Roasted mahi-mahi served with a Thai inspired sauce of coconut milk and red curry paste is perfect for light and healthy weeknight meals.
- Prep Time:
10 mins - Cook Time:
30 mins - Total Time:
40 mins
When I need a quick and healthy dinner, I turn to fish. There is almost always one variety of fish that is in season and available fresh. And when you have great fish to start with, you need to do very little to it to have a great tasting meal. That’s definitely the case for this mahi-mahi with Thai coconut curry sauce recipe.
For this easy fish recipe, a light coconut curry sauce adds just enough zing to keep things interesting. The fact that my daughter kept sneaking tastes of the sauce while I was trying to photograph this dish told me I had a keeper.
Although there is curry paste in the sauce, I would not say this is a true “curry” dish. It is more like “curry-light”. So, if you are not sure if you like Thai curry, this recipe might be a good way to dip your toe in the curry pool (so to speak). Even my husband who does not normally eat curry, likes this dish. If you do like curry, you may find yourself wanting to lick the saucepan.
Keep in mind that different brands of curry paste have different levels of spiciness. I use the red curry paste from Thai Kitchen because it is readily available at my grocery store and their level of spiciness is just right for me.
The first time I made this a few months ago mahi-mahi was available (and on sale) but it isn’t in season now. I substituted grouper this time and it was equally delicious.
Mahi-mahi with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
Roasted mahi-mahi served with a Thai inspired sauce of coconut milk and red curry paste.
Ingredients
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced scallions plus more for serving
- 4 (6-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets (or other firm white fish such as grouper)
- Steamed rice for serving
Instructions
- Make sauce. Combine first 7 ingredients (coconut milk through fish sauce) in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and green onions. Set aside to cool slightly. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
- Reserve some sauce. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the sauce for marinating the fish. Save the remainder to serve later.
- Prep oven and pan. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prep fish. Place fish fillets on prepared baking sheet. Season fish with salt and pepper then brush fish with the 1/4 cup of reserved sauce.
- Bake. Cook fish in oven until opaque in center, 10-20 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Serve fish with hot rice and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and scallions, if desired.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit, July 2010.
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Sheryl says
Love this! Was needing something easy and with ingredients I had on hand. Did not use sugar or fish sauce. Did not use Cilantro as did not have on hand. Used curry powder as that was all I had curry wise. Served over a coconut type of rice. Was DELICIOUS. I enjoy recipes as a guide and then I improvise based on what I have and what I like/use. I will make this again!
Taming of the Spoon says
Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment. I am glad to know that curry powder works in this recipe as another commenter was wondering if that would work.
Andrea says
Can you use powdered curry?
Taming of the Spoon says
I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t think you will get the same flavor using curry powder. Thanks.
Mary says
Delicious!!!!!!! While organizing my freezer I found one last small piece of mahi-mahi. I started looking up recipes & came across a few thai inspired dishes. I chose this one because it had more “authentic” ingredients like the fish sauce. I made a couple changes, only because my lemon tree is producing & my lime is not. I sautéed some asparagus because it’s in season so I also cooked the fish on stovetop. This was so good!!!!!!! I feel guilty not having enough for the hubby but I will be making this again 🙂
Taming of the Spoon says
I am so glad you enjoyed this dish. Thank you for coming back to comment. I know what you mean about the lemons – my sister’s tree is producing a lot of lemons right now, too.
Heather says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Two of my three kids liked it (my daughter is a very plain Jane kinda girl she ate plain noodles) I’m not usually one to comment on recipes but I just had to let you know this was a big hit in my house.
Taming of the Spoon says
Thank you so much! I am really happy this recipe worked for you.
Jen says
I just made this with the Mahi Mahi. I had yello curry paste on hand instead of red but it was delicious! What I love about this technique is that the curry was not overwhelming. This was very refreshing. You are spot on with your tips: easy intro to thai curry, any firm white fish would be good. I am going to try this with a few different kinds of fish.
Taming of the Spoon says
So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment, Jen!
Anne-Marie says
can any other white fish be used in this recipe? We can’t get mahi-mahi here in Ireland.
Taming of the Spoon says
You can use any mild firm white fish. Is grouper available? I have used grouper fillets for this recipe and it is equally delicious.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
That coconut and curry sauce looks seriously divine.. I have to try the recipe out. Thanks for sharing it!
cheri says
What a wonderful recipe, where we spend our summers fresh tuna is available for 2.50 a pound, of course that is for the whole fish so you end up spending at least 5.00 a pound on what you really can eat. Will be trying this recipe for sure, sounds amazing!!!!! Love your presentation!
Taming of the Spoon says
You are so lucky – I can never get tuna at that price where we live! I hope you enjoy the recipe.