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Air Fryer Mahi Mahi

Looking for a healthier twist on a traditional fish fry? This air fryer mahi mahi with a panko breading turns out so crispy and delicious!

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Air Fryer Mahi Mahi with a bite on a fork served with green beans and a slice of lemon

My family loves fried fish, but I’m not crazy about all the calories, fat, and oil you get with traditional deep frying methods. That’s why I prefer to make this delicious air fryer mahi mahi with panko breading!

The outside has that satisfying crunch while the fish fillets turn out perfectly flaky. It’s a healthy dinner that’s always a crowd-pleaser.

I also love how quick and easy it is to whip up this recipe.

Just coat the mahi mahi fillets in oil, dredge in a mixture of panko bread crumbs and spices, then let the air fryer work it’s magic! The entire dish can be ready in about 30 minutes.

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Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:

  • How to cook mahi mahi in the air fryer
  • How to know when mahi mahi is done cooking
  • Why I recommend spritzing your fish with oil while cooking
  • How to make this recipe with frozen mahi mahi
  • How to reheat air fryer breaded mahi mahi

Whether you cook with mahi mahi all the time or you just discovered a bag of fillets hiding at the back of your freezer, this is a perfect recipe to try out.

Don’t forget to check out my collection of the best air fryer fish recipes for even more delicious inspiration!

Ingredients all in different bowls unprepared with raw mahi mahi in the middle

How To Make Air Fryer Mahi Mahi

STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. 

STEP TWO: Place the fillets on a large plate and drizzle with olive oil.

STEP THREE: In a shallow dish, mix the panko bread crumbs with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

Collage of in-process images (mahi mahi and breading in bowls, mahi mahi being breaded, and raw breaded mahi mahi

STEP FOUR: One at a time, dip each fillet in the panko mixture, then place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spritz with cooking oil using an oil sprayer.

Please do NOT use PAM — you can read more using PAM here.

Raw breaded mahi mahi in the air fryer

STEP FIVE: Cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through the cook time. 

STEP SIX: Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Cooked mahi mahi in the air fryer with a golden brown crusting

How Do You Know When Mahi Mahi is Done Cooking?

The fish fillets should flake easily with a fork once they’re done. If the fish doesn’t flake easily, let it cook for another 2 minutes and try again. 

Mahi mahi only needs to cook to 137 degrees to be considered safe to eat. But personally, I want my fish to be nice and flaky, so I prefer to check and keep cooking if it isn’t quite the texture I want yet.

Closeup of Air Fryer Breaded Mahi Mahi piece on a fork showing the flakiness of the fish

Do I Really Need to Spritz the Fish with Oil While Cooking? 

Spritzing the panko breading with oil keeps it from drying out while in the air fryer. So, although this step isn’t absolutely necessary, I think it gives you the best results. 

I recommend using an EVO Oil Mister to easily spray the mahi mahi while it’s in the basket. That way, you won’t need to use too much oil, which keeps the recipe much healthier than deep fried fish.

Panko breaded mahi mahi on plate with green beans and lemon wedges

How to Cook Frozen Mahi Mahi in the Air Fryer

You can absolutely make frozen fish of all kinds in the air fryer. However, because it’s hard to bread frozen fillets, I would recommend breading the fish prior to freezing it. It’s a great way to meal prep!

  1. Prepare the fish as usual until you’ve breaded the fillets in the panko mixture.
  2. Instead of placing them in the air fryer, seal the breaded mahi mahi in plastic zipper bags. Wrap the bags in foil, then store them in the freezer until ready to cook.
  3. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
  4. Place the fillets in a single layer, spritz with cooking oil, and cook for 13-14 minutes until heated through. 
  5. Flip the fillets halfway through the cooking time, spraying the other side with cooking oil.
Air Fryer Mahi Mahi on a plate cooked with a piece on the fork and served with green beans and lemon wedges

How to Reheat Mahi Mahi in the Air Fryer

If you ask me, the air fryer is the best way to reheat anything breaded! If you try reheating in the microwave, stove, or oven, you risk ending up with a soggy outside and a cold center. But with the air fryer, leftovers taste as good as the original meal.

Here’s how to easily reheat your air fryer breaded mahi mahi.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. 
  2. Place the fillets in a single layer.
  3. Cook for 4 minutes until heated through.

Other Air Fryer Seafood Recipes You’ll Love:

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Air Fryer Mahi Mahi with a bite on a fork served with green beans and a slice of lemon

Air Fryer Mahi Mahi (Fresh & Frozen)

Samantha Erb
This air fryer mahi mahi recipe can be ready in about 30 minutes! Flaky fish in a crispy panko breading makes this dish irresistible.
4.50 from 173 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Air Fryer Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 3 to 4 servings
Calories 467 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi fillets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Optional

  • Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
  • Place the mahi mahi fillets on a large plate and drizzle or baste with olive oil.
  • In a shallow dish, mix the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
  • Dip each mahi mahi fillet into the panko mixture then place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spritz with cooking oil.
  • Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the mahi mahi halfway through cooking.
  • Remove them from the air fryer, serve with lemon wedges, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How to Reheat Mahi Mahi in the Air Fryer

1. Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Place the leftover mahi mahi in the air fryer and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until heated thoroughly.

How to Cook Frozen Mahi Mahi in the Air Fryer

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
2. Place the fillets in a single layer and cook for 13 to 14 minutes until heated thoroughly. Flip the mahi mahi halfway through cooking. If the fish is breaded, spritz with oil once at the beginning and once halfway through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 467kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 48gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 853mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4g

This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


samantha

About Samantha

I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...

26 thoughts on “Air Fryer Mahi Mahi”

  1. This is the second time I’ve made this using 2 mahi filets. First time, I followed the recipe, exactly. This time, I used 2/3 cup panko and added 1 tsp cayenne pepper. It was awesome!!

    Reply
  2. I’ve used a bit of mayonnaise or tartar sauce on fish before coating with panko crumbs (with onion and garlic powder, a pinch of cayenne, and Old Bay). Crumbs stick better. Will try mahi-mahi, I’ve used catfish filets and cod, SO delicious.

    Reply
    • First time we trying Mahi Tuna and thought this recipe would be nice to try. Made as directed and we both found it to be bland and tasteless. I won’t be making this again, not will I waste my money on such a piece of bland fish.

    • I’m sorry to hear that the Mahi Tuna recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Taste preferences can vary, and I appreciate your feedback.

  3. I couldn’t get the Panko mixture to stick well to the oiled fish, so I dipped it in egg. It cooked well, but lacked seasoning flavor.

    Reply
    • Hii Kate, Thanks for your feedback. The addition of the egg may have muted the flavors of the spices. I am glad the egg helped you get your crumb coat to stick, but it likely would also need an adjustment with the seasoning as well.

4.50 from 173 votes (167 ratings without comment)

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