This quick grilled swordfish recipe takes on a delicious Mediterranean twist thanks to a simple olive oil marinade with fresh garlic and a trio of warm spices.
It takes 15 minutes to marinate the fish and about 8 minutes to grill it to juicy perfection. Serve it with a big salad or a simple side and call it dinner!
Swordfish
Swordfish is a mild-tasting white fish with a meaty and firm texture. It's found in Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean waters.
This meaty fish is protein-rich and a great source of B12, zinc, and Omega 3.
You'll find it sold in white steaks, typically about 1 inch in thickness. When buying swordfish, make sure that the reddish areas on the fish steak are actually red and not brown (if they're brown, the fish is old).
How to cook swordfish?
Swordfish is quite meaty and firm which makes it great for fish stew, pan-searing, or grilling as a whole steak or even skewering for fish kabobs!
This wonderful fish will hold up to the grill where other delicate fish might fall apart. And because of it's texture and mild taste, it's perfect with the addition of flavorful marinades or sauces.
I'm using a gas grill for this recipe but you can use a charcoal grill or even an indoor griddle. Whichever method you choose to cook your swordfish, the key is not to overcook it.
For grilled swordfish, some say, treat swordfish as you would cook a rare steak, using high heat to sear on one side for about 5 to 6 minutes, then turning the fish over to cook for another 3 minutes or so for a 1-inch steak. (This may vary slightly).
How do you know if swordfish is done?
Feeling the swordfish steak on the outside doesn't help you determine for sure if it's ready. This is because it's a firm fish and will feel just as hard at medium as it would at medium-well.
For a juicy grilled swordfish steak, the fish would be well-browned on one side (that's the side you present when serving) and slightly light pink on the inside, but don't worry, it will cook through by the time it gets to the table. And it should flake easily with the touch of a fork while retaining firmness.
The marinade. How long should you marinate swordfish?
To give my grilled swordfish recipe a Mediterranean twist, I'm employing a bold olive oil-based swordfish marinade with some of my favorite flavors!
What's in the swordfish marinade?
- Garlic: anywhere from 6 to 12 garlic cloves. (I typically go heavier on fresh garlic than most people, opting for 12 garlic cloves. But because we're adding a bit of lemon juice, the garlic is tamed a bit).
- Extra virgin olive oil: a good ⅓ cup of quality extra virgin olive oil (you can find the Greek olive oils I use at our online shop here).
- Lemon juice: about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- Spices: a trio of warm ground spices- 1 teaspoon coriander, ¾ teaspoon cumin, and ½ to 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika. A dash of kosher salt and black pepper in addition
Now, how long to marinate this fish? In this recipe, you don't need to marinate the fish for too long. 15 minutes or so at room temperature while the grill is heating should do it.
In general, you can marinate swordfish for longer if the acid content is small, in which case you can cover and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Grilled swordfish recipe: step-by-step
Time needed: 23 minutes
How to make this grilled swordfish recipe (print-friendly recipe below)
- Make the marinade
In the small bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add the garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, coriander, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Run the processor for a few minutes until you arrive at a smooth marinade.
- Marinate the fish
Pat the swordfish steaks dry and place in a glass dish. Pour the marinade over and be sure to cover the fish with it on both sides. Set aside to marinate while you heat the grill (about 15 minutes or so)
- Grill on high heat
When ready, grill the fish steaks on high heat for 5 minutes on one side, then turn over once and grill on the other side for 3 minutes or so (you can do this on gas grill or an indoor griddle).
The fish should flake easily, while maintain firmness. You will likely see a bit of pink on the inside, but by the time it gets to the table, it will have cooked through) - Serve
Off the grill, I like to hit the fish up quickly with a splash of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes, if you like heat, and serve!
What to Serve along with this Grilled Swordfish?
For a light meal, I like to serve grilled swordfish with a bright and substantial salad like Greek salad, bean salad, or Mediterranean potato salad.
Sides like couscous, skordalia, or Greek green beans will also go well with swordfish. And a little drizzle of Tahini sauce never hurts!
