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Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi 

The end of summer calls for seafood! With the hot days winding down, and beach days becoming less frequent, we can all use a good summer meal! This Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi is the perfect dish for that!

Incorporating fish into your diet at least 1-2 times a week is a great way to add healthy fats and more protein to your diet! 

Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi Ingredients 

Our Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi is filled with good for you ingredients and high in calories and healthy fats! 

• Mahi Mahi filet, fresh or frozen
• Coconut oil
• Chopped onion
• Bell peppers
• Banana peppers
• Italian seasoning
• Rosemary
• Panko bread crumbs
• Coconut flakes
• Chopped garlic
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cracked black pepper
• Lemon juice

Benefits of Mahi Mahi (Fish) 

Mahi Mahi is a mild white fish that is low in mercury, and has an almost sweet taste. It pairs well with fruit or tomato salsas and coconut, which is why we chose to pair it with that for this dish!

Fish is high in protein, 3 ounces of Mahi Mahi contains about 20 grams of protein. Protein is an important nutrient for our bodies for muscle repair, muscle building, and satiety. Eating an adequate amount of protein each day helps to keep us full and contributes to a healthy diet! 

Another benefit to fish is Omega-3 fatty acids! They are an important part of a healthy diet and are also high in calories! They help reduce inflammation, can help protect against some chronic diseases, and promote brain and heart health! 

Our Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi is also high in B vitamins thanks to the mahi mahi! This fish is high in B3 and B6 vitamins which help support your cells to function properly. Vitamin B3 helps your body produce hormones and B6 vitamins help make neurotransmitters to help with brain function. 

For another great high calorie seafood dish, try our Shrimp Avocado Wrap!

Healthy Fats 

Everyone knows what fats are and unfortunately they are demonized in the media. The good news is that there are actually fats that are good for you! Unsaturated fats, which are found in many plant and animal sources, are an important part of a healthy diet. 

Unsaturated fats can help lower or reduce your LDL cholesterol which is your bad cholesterol. They also help to maintain your good cholesterol which is your HDL cholesterol. One type of unsaturated fats are polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats have two types; omega-3 and omega-6.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential to our diet because our bodies cannot produce them on their own. Fats are essential to our health because they help us absorb important vitamins like vitamin A, D, and E.

That is why getting a couple servings of fish each week is a good part of a healthy diet to incorporate more healthy fats! 

Incorporating Fish into a High Calorie Diet

So how do we incorporate fish into a higher calorie diet? Our Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi is a great weeknight meal to incorporate into your dinner rotation!

Adding fish to a high calorie diet is a great way to incorporate more protein and fats into your diet! We have already discussed why healthy fats are good for you and how protein helps with satiety and muscle repair. Eating fish a couple of times a week can help us get our important Omega fatty acids! 

To start eating more fish each week, trying out a fish like mahi mahi that is mild and less fishy tasting is a great option. Shrimp is also an easy to cook and delicious option, or even premade salmon burgers! 

Fish is also a great option because it is high in calories but you do not have to eat a large amount of it! This makes it an awesome high calorie option.

If you would like to learn more about high calorie foods check out this article from our sister website!

How to Make Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi 

Defrost the mahi mahi in a bowl of cold water with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice. If your fish is fresh you may skip this step. Once it is defrosted, drain the water from the bowl and poke a few holes in the mahi mahi. Place it in a large ziploc bag.

Next melt 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil in the ziplock bag, and sprinkle a dash of onion salt, garlic powder, cracked black pepper, rosemary & italian seasoning. Let it sit in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, saute 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic and the chopped banana peppers, bell peppers and onions in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the mahi mahi and saute for 5-7 minutes. Once done, remove the mahi mahi from the stove top and set to the side.

Pulse the coconut flakes and the panko bread crumbs in a food processor for 10 seconds. Next, pour a little coconut oil onto a piece of foil and sprinkle half of the bread crumb/coconut flake mix on top of the coconut oil.

Remove the mahi mahi from the pan and place on top of the coconut oil and bread crumb/coconut flake mixture that was placed on the foil and pour the remaining coconut oil on top of the mahi mahi. Sprinkle the remaining coconut bread crumb mixture all over the top of the fish.

On the side of the mahi mahi, pour in the remaining sautéed peppers, onions and garlic. Place the foil in a rectangular glass dish and place in the oven at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. Once done, remove from the oven & serve with your preferred side dishes. Enjoy!

What to Eat with Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi 

Some side options to eat with our Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi would be a carbohydrate side and a vegetable side. 

A mango salsa with rice would be a delicious tropical dinner option, or green beans and rice with the onions and bell peppers mixed in for a quick dinner.

Another great carbohydrate option are potatoes! Potatoes contain many vitamins and minerals and are a good high calorie option. Pair them with some Brussel sprouts or broccoli.  

Let’s Check Out the Recipe!