Looking for a good mahi mahi recipe? This Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lime Butter is the perfect summer dish!

Plate of Grilled Mahi Mahi with bright salad and veggies.

Add More Fish to Your Summer Menu!

Beef tends to dominate the grill come summertime—and second to beef is chicken. But once you get the hang of grilling a nice fillet of fish, your dinner priorities will change.

There’s so much freshness going on with this lean mahi mahi recipe. The flaky, chili-seasoned fillet and the zesty lime butter offers up summer on a plate!

You can cook it directly on the grill or, if you’re feeling fancy, spruce things up with a cedar plank.

You Don’t Need a Lot of Ingredients

Mahi mahi has such a nice and mild flavor, you don’t need to do much to it in order to make it delicious. And the seasoning mix we use here is just a jumble of pantry staples you likely already have on hand.

Here’s what you’ll need for this mahi mahi recipe:

  • Mahi mahi fillets
  • Avocado or olive oil
  • Chili powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Cumin
  • Onion powder
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Sea salt
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Butter
  • Limes

How Long Do You Grill Mahi Mahi?

Depending on the thickness of the fillet, 2-4 minutes per side typically does the trick!

You’re always looking for an internal temperature of 140-145º F.

How to Grill Mahi Mahi

Grilling fish is easy, but there are some extra steps necessary in order to have a successful run.

Preparing the mahi mahi:

  1. Take the mahi mahi out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you plan to cook them so that you can bring them to room temperature. This will help you get a more even cook on the fillets. Gently, pat the fillets dry with paper towels and set them aside.
  2. While your fillets come to room temp, whip up the lime butter and the spice blend.
  3. Transfer the fillets to a mixing bowl, drizzle them with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle them with the seasoning. Then, gently toss the fillets with your bare hands to evenly coat them.

Collage of ingredients.

Preparing the grill:

  1. Make sure you’re working with a clean grill. Preheat it somewhere between 400-450º F.
  2. Once the grates are hot, dip a wad of paper towel into a small dish of oil and, holding the paper with tongs, gently glide it along the hot grates. This will create a nice slick non-stick surface. Continue to wipe the grates with the oiled paper towels, dipping into the oil between applications, until the grates are dark and glossy. This could take between 5-10 swipes, but it’s super important, because creating this coating on the grates will prevent the fish from sticking and falling apart.

Grilling the mahi mahi:

  1. Place the fillets on the grill diagonal to the grate slats. If your fillets have skin, make sure to start by placing them skin-side down.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the grill; allow the fish to cook without trying to move it until the skin is golden and crisp. This should take about 2 to 4 minutes.
  3. After 2-4 minutes is up, try lifting a corner of the fish with your fish turner or spatula. If the fish doesn’t easily release itself from off the grill, don’t force it. Let the fillet cook longer, checking it every 30 seconds until it releases.
  4. Once the fillets release, carefully flip them over.
  5. Cover the grill again and let the fish cook until the centers of the fillets are opaque and register 140-145º F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
  6. When done, remove the fillets from the grill and let them to rest on a plate or flat surface for a few minutes.
  7. Give the fillets a generous smear of lime butter and enjoy!

Close up of lime butter melting on mahi mahi.

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

  1. Always make sure your grill slats are clean and clear of debris when grilling anything, but especially fish.
  2. Make sure the grill grates are well-slicked and hot before placing the fillets onto them.
  3. Never force your fish fillets to move once they hit the hot grill, or they will tear. Always let them cook for a few minutes. Once they release from the grill easily, only then are they ready to be flipped over.
  4. Don’t use tongs to flip fillets of fish on the grill. Your best option is a fish turner. These are long enough to scoop up and properly support a full fillet.
  5. If your mahi mahi fillets have skin, always start by grilling skin-side down.
  6. Don’t overcook the fillets. You want an internal temperature of 145ºF. This is the perfect temperature for a nice, flaky, and moist fish. You can check the internal temp with a trusty meat thermometer.
  7. Make your lime butter a few hours or even a whole day in advance to maximize flavor.

Plate of flaked Grilled Mahi Mahi with bright salad and veggies.

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

Check Out These Other Awesome Grilled Fish Recipes:

Plate of Grilled Mahi Mahi with bright salad and veggies.

Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lime Butter

Looking for a good mahi mahi recipe? This Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lime Butter is the perfect summer dish!
5 from 23 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi.

  • 2 6 oz fillets of mahi mahi
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Lime Butter.

  • 2 TBSP room temperature butter
  • Zest and juice of one lime

Instructions

Lime Butter.

  • Place the room temperature butter in a small bowl. Add the lime zest and juice, and mix it with a fork until cohesive; set aside. 

Chili-Seasoned Grilled Mahi Mahi.

  • Take the fillets out of the fridge, pat them dry, and bring them to room temp. (This helps you get a more even cook on the fillet.)
  • In a small bowl, mix the spices together from the chili powder to the salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
  • Place the fillets in a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over each fillet, and sprinkle the seasoning blend over the fillets. With your bare hands, gently toss the fillets in the oil and seasoning to coat; set aside.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high heat (somewhere around 400-450º F). Once the grates are heated, lightly dip a bunched up paper towel in oil. Holding the paper towel with tongs, drag it across the hot grates to create a slick surface. Continue to wipe the grates with the oiled paper towels, re-dipping the towels in oil between applications, until the grates are black and glossy. Depending on your grate, this could take between 5-10 swipes. Building a coating on the grates will prevent your fish fillets from sticking.
  • Place the fillets on the grill (skin-side down if your fillets have skin) diagonal to the grate slats. Reduce the heat to medium, and cover the grill. Let the fish cook without disturbing it or moving it until the skin is golden brown and crisp—about 2 to 4 minutes.
  • Try gently sliding a spatula beneath the fish. If it doesn’t easily release itself from off the grill, don't force it. Let it continue to cook, checking it every 30 seconds, until it releases. At that point, carefully flip the fillet. (If you don't have a proper wide fish spatula, you may want to use two spatulas for flipping.)
  • Cover the grill and let the fillets cook until the centers of the fillets are opaque and register 140º F on an instant-read thermometer. (This can take between 3 to 7 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet. The ideal internal temperature for fish is 145º F, but protein will continue to cook once removed from the heat, so I like to take it off a little early to ensure I have flaky and tender perfection.
  • When ready, remove the fillets from the grill and allow them to rest for a few minutes.
  • Slather lime butter over the fillets and enjoy.

Serving tips.

  • I like serving these fillets with fresh cut grape tomatoes thrown over top. You can also add some freshly chopped herbs like cilantro or parsley. These fillets pair well with almost any veg side, so go wild.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 1g