Grilled Mahi Mahi (with Korean Dipping Sauce)
I love the slight touch of spicy Korean flavor in this Grilled Mahi Mahi, and this is quick and easy to make! And if you’ve been looking for a good recipe for cooking Mahi Mahi on the grill, I promise this one will be a winner!
PIN the Grilled Mahi Mahi recipe to try it later!
This Grilled Mahi Mahi that’s marinated with Korean flavors and then served with Korean dipping suace was one of the first grilled fish recipes on the blog. And recently I had just a few small pieces left from one of those bags of frozen Mahi Mahi you get at Costco and decided to update the photos!
This recipe for Mahi Mahi cooked on the grill uses a soy-sesame sauce that has a touch of sweetness and a touch of spiciness from Korean red pepper. Half the mixture is used to marinate the fish, and the other half is served as a sauce at the table. I made it just slightly spicy, but turn up the heat a bit if you prefer.
And personally I think grilled fish is great for dinner any time of year, so don’t hesitate to make this on a stove-top grill pan when it’s not grilling season.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Mahi Mahi fillets or other firm mild fish
- soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar (affiliate link)
- sesame oil (affiliate link)
- Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or low-carb sweetener of your choice
- Garlic Powder (affiliate link)
- Korean Red Pepper Powder (affiliate link)
- green onions
Why is Mahi Mahi a good fish to cook on the grill?
Mahi Mahi is a relatively firm fish, which makes it easy to cook on the grill compared to softer and more flaky types of fish. And the mild flavor goes with a variety of sauces and toppings.
What gives this recipe Korean flavors?
I’m definitely not claiming this is an authentic Korean recipe! I’m using the word Korean in the recipe title as a tip for you to use Korean Red Pepper Powder (affiliate link) in the dipping sauce, which will give it amazing flavor with a nice spicy kick!
How can you keep Grilled Mahi Mahi from sticking to the grill?
Fish can be tricky to cook on the grill, but I love a non-stick spray called Pam for Grilling, (affiliate link) which really helps prevent food from sticking. You can also oil your grill with a paper towel dipped in olive oil with good results.
Want more ideas for fish cooked on the grill?
Check out Grilling Recipes if you want more dinner ideas for fish cooked on the grill or use Low-Carb and Keto Fish Dinners to find more 70+ great ideas for cooking fish! And there’s also a version of this recipe using salmon, if you prefer that!
Can you make Grilled Mahi without an outdoor grill?
If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s not grilling season the Mahi Mahi can cook perfectly on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link) or a George Foreman Grill (affiliate link). Remember the George Foreman is cooking both sides of the fish at the same time, so the cooking time will be much shorter.
How to Make Grilled Mahi Mahi (with Korean Dipping Sauce):
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- If using frozen Mahi Mahi, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then drain and pat dry.
- Combine sauce/marinade ingredients in small measuring cup.
- Put half of mixture into a Ziploc bag or plastic or glass container with a snap-tight lid with the fish and marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to cook take fish out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray grill with non-stick spray such as Pam for Grilling (affiliate link) or wipe with olive oil, then preheat grill to medium-high)
- Put fish on grill with top side down and at an angle to grill grates and grill 2-3 minutes (until you can start to see grill marks.)
- Rotate 90 degrees and cook 2-3 minutes more to get criss-cross marks.
- Turn fish over and cook about 3-4 minutes more or until it feels firm, but not hard to the touch. Total cooking time will not be more than 8-10 minutes; don’t overcook.
- Serve hot, with dipping sauce on the side.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Korean Dipping Sauce would taste great with Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw, Easy Grilled Vegetables, Thai Cucumber Salad, Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad, or Grilled Zucchini for a low-carb meal.
