcrumbs. I prefer the texture of the panko but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• Lemon – I don’t know about you, but I MUST have lemon served with my fish. Whether it be a little drizzle of lemon butter or a lemon wedge to squeeze over the top before eating, I just need that zesty-ness.

Mahi Mahi Marinade

For this recipe we keep the marinade simple with just a little olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and a little salt and black pepper, to taste. If you want to add a little more zest to your fish, you can add a few tablespoons of lemon juice or lemon zest. Feel free to also add lemon pepper, dill, paprika, parsley, tarragon, or any other herbs or spices you love. 

What Goes Well With Baked Mahi Mahi Fillets?

For a top notch Mahi Mahi meal, serve this dish with some seasoned rice, such as our Easy Stovetop Rice Pilaf with Orzo and some roasted vegetables, like our Oven Roasted Asparagus. You can also serve fish with baked potatoes or keep it light with a tasty side salad, like our Copycat Cafe Zupa’s Nuts About Berries Salad.

Tips for this Recipe

• I typically find beautiful mahi mahi filets for a decent price at Costco. I like to get their individually packaged frozen filets. But if you don’t have any on hand, you could use cod, tilapia, halibut, or any kind of fish.
• The only ingredient that you may not have on hand for this is the Italian seasoning mix. If you don’t have it available, don’t worry about making a special trip to the store just to get some. We have got you covered. We have a homemade version on our recipe for Zesty Italian Shredded Chicken.

More Fish Recipes

We have lots of tasty fish recipes that you are going to love! From soups to pastas to tacos, there are so many great ways to cook up fish.

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Baked Cod in Cream Sauce

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BBQ & Grilling

Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos

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Fish and Chips

• Baked Cod in Cream Sauce
• Cilantro-Lime Halibut
• Easy Fish Tacos
• Father’s Day Herb Salmon
• Fiesta Fish Taco Bowl
• Fish and Chips
• Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos
• Halibut Tacos
• Hearty Seafood Chowder
• Orange Grilled Salmon
• Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia
• Pecan Crusted Salmon