"Turn The Volume Up" Air Fryer Mahi Mahi w/ Pesto Crust

This air fryer mahi mahi is da bizness! Not only is it done in 15 minutes, but the pesto crust elevates this to gourmet weeknight dinner status.

The pesto is cashews and collard greens based which give it a unique flavor profile. 

MOOD MUSIC

KRS-1 is one of my favorite MCs and his long career and deep catalogue demonstrate how serious he is about the craft. He's what I consider a boom bap rapper as in tight lyrics over simple 808 beats. You can elevate despite stripped down ingredients which is what I was going for with this air fryer mahi mahi recipe. The fish is seasoned simply to allow the fish to shine.

The collard greens pesto represents the craft and care taken and represents the deep, complex lyrics KRS flexes on "Turn The Volume Up." The flavor is aggressive and present, but compliments the fish.

Air Fryer Mahi Mahi Ingredients

• Mahi Mahi Fillets
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pesto 

How To Make Air Fryer Mahi Mahi

This is as simple of a recipe as they get. You’ll just need to make the pesto if you don’t have a good store bought one available. Don’t fret if not as pesto is easy to make. I recommend my collard greens pesto which is what I use for this recipe.

Pat dry the fillets with a paper towel on both sides.

Season the fish simply with kosher salt and black pepper.

Top one side of the fish with the pesto and set aside.

Preheat the air fryer to 300 degrees. Prepare an aluminum foil sling by folding a long sheet of foil so that it covers the width of your air fryer and extends up the sides vertically. The foil should lay flat on the grate.

Spray the air fryer with cooking spray. Lay the fish on the foil sling then place in the air fryer and cook roughly 12-14 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Cooking Tips and Considerations

Buy fish with the skin on one side and cook skin side down.

This recipe could be altered using most meaty white fish including flounder, grouper, etc. The cooking times may be different give or take a minute or two.

Thickness of the mahi mahi will drive cooking time. Check your fish after about 8 minutes to get a sense of how much longer you’ll need to cook.

Many grocery stores carry pre-made pestos in their produce section. Feel free to use those if you prefer even more convenience. If you go this route though, taste and adjust the flavor as needed. Likewise, if it’s too thick you can always add olive oil to get the desired consistency.

I make pesto as meal prep on occasion so plan this dish around my pesto schedule. If you make the greens pesto, you can substitute kale for collards if that’s what’s available to you.

Serve with spaghetti squash with some of that extra pesto.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Steak

Air Fryer Corn of the Cob

Air Fryer Broccolini

Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts

Air Fryer Salmon

For other pesto based recipes try this pasta with harissa shrimp.

make this recipe

If you make this air fryer mahi mahi with collard greens pesto please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.

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Air Fryer Mahi Mahi w/ Collard Greens Pesto

No prep, simply cooked, but utterly delicious air fryer mahi mahi. Fish is seasoned with salt and pepper, topped with a collard greens pesto crust, and cooked in less than 20 minutes.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Modern Soul Food

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 627kcal

Author: Marwin Brown

Equipment

• ▢
  Air Fryer

Ingredients

• ▢ Two 6 oz Mahi Mahi Fillets
• ▢ 1 Cup Pesto
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

• Dry both sides of the fish with a paper towel.
• Season the fish with the salt and pepper. Top the fish with the pesto crust.
• Preheat air fryer to 300 degrees F.
• Create a foil sling. Spray it with cooking spray. Place fillets on the foil sling and then nestle into the air fryer chamber.
• Cook the fish for 12-15 minutes. Remove, let rest a few minutes, then serve.

Video

Notes

Buy fish with the skin on one side and cook skin side down.

This recipe could be altered using most meaty white fish including flounder, grouper, etc. The cooking times may be different give or take a minute or two.

Thickness of the mahi mahi will drive cooking time. Check your fish after about 8 minutes to get a sense of how much longer you’ll need to cook.

Many grocery stores carry pre-made pestos in their produce section. Feel free to use those if you prefer even more convenience. If you go this route though, taste and adjust the flavor as needed. Likewise, if it’s too thick you can always add olive oil to get the desired consistency.

I make pesto as meal prep on occasion so plan this dish around my pesto schedule. If you make the greens pesto, you can substitute kale for collards if that’s what’s available to you.

Nutrition

Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 2472mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2811IU | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 3mg

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