More Grilled Fish or Seafood:
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Grilled Cod with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon
- Kalyn’s Lake Powell Fish Marinade
- Maple Glazed Salmon
- Grilled Halibut with Cumin and Lime
Grilled Mahi Mahi (with Korean Dipping Sauce)
I love the slight touch of spicy Korean flavor in this Grilled Mahi Mahi and the sauce with spicy Korean Red Pepper is used to marinate the fish and also as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 Mahi Mahi fillets (see notes)
SAUCE/MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if needed)
- 3 T Rice vinegar (not seasoned)
- 2 T sesame oil
- 1/4 cup Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or low-carb sweetener of your choiceÂ
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Powder (see notes)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- If using frozen fish, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then drain and pat dry.
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sweetener, garlic powder, Red Pepper Powder, and sliced green onion in small measuring cup.
- Put half of mixture into a small Ziploc bag with the pieces of fish and marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour (or a little longer won't hurt).
- When you're ready to cook take fish out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray grill with non-stick spray (see notes) or wipe with olive oil, then preheat grill to medium-high (you can only hold your hand there 2-3 seconds.)
- Put Mahi Mahi on grill with the top side down and at an angle to grill grates and grill 2-3 minutes (until you can start to see grill marks, I usually lift it up to see.)
- Rotate 90 degrees and cook 2-3 minutes more to get criss-cross marks.
- Turn piece of Mahi mahi over and cook about 3-4 minutes more or until fish feels firm, but not hard to the touch. Total cooking time will not be more than 8-10 minutes; don't overcook.
- Serve hot, with dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
I used wild Mahi Mahi from Costco. I used Golden Monkfruit Sweetener and Korean Red Pepper Powder for this recipe. (affiliate links)I love a non-stick spray called Pam for Grilling, (affiliate link) which really helps prevent food from sticking.
This recipe slightly adapted from one which appeared in Weeknight Grilling, a magazine published by Cuisine at Home.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 265Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 1933mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 41g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
When it’s made with an approved sweetener, Grilled Mahi Mahi is a perfect main dish for low-carb, Keto, or low-glycemic diet or any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Seafood Recipes or Grilling for more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2007 and since then I tried a version with salmon, and have also made this one many times. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
29 Comments on “Grilled Mahi Mahi (with Korean Dipping Sauce)”
This recipe is simply AWESOME!! Â The dipping sauce, while the same ingredients as the marinade, make this dish even better. Â The flavors are amazing! Â Could this recipe be used for a pork loin roast?
So glad you are enjoying it. I can’t see any reason why you couldn’t make a bit more of the marinade and use it with pork. I might cut the pork into a few pieces to marinate. Love to hear how that works if you try it.
Looking at the marks, angle you rotated is 90, not 45.
I’m bad at math, can you tell! Thanks for catching; I will fix that.
Hi Kalyn, Thanks for the awesome recipe! We have included it in our roundup of the top 50 Mahi-Mahi recipes in the world!
I am really looking forward to trying this recipe. I am trying to add more seafood to my diet, and this looks fantastic.
Anonymous, you might be right about that. I never did take geometry! Just rotate, it doesn’t matter exactly how far.
Kalyn, I’m going to try out your recipe in the near future. Since there are quite a few comments on the grill marks – aren’t they closer to 90 degrees? 😉
Sarah, me too. This sauce is great.
WMM – see above! I agree.
MW – glad to hear you liked it.
Hey Kalyn, unfortunately..the fish was gone before I could snap a pix. I’ll definitely be making it for one of the WHB, will keep you posted :))
Good sauce is SO key!
Yummy, looks good. And I am a big fan of anything that can be dipped.
Janelle, selling a house is a huge job. Look forward to seeing your entries when the dust settles.
Sandy, how fun. My brother lives in Venice, so I try to visit him as often as I can. Unfortunately, no visits planned for this summer.
Amanda and Tyler, thanks. It’s the talented Rand, not me, who makes the headers look so great.
Amy, thanks. More grilling recipes to come. (You can never have too many grilling recipes!)
Meltingwok, love the sound of your recipe too. Is that on your blog?
