Blackened wahoo is a bold and delicious seafood dish that has just the right kick of heat! But while the flaky and tender fish is crusted with vibrant flavors, this recipe is easy to make on the stovetop in less than 15 minutes. It's perfect for an exciting meal any night of the week!

If you like air fried fish or seafood in general, you will love my air fryer haddock recipe. So good and juicy!

If you've been on this site for more than a minute or two you already know that busy weeknight meals do not - and should not! - have to be boring. In fact with just a handful of key ingredients and a skillet you can make a restaurant-quality dish in a snap. This blackened wahoo recipe is a wonderful example!

The iconic blackening seasoning is a simple but powerful blend of common kitchen spices, like black pepper and cumin. We use this spice combo to coat thick pieces of tender wahoo saku, then sear them with butter in a hot skillet. This creates a spicy "blackened" crust that is irresistible...

It's slightly crisp with layers of peppery, earthy, and smoky flavors wrapped around flaky, tender, and mild white fish. So every bite has the perfect balance of heat!

Best of all, the dish is ready to serve in only about 15 minutes from start to finish. It's great to serve as a healthy and simple dinner with some serious pizazz!

Recipe ingredients

Wahoo saku block. Because this is a very large fish, wahoo is sold in thick cuts called "blocks" rather than as whole fillets.

Butter. Unsalted butter is best to keep the sodium content minimal but without lacking any flavor.

Salt. Essential cooking spice to emphasize all other flavors.

Paprika. Smoky and deep, it instantly gives dishes a slightly grilled/smoked taste.

Black pepper. Freshly ground gives the biggest punch of delicious spiciness.

Cumin. Rather mellow, earthy spice that pairs perfectly with bold black pepper and paprika.

Thyme or oregano. Either of these dried herbs adds a bright but earthy and comforting taste to the blend.

Garlic powder. Deeply savory and umami, garlic brings every flavor together in one big happy spice family.

Lemon. A generous squeeze of fresh lemon to finish the dish adds acid to the blackened wahoo. It helps to cut through the "fishiness" so all you taste is the lovely flavors of the fish and blackening seasoning.

How to cook blackened wahoo

If you have frozen fish you will need to defrost it first. Leave fillets in the fridge overnight or just on the counter for couple hours. Wahoo blocks will thaw completely.

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Rinse fillets with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl mix all the seasonings. I used garlic powder, thyme, pinch of cumin, black pepper, paprika and salt. Cover wahoo blocks with the seasonings completely.

Heat butter in the skillet. Make sure the skillet is very hot before adding fish. This way it will not stick to it. Add cobia and cook 3 minutes on each side. Do not move the fish during cooking, only flip once.

raw white fish fillets on the plate — pat dry fillets

seasoned raw wahoo fish before cooking — season wahoo blocks

Your kitchen will most likely fill up with smoke so open the windows and turn on the fan. This is normal since we will be cooking on high temperatures.

Once the fish is done, transfer it to the cutting board if you prefer to slice it or just simply to the plate. Squeeze lemon on top and cover with chopped cilantro or parsley.

cooking white fish on the skillet — cook on well buttered skillet

Frequently asked questions

What kind of fish is a wahoo?

Wahoo is a large saltwater white fish that lives primarily in warm subtropical regions. Because these long, slender fish are found in deep water, they are powerful swimmers with lean and firm meat.

What does wahoo taste like?

The flavor is often compared to mackerel in that it is a rather mild and slightly sweet white fish. Seared blackened wahoo is fork-tender and flakes beautifully! The flesh is firm, and the taste and texture of wahoo is actually similar to chicken.

Is wahoo a healthy fish to eat?

Yes, wahoo is a high protein and low calorie fish. The lean meat is also low fat but packed with essential mega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. So it's a great heart-healthy option that happens to also be delicious!

Does blackened mean spicy?

Blackening is a specific cooking method wherein you coat a food in a blend of spices and then quickly sear or grill. The seasonings are often spicy with black pepper and/or cayenne pepper - or other dried chili pepper - but not always!

This blackened wahoo recipe has a nice amount of ground black pepper but no other heavy spices. So it has a kick of yummy spiciness without being really spicy.

Is blackened fish healthy?

Absolutely it is! The "blackening" comes from a combination of spices that are simple dried herbs with just a bit of salt. We also use only 1 tablespoon of butter to sear the lean wahoo fish in a skillet. This recipe is low carb, low fat, and low calorie - but with BIG bold flavors!

Side dishes

Any rice side dish is great for white fish or any other seafood recipe. Roasted, mashed or simply boiled potatoes, couscous, grilled vegetables or pasta are all great side dishes too.

Make a fresh spring salad with romaine lettuce or arugula, kale, cherry tomatoes, onion and cucumbers. Drizzle olive oil and a little bit of balsamic vinegar and enjoy your healthy dinner!

Leftovers

Store any leftovers in the air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Sometimes i just cover the plate with foil and store it this way in the fridge. Use microwave to reheat fish. Don’t forget to take the foil off.

Also you can freeze cooked wahoo block. Use freezer safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer for 3-4 months. In fact you can store fish for much longer just make sure to use a very good freezer safe container to prevent fish from getting a freezer burn.

Blackened wahoo

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes

Ingredients

2 wahoo saku blocks
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cumin
½ teaspoon thyme or oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ lemon

Instructions

Rinse wahoo in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix spices in a small bowl and cover the fish entirely with it.
Heat butter in a skillet (it has to be very hot!) and place fish in it. Cook for 2 minutes on one side and then for another 2 minutes on other side.
Move to the plate, squeeze lemon on top and serve.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 649mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 22g