Frozen Mahi-Mahi (Dolphinfish): Fillets, Portions and Steaks

Product overview

Mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), also called dolphinfish or dorado, is a fast-growing, short-lived predator of warm open oceans worldwide. It is a fish, unrelated to the marine mammal, and the Hawaiian name mahi-mahi took hold in North American trade partly to avoid that confusion. It is caught by longline, troll and other line gear, by drift gillnet in parts of the Indian Ocean, and also taken alongside tuna. Artisanal longline fleets in Peru and Ecuador supply much of the frozen fillet trade, with further volume from Central America, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India. Mahi-mahi is not a Thai product: we source it through partner packers, and each offer states the fishing area, vessel flag and the country where the fish was filleted, which is sometimes a third country.

Fillets are graded by individual fillet weight, usually in pounds for the North American trade, for example 1⁠–⁠3 lb, 3⁠–⁠5 lb and 5 lb and up, and they are sold skin-on, skinless, or deep-skinned, which also strips off the dark bloodline lying under the skin. Portions are cut from fillets to ounce bands such as 4⁠–⁠6 oz or 6⁠–⁠8 oz, or to a fixed weight for restaurant chains, and are trimmed boneless with the bloodline removed or left in as agreed. Steaks are cut across the thick loin end. Packers in the main origins also freeze headed and gutted fish for re-processing, which we can quote on request.

Histamine is the hazard that defines mahi-mahi quality. Its flesh contains free histidine, which bacteria turn into histamine if the fish is not chilled quickly after capture, and once formed, histamine is not destroyed by freezing or cooking. Control therefore starts on the boat with prompt icing or onboard freezing, continues through temperature records at landing and processing, and ends with sensory checks for decomposition and laboratory histamine tests arranged for each lot. Buyers also look for pink to light tan flesh, a red rather than brown bloodline, no off odor on thawing, little gaping or bruising, and an even glaze or tight vacuum pack without freezer burn.

The United States is the largest market for frozen mahi-mahi, buying fillets and portions for grilled and blackened fish, fish tacos and sandwiches, and retail freezer bags of skinless portions; the US market page covers the import side. Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Asian hotel kitchens buy portions for grills and buffets. Eastern Pacific landings are strongly seasonal, so year-round programs usually combine origins and book production ahead. Kitchens with a mixed fish menu often pair mahi-mahi with frozen Atlantic salmon or red snapper, and our guide to reefer shipping and the cold chain explains how temperature records follow the container.