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Wahoo Recipes
Cooking wahoo
No matter how you prepare it, wahoo is a taste of heaven.
This is a versatile fish offers many recipe options and don’t be afraid to try cooking it yourself at home.
You can occasionally find fresh local wahoo at our supermarket seafood counters, but be sure to ask if it’s locally caught, which makes a huge difference in freshness and flavor.
And please don’t confuse it with king mackerel (kingfish) – the steaks may look similar, but it’s an entirely different fish and not local.
Wahoo’s sweet, firm but tender white flesh can be filleted, cut into steaks or butterflied and separated into boned, skinless medallions.
Its texture and fine flavor lends itself to an endless variety of recipes, from simply grilled to sophisticated presentations like Veronique or Meuniere.
Wahoo is also superb with bold spices – try it Cajun-style blackened or grilled with jerk seasoning and topped with a little chopped fresh papaya or mango.
Just be careful not to overcook it! Properly prepared, it’s one of the tastiest fish you can eat.
Here are recipes to prove it.
Captain Chuckie Ebanks’ Wahoo Salad
This is a delicious alternative to tuna salad – but don’t plan on any leftovers!
- 2 – 8 ounce fresh wahoo steaks
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Morton Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend (Affiliate Link)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- ½ sweet green pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh onion
- Minced seasoning peppers or Scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed) to taste
- ½ – 1 cup mayonnaise
Butterfly the steaks and remove the skin and any bones, then cut into chunks.
Rinse the fish in cold water sprinkle with fresh lime juice and toss to distribute evenly.
Let sit 30 minutes, then place fish in enough water to cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook over low until fish is done – separates when prodded with a fork (You can season the water if you like with a few tablespoons of chopped onion, garlic or other desired seasoning, but no salt, as it will toughen fish).
Drain fish and place in large bowl.
When cool, chop into smaller pieces or flake with a fork.
Add remaining ingredients, increasing amounts or omitting as desired, to taste.
Chill until ready to serve to allow flavors to blend.
Makes 4 servings.
Lime Pepper Grilled Wahoo
This simple recipe is as good as it gets and a Cayman favorite – but the wahoo must be fresh.
If you prefer, sauté in canola, or even better, coconut oil instead of grilling.
The cooking time will be about the same.
- 4 - 8-ounce wahoo fillets (skin removed) or steaks, about ? inch thick
- 3 Cayman limes
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper blend (½ teaspoon per piece)
- 2 teaspoons Morton Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, (Affiliate Link)
-divided (¼ teaspoon per side) - 2 tablespoons canola oil
Remove the bloodline from fish.
Place fish in a resealable bag and squeeze lime juice over fish.
Seal bag and turn several times gently to coat fish, then refrigerate and marinate 30 minutes.
Remove the fish, drain and brush lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with lemon pepper and seasoning.
Place fish on a barbecue grate or special fish rack and grill quickly over a medium fire until fish just begins to separate when prodded with a fork (only about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness – the lime has already partially “cooked” the fish).
Have
- Tortuga Hell Fire Hot Pepper Sauce, (Affiliate Link)
- PICKAPEPPA SAUCES VARIETY 4PK ( BROWN - HOT MANGO SAUCE - SPICY MANGO SAUCE - GINGERY MANGO SAUCE) (Affiliate Link)
It is delicious just like this.
Don’t worry about leftovers – there won’t be any.
Serves 4.
Marinated Grilled Wahoo
Creamy Italian dressing makes the difference in this easy but delicious recipe, a favorite of Cayman’s Master Angler and IGFA Representative Bill Rewalt.
- 1 cup bottled creamy Italian dressing
- 1 teaspoon (or suit to taste)dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 – 5 ounce thick wahoo steaks (¾ to 1 inch thick)
Combine dressing, oregano and olive oil in and mix well.
Place fish steaks in glass baking dish and pour marinade over, turning fish to coat evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Prepare grill for a medium hot fire.
Remove fish from marinade and grill for about 3 minutes per side, turning once.
Be careful not to overcook as wahoo is a dry fish.
Serve with fresh key lime halves.
Serves 4.
Honey Rum Pepper Wahoo
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup fresh key lime or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Tortuga dark rum
- 6 seasoning peppers, minced or 1 medium Scotch bonnet, seeded, deveined and minced
- 4 - 6 ounce wahoo fillets, about ¾ inch thick (skin and bloodlines removed)
- Olive or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons Morton Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend (Affiliate Link)
- Freshly ground pepper
- Seasoning salt
Combine honey, lime juice, rum and minced pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes until mixture is reduced by about one-third.
Wash fish in lime juice and cold water and pat dry.
Brush lightly with oil and season with Morton Nature’s Seasons and black pepper.
Brush each side lightly with the honey mixture and grill for about 3 minutes per side over medium – hot fire.
When wahoo is cooked to your liking, remove from grill, place on serving plates and drizzle with remaining glaze.
To bake fish:
Preheat oven to 400.
Prepare fish as above, but place in foil lined baking pan and brush generously with glaze.
Bake 4 minutes, then turn fish over and baste again.
Cook until fish separates easily when prodded with knife or fork and is opaque inside – do not overcook until it falls apart or it will be too dry!
Serves 4.
