Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers is a delicious summer dinner, and Mahi Mahi is a perfect fish to cook on the grill because it’s firm and doesn’t dry out! Use the Diet-Type Index to find more low-carb recipes like this one.

Click here to PIN Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers!

I think Mahi Mahi is a greatly under-used fish, and it’s one of my favorite types of fish to use for cooking on the grill. This Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers is something I first made back in the days when I was grilling fish on a houseboat at Lake Powell, long before anyone thought about sustainable seafood, but the wild-caught Mahi Mahi I get from Costco is classified as a good choice, (and Mahi Mahi is not dolphin, in case anyone is wondering.)

You may not think of capers as being an ingredient that goes with fish, but I love the tang they added to this recipe.  I think this flavorful marinade with lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, Dijon, and just a touch of onion and garlic flavor would be good on just about any type of fish. And if anyone is interested, the salad served with the Mahi Mahi in this photo is Sauteed Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Capers, Mint, and Sumac, now updated with a much better photo, so check that out if you’re a chickpea fan.

I love to use fresh herbs in cooking, but in marinades like this I sometimes use ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder and dried parsley because they dissolve a bit more into the liquid of the marinade and don’t leave clumps of onion, parsley, or garlic on the fish or meat when it’s grilled.  If you prefer to use fresh onions, garlic, or parsley, I would increase the amounts a little.

If you’re using frozen Mahi Mahi it’s best to thaw overnight in the fridge, but in a pinch you can thaw them in cold water. The Mahi Mahi I get at Costco comes individually wrapped like this, and although I know it’s extra packaging it does make them handy to keep in the freezer. Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice. Chop up the capers a little and then whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, chopped capers, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and black pepper. Put the thawed fish pieces in a small Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade.  Let fish marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours. (Don’t leave it much longer than that or the lemon juice will start to “cook” the fish. Sorry I didn’t get better photos of the fish on the grill!  Remove fish from the marinade and grill about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.  I cooked these pieces about 9 minutes total.

Make it a Meal: For a summer dinner this would be delicious with Marinated Tomato Salad with Parsley and Marjoram Dressing and World’s Easiest Grilled Vegetables.

Ten More Tasty Ideas for Cooking Fish:

Soy-Grilled Mahi Mahi with Korean Dipping Sauce from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Outrageously Delicious Mahi Mahi from What We’re Eating
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Kalyn’s Lake Powell Fish Marinade from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Dorado or Mahi Mahi with Cilantro from Hunter Gardener Angler Cook
Baked White Fish with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Basil Pesto Crust from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Barbecued Mahi Mahi with Yellow Pepper Cilantro Pesto from Ezra Pound Cake
Spicy Red Fish Stew from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Steamed Mahi Mahi with Stir-Fried Vegetables from Andrea Meyers
Grilled Spicy Tuna from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Crispy Mahi Mahi with Mango-Cucumber Relish from Poor Girl Eats Well

Print Recipe

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers

Yield: 2-4 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes + 2-3 hours to marinate

Prep Time: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours to marinate

Cook Time: 10 minutes

This Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers is a perfect fish to cook on the grill because it’s firm and doesn’t dry out!

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• Mahi Mahi filets, one per person
• oil for oiling grill grates
• lemon pieces for serving fish (optional)

Marinade Ingredients

• 1 tsp. lemon zest (or more, I zested the whole lemon)
• 3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T capers, chopped (or more if you really like capers)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Thaw frozen Mahi Mahi overnight in the fridge.
2. Let the fish come to room temperature, drain in a colander, and pat dry when you’re ready to cook.
3. Zest the lemon, squeeze lemon juice and chop the capers.
4. Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
5. Put thawed Mahi Mahi filets into Ziploc bag or plastic container with a snap-tight lid.
6. Pour marinade over, and allow to marinate 2-3 hours. (Don’t leave it longer than that for best results.)
7. When you’re ready to cook the fish, spray grill with nonstick spray or brush with oil, then preheat the grill to high.
8. When grill is hot,  put fish on, with the top side facing down.  (For a gas grill, I usually lower heat to medium high when I put the fish on.)
9. To get nice grill marks, lay fish at an angle to grill grates, then rotate fish a quarter turn after about 3 minutes.
10. Cook about 3 minutes more on same side, then turn carefully and cook 3-4 minutes on other side.
11. Total cooking time will be about 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish, depending on how hot your grill is.
12. Fish is done when it feels firm, but not hard, to the touch.
13. Serve hot, with additional lemons to squeeze over if desired.

Recipe by Kalyn.

All images and text ©Kalyn Denny for Kalyn's Kitchen.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Lemon and Capers is not only delicious, it’s perfect for any phase of the South Beach Diet or any type of low-carb or low-glycemic eating plan.

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