Baked Wild Caught Mahi Mahi Recipe

Preheat and prepare fillets

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the mahi mahi fillets dry with paper towels. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and lightly oil the surface so fish won't stick.

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil with the Bayou Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Brush or spoon this mixture evenly over both sides of each fillet so they are well coated.

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon slices and cook until crisp, about 6–8 minutes, flipping as needed. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Reserve 1 teaspoon bacon fat in the skillet (optional) for extra flavor.

When bacon is cool, chop or crumble it into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine the crumbled bacon, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, and lemon zest. Stir and set aside.

Arrange the seasoned mahi mahi on the prepared baking sheet and evenly distribute the bacon-Parmesan mixture on top of each fillet, pressing lightly so it adheres.

While the oven is heating, roast the peppers: place whole red bell peppers on a separate baking sheet and roast for 20–25 minutes, turning occasionally, until skins are blackened and blistered. Alternatively, char them over a gas flame or under a broiler.

When peppers are charred, transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid; let steam for 10 minutes. This loosens the skins. Meanwhile, roast garlic: toss whole unpeeled garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon olive oil, wrap in foil, and add to the oven for the last 12–15 minutes of pepper roasting, until soft and fragrant.

Peel the pepper skins, remove stems and seeds, and squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins. In a blender or food processor, combine the peeled roasted peppers, roasted garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons hot water (or reserved pepper liquid). Puree until smooth, adjusting consistency with additional water as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the baking sheet with the topped mahi mahi on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 10–14 minutes, depending on fillet thickness (about 10 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets), until the fish flakes easily with a fork and internal temperature reaches 135–140°F (57–60°C).

If you want a browned Parmesan crust, switch the oven to broil on high for 1–2 minutes at the end: watch closely so the topping lightly browns and does not burn.

Remove the fish from the oven and let rest 2 minutes.

Spoon a generous pool of the roasted pepper and garlic sauce onto each plate. Place a mahi mahi fillet on top of the sauce. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil or reserved bacon fat if desired.

Garnish with lemon wedge and microgreens or extra parsley. Serve immediately.