Grilled Swordfish
on Jul 04, 2021, Updated Aug 09, 2024
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A creamy Provencal-inspired sauce made from roasted peppers, garlic, and basil turns a piece of simply grilled swordfish into a fantastic summer meal.
Simple grilled swordfish is one of the most beloved fish dishes of summertime in this country. Meaty, firm, dense, swordfish grills up like a dream, very similar to a grilled steak or a chicken breast. It holds together well and is easy to turn on the grill, so you will end up with beautiful, intact swordfish steaks on the plate and look like a grilling champ while you’re doing it. Fish steaks are boneless cross-cuts of larger fish (tuna and swordfish are the most common), and while they can be cooked in any number of ways, they take particularly well to grilling.
A simple marinade adds a light flavor to the fish. And while grilled swordfish is delicious on its own, a simple sauce can transform it into a luxe-feeling dinner. Try this beautiful, Provencal-inspired 4-ingredient roasted red pepper sauce below the next time you’re thinking about grilling swordfish and feel like you’ve transported yourself to the South of France. Pair this with Grilled Asparagus with Vinaigrette, Grilled Onions, and an Israeli couscous salad. Start the meal with some no-shuck grilled clams for a summery feast.
And, if you like this recipe, next time you might try Blackened Swordfish on the grill.
Table of Contents
Swordfish has been popular in the U.S. for a long time, partly because of its steak-like texture and its lack of “fishiness.” It’s mildly flavored, a good blank canvas, but it takes well to strong flavors. You can make it very simply and serve it on its own, or pair it with a sauce, like the roasted pepper one below, or perhaps a Chimichurri Sauce or a dollop of Herbed Mayonnaise. Also, think about giving it a drizzle of Lemon Butter to finish.
Grilled Swordfish: Meaty, firm, mild swordfish – very simply marinated – grills up like a dream. Try it with this beautiful silky roasted red pepper sauce!
How to Pick Fresh Swordfish Steaks
You should first give it the smell test — yes, it will smell like fish, but it shouldn’t smell “fishy.” Then look for color: swordfish can be pale ivory to slightly pink. There are some dark spots that run through a swordfish, and most steaks will have a bit of a darker color. Just look for a more reddish tone in the dark spots. Avoid any fish that has overtones of a dull brownish hue. Look for moist fish steaks, not dry, and if you are buying it at a fishmonger, the steaks should be laid out on clean ice.
You can also purchase frozen fish from a reputable online purveyor. Freshness is simply key in preparing any seafood or fish dish.
Kitchen Smarts
Grilling fish is understandably a source of stress for many people. In general, fish (filets in particular) are fairly fragile and hard to flip on the grill without breaking them apart and making a mess. Not to mention losing some of that precious fish down the grates. The answer for the fish-grilling-phobic is swordfish.
Grilled Swordfish Ingredients
For the Roasted Red Pepper Basil Mayonnaise:
- Red bell pepper – If you don’t feel like grilling your own bell peppers, you can use jarred (I love the Divina jarred roasted peppers).
- Minced garlic
- Fresh basil – The summeriest of all herbs!
- Mayonnaise
For the Swordfish:
- Swordfish filets – Buy from a trusted source, whether it’s a fish store, a good fish counter at a market, or a reputable online purveyor.
- Olive oil
- Lemon – Use the juice and the zest in the marinade, and offer lemon wedges for everyone to squeeze over their fish if desired.
- Parsley and thyme – A small amount of fresh herbs is such a nice contrast to the richness of the fish.
How to Grill Swordfish
- Marinate the fish: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, and thyme. Brush over the fish and season with salt and pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to 6 hours.
- Prepare for grilling: Heat the grill to high. Carefully oil the grill grates. Remove the fish from the marinade and pat dry.
- Grill the swordfish: Grill for a total of 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through, turning it at least once during cooking.
- Serve: Serve the fish hot with the sauce or the remaining parsley, with lemon wedges on the side.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for Fish
This sauce has great eye appeal as well as great summery flavor. The basil and red peppers evoke dreams of summer meals in Provence (whether we’ve been lucky enough to get there IRL or not!).
Feel free to use some jarred pre-roasted peppers instead of roasting your own! You can serve the swordfish with the sauce over the steaks or pass a little bowl or pitcher of sauce and let diners top their serving of fish.
