Mahi Mahi Tacos With Peach Salsa Recipe

When traveling in southern California (and far beyond), you'll see them on menu after menu — every establishment is clamoring for you to get a taste of their own spin on a fish taco. Featuring crispy, tempura-like fish nestled in tortillas, topped with a creamy slaw, there's no denying that fish tacos are a delicacy all their own, and it's pretty hard to pass them up when you do come across them at restaurants and bars.

While it's not particularly easy to capture that crispy fried fish essence in the context of home cooking (unless, of course, you have a deep fryer) it is slightly easier to make fish tacos with a non-fried twist. Infinitely adaptable, you can switch up fish tacos however you please, as evidenced by these mahi mahi tacos with peach salsa. These fish tacos are baked instead of fried, and topped with a light and fresh peach salsa for the perfect sweet-savory-salty balance.

"I love serving these for a light summer dinner," recipe developer Kate Shungu says. "In just about 30 minutes, you can have a flavorful dinner packed with lean protein and lots of fresh fruit flavor. I'm all about dinners where I can multi-task, so I like that I can make the peach salsa while the fish cooks, and then dinner is done." 

The mahi mahi fillets seasoned with a mixture of lime zest, salt, chili powder, and melted butter, then baked until tender. The fresh peach salsa is comprised of a fresh peach, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and red onion mixed with lime juice and salt. It's all served up in corn tortillas. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the mahi mahi in a small baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and lime zest.

Pour the butter mixture over the mahi mahi.

Bake the mahi mahi for 16–18 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Gently flake the fish to create smaller pieces, about 1 inch in size.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, gently stir together the chopped peach, cilantro, red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño, lime juice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Place the tortillas on a serving platter. Top each tortilla with mahi mahi and the peach salsa. Serve immediately.

Fish is very easy to bake in the oven, but technique is important to avoid rubbery, chewy, overcooked fillets. Fish is done cooking when it reaches 140 F, and the easiest way to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, no problem — you can easily check the doneness of fish by flaking it with a fork. 

When fish, such as mahi mahi, is done cooking, it'll flake easily with a fork. It will also have an opaque appearance, notably different compared to the translucent appearance of raw fish. To get just the right doneness for these mahi mahi tacos, we'll cook the fish for 16–18 minutes at 400 F. The high heat allows for the fish to cook quickly so you're not waiting all evening on dinner, and the length of time is just right for most fillets about 1-inch thick. 

Another key to tender baked fish is adding some fat. It's common to drizzle fish with olive oil, but these mahi mahi tacos are drizzled with butter (plus a few other seasonings like chili powder and lime zest) to amp up the taco flavor while sealing in the moisture. 

Depending on how high you pile on the peach salsa, you may have a few scoops of it left. The most obvious choice for enjoying leftover salsa is, naturally, to pair it alongside tortilla chips. If you don't have any, quarter any leftover tortillas and shallow fry them in hot oil or make baked tortilla chips instead.

The peach salsa recipe can also stand on its own. It can be used to top chicken breasts or pork tenderloin, or enjoyed as a fresh topping for baked or grilled salmon. If the peaches aren't looking good at the grocery store, numerous fruits can stand in for the peaches, such as plums, nectarines, mangos, or even apples. Adding a finely chopped avocado to the salsa, like in this mango salsa, will add some healthy fats to the dish and add an element of creaminess.

You can also add more heat to your salsa. This recipe uses a jalapeño that has the seeds and membranes scraped out, but leave them in if you like a spicier take on a fish taco, or swap in Serranos for a hotter kick.