Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Umami Butter Sauce (30 minutes!)

Drooling heavy for this Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Umami Butter Sauce. It’s an easy + convenient, weeknight-friendly dinner to enjoy with a quickness. Perfectly seared mahi mahi paired with a swoon-worthy, rich umami butter sauce…it’s insanely delicious! So flaky, so tender, and beaming with heaps of flavor! Pair this fish alongside your favorite sides for a satisfying meal everyone will enjoy.

What’s quick and easy and full of delicious flavor? This pan-seared mahi mahi, y’all. Fish is one of my favorite proteins to whip up because there isn’t a whole lot of fuss needed. Plus, there’s all kinds of ways to jazz up some fish and this new recipe has been in heavy rotation over at the BBR household.

⇢ More eats: gnocchi bolognese, skillet chicken pot pie with biscuits, saucy chicken piccata meatballs, creamy spinach artichoke chicken, this blackened salmon with mango salsa and my lemon pepper chicken tenders– yum! 🙌🏾

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi w/ Umami Butter Sauce

C’mon deliciousness! We’re taking fresh mahi mahi fillets and pan-searing them to perfection in a hot skillet. After getting a nice sear, an umami-rich sauce gets added into the same skillet with some pats of butter. The mahi mahi bathes in a sauce made up of fish sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and fresh garlic. Every bit of the fish fillets soak up all the flavor and yields the most tender, buttery, and flavor-filled meal! All made in under 30 minutes! 😛

What Does Umami Mean Exactly?

Great question! The word umami (or savoriness) refers to one of the five basic tastes including sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. It translates to “pleasant, savory taste” or “deliciousness” in Japanese. Most find it hard to describe or put into words, umami. However, it basically lands its point by referring to a piece of food that is ultra-savory and leaves you craving more; particularly with the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Umami-rich foods/compounds include seaweed, mushrooms, anchovies, aged cheeses (like parmigiano), worcestershire sauce, seafood, and much more.

What You’ll Need For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Fresh mahi mahi: This type of fish is a firm-meat, whitefish that is otherwise known as the dolphinfish or dorado. It is a lean whitefish that’s perfect to bake, sear, grill, and fry. When cooked right, it’s super tender and flaky.
• Old Bay seasoning: The only seasoning we’re using on the mahi mahi is legendary Old Bay, friends. There’s no better seafood seasoning than this one right here. It’s a blend of spices and herbs that does the job, yes indeed.
• Olive oil: For pan-searing the mahi mahi until golden brown.
• Umami sauce: You’ll need fish sauce, lemon juice, soy sauce, packed brown sugar, and garlic. This umami-rich sauce is super flavorful with heaps of savoriness, a pop of acidity, and a touch of sweetness with nice depth.
• Butter: All recipes are better with butter. There’s that and the richness that butter adds to the sauce and mahi mahi, so dang good.
• Parsley: I use lightly dried chopped parsley that hydrates in sauces/stews. However, you can also use freshly chopped parsley. If parsley isn’t your thing, use chopped tarragon or thyme- herbs add great freshness.

How To Make Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Umami Butter Sauce (in under 30 minutes!)

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Season & rest the fish: Season the mahi mahi fillets with old bay seasoning- to taste, on all sides. Set the fish aside to rest and sit until they reach room temperature, about 20 minutes. *Protein browns even better when it is near room temperature as opposed to being cold from the fridge.
2. Prep the umami sauce: Combine the fish sauce, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk the mixture to combine and set aside.
3. Sear the fish: Heat the oil in a skillet. When the oil shimmers, add the mahi mahi fillets into the skillet. Cook the fish, undisturbed, until a golden-brown sear appears on the fillets, about 3-4 minutes. Then carefully flip the fillets onto the other side. Let the other side cook for 1-2 minutes- until just cooked through with easily flaked flesh.
4. Add umami sauce + butter & simmer: Pour the sauce into the skillet followed by the pieces of butter. Let the sauce/butter simmer. Then sprinkle in the parsley and baste the fillets with the sauce to meld.
5. Serve pan-seared mahi mahi with umami butter sauce alongside your favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. Enjoy!

Why This Saucy Mahi Mahi Recipe Works

Here’s why you’ll love this pan-seared mahi mahi recipe, peeps:

1. It’s foolproof…This fish recipe is incredibly foolproof. We love a recipe that’s super straightforward, right?! You really can’t mess this recipe up and if you do, well, I just don’t know what to tell ya, ha!
2. Low-effort, high-reward…I know y’all enjoy an easy-to-make meal that comes together with a quickness. That’s exactly what we have here: a dish that can be easily made on weeknights when all is busy in your life and you want a quick, but homemade dinner. While this recipe is super easy, it doesn’t compromise on flavor. A true low-effort dish with a high-reward!
3. Big, bold flavorrr…When you think of unfussy recipes, you might assume the flavor profile of said recipe will lack. Nope, there’s a whole lotta swoon-worthy goodness here. Tender, flaky, and well-seasoned mahi mahi soaked with a wildly delicious pan sauce. The flavors are on point! 😎
4. So versatile…What to serve with this pan-seared mahi mahi? Oooee, the pairings and options are plenty. More on that, below.

Tips + Tricks, Notes, & FAQs About This Recipe

You may have additional questions about this mahi mahi with umami butter sauce recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Room temperature fish. First, protein browns even better when it is near room temperature as opposed to being cold from the fridge. The recipe card notes after seasoning the fish to let it sit for a bit to absorb the seasoning and to come up to room temperature for the perfect sear.
• Use a nonstick skillet. Since fish is very delicate, pan-searing the mahi mahi in a nonstick skillet helps to prevent the fish from sticking. In addition, both the fish and sauce remove easily from the skillet after cooking.
• Don’t forget to baste. Be sure to baste the sauce over the fish at the simmering stage. We want the sauce to coat and soak into the mahi mahi where everything clings together, becoming one cohesive dish 🤞🏾

What To Serve With Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi

Gahhh, serve this pan-seared mahi mahi with umami butter sauce alongside:

• Mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, couscous, quinoa
• Pasta: bucatini, orzo, wide egg noodles, zoodles (zucchini noodles)
• Veggies: broccoli, green beans, asparagus, brussels sprouts
• Brown rice, white rice, Gullah rice, cauliflower rice, rice pilaf

You’ll love this Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi with Umami Butter Sauce, friends! It’s an easy dish that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

If you enjoy easy, flavor-filled meals…don’t miss:

• Creamy Lemon Herb Butter Ravioli
• Chicken Adobo (Filipino-Style)
• Pesto Pasta with Turkey Meatballs
• Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• One-Pot Creamy Beef Pasta

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