Baked Mahi Mahi in Tomato-Caper Sauce

This Baked Mahi Mahi has lemon tomato-caper sauce in every bite. It's light, healthy, loaded with fresh flavors, and lovely for both busy nights and casual entertaining.

In just 30-minutes, start to finish, with a handful of simple ingredients, you can be serving this beautiful oven Baked Mahi Mahi dish. The sauce, made mostly from lemons, capers and tomatoes, is baked with the fish. It'll make you want to savor every bite, and also creates a colorful presentation.

While I love sautéing certain types of fish to get a nice seared skin, baking fresh Mahi Mahi is easy and it's a fantastic method that will preserve its natural subtly sweet flavor and firm, flaky texture.

The Ingredients

• Mahi Mahi fillets - Always buy the freshest fish possible. If you have a specialty fish market near you, that's probably your best bet. The flesh should be firm and pinkish-beige in color. Mahi Mahi fillets often have some darker spots, which is perfectly okay, though that part might have a slightly stronger flavor. Don't hesitate to ask the fish monger to skin and/or portion your fish for you. They will almost always be happy to do this.
• fresh tomatoes - Ripe tomatoes should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be).
• extra virgin olive oil
• shallots - Shallots are slightly more mild and delicate than red onions. Try to choose those that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• capers - Capers are unripened pickled green flower buds of the Caper Bush. Capers taste tart, tangy and salty, and they're delicious paired with lemon and fish.
• garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in garlic you already have, just cut the cloves in half and remove them with the tip of a paring knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
• lemon zest
• lemon juice - I always use Meyer lemons over regular lemons when given the option. Meyer lemons are a touch less tart and a bit sweeter. And with a thinner skin and fewer seeds, they are incredibly juicy.
• salt - I cook with Kosher salt. I prefer it because of its larger flake size, it doesn't typically contain additives, and it does a great job enhancing the flavor of foods without making them taste salty.
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground black pepper.

(See recipe card below for quantities.)

Substitutions and Variations

• Garlic. If you want to skip the garlic, use an extra tablespoon of the shallots.
• Shallots. 3 tablespoons of red onion can substitute the shallots.
• Capers. You can use roughly chopped green olives instead of capers, or Kalamatas for a stronger flavor.
• Okay, so this is a Baked Mahi Mahi dish -- however, Black Cod, Sole, Tilapia or Sea Bass would also go well with the Lemon Tomato-Caper Sauce. (Cooking times will vary, depending of the fish.)

Recipe Tips

• The thinner you slice the tomatoes the better, so they'll lie perfectly on top of the fish fillets.
• As with most fish, it should be removed from the oven when it's almost cooked all the way through. The center of the fillets should be ever so slightly translucent -- just about opaque, but not 100%. If you're not sure, check by using a sharp knife to cut through the thickest part of one of the fillets.

How to Make it

- Preheat the oven to 425°F and adjust a rack to the center.

- To make the sauce, combine capers, finely chopped shallots, minced garlic, lemon zest lemon juice and olive oil in a small mixing bowl.

- Add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch, or slightly smaller baking dish. Season both sides of the Mahi Mahi fillets with salt and pepper. And add them to the pan, being sure some of the sauce is beneath each one.

- Place 2 to 3 tomato slices on top of each fillet.

- Then evenly distribute the remaining sauce on top of the tomatoes.

- Place the pan in the preheated 425°F oven and bake just until the fish is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

- Let it cool for just a couple of minutes, spoon some of the sauce from the pan over each fillet and then serve.

What to Serve with Mahi Mahi

• This baked Mahi Mahi is especially lovely over rice, as it deliciously soaks up the sauce. It's fantastic served on top of Roasted Garlic Basil Brown Rice or Saffron Rice with Fresh Dill, which would make for an even more stunning presentation.
• You can see in my photos that I love it over broccolini. I love the way it adds a punch of color to the plate, just as broccoli or asparagus would. It would also be incredibly tasty with grilled green onions.
• And Italian Herb Bread would also be a lovely accompaniment.

More Delicious Fresh Fish Recipes

• Whitefish with Citrus-Avocado Salsa
• Seared Ahi Tuna Burgers
• Baked Rockfish with Lemon
• Fish Puttanesca in 30 Minutes
• Pan-Seared Sea Bass
• Blackened Fish Tacos
• Smoky Tomato Fish Stew

FAQs

I hope you love this beautiful easy baked Mahi Mahi dish as much as my family and I do.

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