Katie, I’m trying it on salmon tonight and will report back. I’ve never cooked fish in a basket, but I’ve heard it works well.
Deborah, another Costco fan! I love their fish. Yesterday I wanted to get more Mahi Mahi but they didn’t have it. That’s my only complaint about Costco, the way they have certain things and then the next time you want it, they don’t have it any more. I loved their frozen tuna steaks but I can’t ever find them any more.
Karen, grill marks are a wonderful things, and if your husband notices them, then they must be looking pretty good!
I love the dipping sauce and will try it with salmon next time. I love mahi mahi but I’m afraid it’s no an option here.
As to the grill marks…we use a fish basket….(cheaters)
Kalyn
I want you to know that I hold you ENTIRELY responsible for my new obsession with grill marks. Before your blog, I never gave grill marks a second thought. I just threw stuff on the grill and cooked. But no more of that for me…oh no, I’ve got to be focusing on the grill marks now. I grilled some chicken on Saturday and my husband (who is unaware of my grill-mark obsession in that usual oblivious way of men!) even commented on the grill marks!!!
This looks like a great recipe! I have Costco’s mahi-mahi in my freezer and I am going to give your Asian-inspired twist a try!
Kalyn, this sauce sounds perfect for mahi mahi. I usually pan-seared them and do a light miso soy sesame sauce with basil leaves, will have to try this sometime, thanks 🙂
Mmm so many delicious grilling recipes I don’t even know where to begin! The grill marks do look fantastic. 🙂
kalyn, both tyler and i absolutely love your new masthead! it’s just gorgeous.
Kalyn,
Thanks for the info about garlic puree.
I wanted to comment also that I happened to be checking out some of your previous recipes and came across two of your restaurant recommendations for Indian and Mediterranean restaurants located on Venice Blvd. in West Los Angeles. I live about 5 blocks east of the Indian restaurant and a half a block north of Venice Blvd.
I’ve tried both restaurants, although not recently (food budget is tight). The Indian Restaurant is in a little mall with a Thai Restaurant called East Wind that I love. Their lunch prices are fairly reasonable and I have a couple of favorit dishes.
It’s fun to know you were in my neck of the woods, even if just briefly for vacation.
I’ll think about trying them again soon.
Lydia, I’ve been practicing grill marks for about ten years now, including all those catered dinners on the houseboat, so don’t get too envious. It is a really good recipe.
Sandy-La, I do like Christopher Ranch brand garlic puree, but honestly I don’t think they are that much different. I’ve bought the garlic at Costco which is kind of coarsely chopped and buzzed it in the food processor to make garlic puree, which works just fine.
Andrea, isn’t Mahi Mahi on the grill just great?
This looks so good. I’ve been grilling mahi-mahi for years, and I can’t wait to try this recipe.
You often tell us the brand names for spices you use — do you have a favorite brand of garlic puree or ground garlic?
I’m trying to figure out if I have it in my refrigerator. Costco sells a granulated garlic, but I don’t think that’s what you’re referring to.
I will be in heaven tomorrow night come dinner time:) I can’t wait to get together! Thanks again!
I have grill mark envy! I can never manage to turn things evenly, and my grill marks are always a mess. The recipe looks absolutely delicious, too.
Maria, I am making this for you! Hope you’ll like it. (Maria is my former neighbor, for those who might be wondering and she’s coming to dinner tomorrow.)
Katerina, isn’t it funny? But the food has to look good or I won’t post it. I shudder when I see some of my first posts, and I’m gradually re-cooking those things and taking new photos.
Sara, too funny. Your husband sounds like someone I’d like to meet. I like a man who cares about his grill marks!
Those grill marks are very impressive. My husband will be jealous when I show him your picture – he works hard at his marks.
it makes me feel better that I am not the only one. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the visual appeal of a dish – when really it is all about the taste! Looks good.
The grill marks look great!! I will have to try the sauce…I love Mahi Mahi! I usually do fish tacos with mahi, they are my favorite.