FAQs
Like all fish, swordfish is really good for you. It has a very high amount of protein and also contains B12, zinc, and omega-3, according to Nutrition Advance.
Using touch is tricky, as it’s a firm fish to begin with. If you have an internal thermometer, look for a temperature of 130 degrees F at the thickest part. Otherwise, if you have a fish with a 1-inch thickness, or even 1 ½-inch, 5 to 6 minutes on the first side and 3 or 4 on the second side should get you to a perfectly cooked piece of fish. When the fish is done, it should separate into flaky chunks when pressed.
You can add time for a thicker piece of swordfish. I don’t recommend grilling swordfish thinner than 1 inch, since the inside will probably overcook before the outside gets those nice grill marks.
Nope. Washing fish and other meats can actually help to spread bacteria vs. eliminating it. The heat from the grill will take care of any bacterial issues.
Once overfished and in danger of extinction, now U.S.-caught swordfish is in the sustainable category, so we can buy and cook it without reservations (or you can make reservations and eat it in a restaurant, but that’s not why you are here!)
Like most things you grill, the time for grilling swordfish depends on its thickness. An average of 8 to 10 minutes total for a 1-inch steak is about right, with the heat source about 4 inches away from the grill.
Tips
- Make sure the fish lifts easily from the grill before you flip it. I often cook it a bit longer on the first side, say 5 or 6 minutes, then flip it and cook for just 3 minutes on the second side since it usually lifts from the grates pretty easily at those points. The top side will have firmed up a bit from the heat of the grill before you turn it, so making sure the first side to hit the grill gets a good sear is more important for a nicely intact fish steak at the end.
- You don’t want to overcook swordfish, as it will dry out due to the lower fat content, so err a bit on the side of a shorter cooking time. The inside should just have a touch of pinkness.
- When the fish is done, it should separate into flaky chunks when pressed.
- Never reuse a marinade that touches the raw fish.
- Start the sauce with roasted bell peppers instead of roasting or grilling your own to save time.
What to Serve With Grilled Swordfish
More Grilled Fish and Seafood Recipes
- Grilled Scallops
- Grilled Clams
- Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing
- Grilled Lobster Tail
- Grilled Tuna Steak
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Grilled Swordfish with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Roasted Red Pepper Basil Mayonnaise
- 1 red bell pepper (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For the Swordfish:
- 4 1-inch thick swordfish filets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice and finely grated zest from 1 lemon (plus lemon wedges to serve)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Turn a gas grill to medium-high and place the pepper directly on the grill grate. Cook, turning it with tongs as the underside blisters and chars, until the whole pepper is blistered. (You can also do this underneath the broiler, on a rimmed baking sheet). Place in a bowl and cover with a dishtowel until cooked. Peel off the skin and discard any seeds from the inside of the pepper. Coarsely chop the pepper.
- Combine the pepper and garlic in a food processor and pulse to combine. Pulse in the basil and mayonnaise, then let the motor run until all is smooth and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the grill to high (if you need to reheat the grill). Carefully oil the grill grates.
- Combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and thyme. Brush the swordfish with the olive oil mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Grill for a total of 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through, turning it at least once during cooking. For more dramatic cross hatch marks, you can turn it (rotating the fish a quarter turn every time you flip it) a total of three times. When the fish is done, it should separate into flaky chunks.
- Serve hot, with the red pepper sauce spooned over the top or passed on the side and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- Make sure the fish lifts easily from the grill before you flip it; I often cook it a bit longer on the first side, say 5 or 6 minutes, then flip it and cook for just 3 minutes on the second side since it usually lifts from the grates pretty easily at those points. The top side will have firmed up a bit from the heat of the grill before you turn it, so making sure the first side to hit the grill gets a good sear is more important for a nicely intact fish steak at the end.
- You don’t want to overcook swordfish, as it will dry out due to the lower fat content, so err a bit on the side of a shorter cooking time. The inside should just have a touch of pinkness.
- When the fish is done, it should separate into flaky chunks when pressed.
- Never reuse a marinade that touched the raw fish.
- Start the sauce with roasted bell peppers instead of grilling your own to save time.