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Grilled Swordfish Recipe with a Mediterranean Twist
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Easy grilled swordfish recipe that utilizes a delicious Mediterranean marinade with cumin, fresh garlic cloves and more. But you don't even need to leave it in the marinade too long! Just a few minutes while your grill is heating!
Ingredients
- 6 to 12 garlic cloves, peeled
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, more for later
- 1 tsp coriander
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 swordfish steaks, about 5 to 6 ounces each, from sustainable sources
- Crushed red pepper, optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, spices, salt and pepper for about three minutes or until well-combined forming a thick and smooth marinade.
- Pat the swordfish steaks dry and place them in a pan (or a dish with sides to it) and apply the marinade generously on both sides and set aside for 15 minutes or so while you heat the grill.
- Preheat a gas grill on high (be sure to oil the grates before using). When ready, grill the fish steaks on high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on one side, turn over once and grill on the other side for 3 minutes or so (the fish should flake easily, while maintain firmness. You will likely see a bit of pink on the inside, but it should cook through by the time it gets to the table).
- Finish with a splash of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes if you like heat. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook's tip: Prepare any sides or salads before you get to the fish; it goes fast
- Cook's tip: You may need to adjust the grilling time depending on the thickness of the swordfish steaks. Fish is ready when it easily flakes at the touch of a fork.
- Visit our online shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oil and all-natural and organic spices used in this recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Category: Fish and Seafood
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit. Enjoy!
I don't use coriander much (not a huge fan) and was nervous about cumin on fish, but this was delicious. Wouldn't change a thing, cooking was spot on.
Yay!! Thank you!
Wonderful. I consider myself to be a good cook but this made me a 5 star chef
Yay! That's great to hear, Bruce!!
It would be much better if you used a weight based system rather than volumetic measurements (cups etc) as it makes it really difficult to scale the recipe up and down. I made this for two and didn't find it made the same thick sauce so I added some fresh parsley to the liquidiser and that seemed to do the job. It tasted really fine but it did make a mess on my griddle pan.
Made it for my wife’s birthday. It was a big success! I was not brave enough to do 6-12 garlic cloves. I used 3 big cloves and it was great.
Thanks for sharing, Paul! So glad this one was a hit :).
Just made this for the first time. I have always wanted to find a great swordfish recipe and THIS IS IT! So flavorful and juicy. I only wish I had bought more swordfish to eat! I will definitely be making this for company.
I finally got around to making this marinade for grilling a couple of swordfish steaks on the barbecue, and it was exceptionally good! So very flavorful and easy to make. I'm glad I found this and I thank you so much for sharing it with the world (and me).
A couple of notes. I pierced the fish with a fork before using the marinade, and for those using a probe thermometer (and you should be), the ideal internal temperature for finishing the fish 130°-135°. Thanks again, Suzy.
Thanks for sharing, John!
This was so tasty and quick to make, thanks, my family loved it!
Yay! Thanks, Antonella!
The recipe looks great and the comments are so positive, I’m planning to try it tomorrow night. One question - do you wipe off the marinade from the steaks before grilling?
Nope! You can just put them on the grill, as-is! Hope you enjoy them!!
Wow! I’ve made a lot of swordfish over the decades, including a variety of grilling approaches, but this was by far the best recipe we’ve found. My wife and were both knocked out by the flavors and the moistness. I can’t imagine I’ll make it a different way in the future - unless you’ve got another swordfish recipe to try. 😉 To accompany the swordfish I made your EVOO/mustard based potato salad which also knocked it out of the park (I’ll leave a review on that recipe) plus I grilled some EVOO-coated asparagus. Heaven! Thank you for providing these recipes for us.
This totally made my day, Tim! Thank you! Sounds like a wonderful meal!
Is the grill open or shut?
We typically leave the grill open for this one.
Well I'm a crusty old hand with Sword and 'been grillin' it every which way for the better part of just under four decades...I followed this recipe to the letter...with a gas grill and even used a beeping timer. This recipe was easily among the top five of my life thus far...fast, easy, and was so delicious I had my solo 17 oz slab consumed in less than the eight minutes of grill time. The olive oil ensured that nothing stuck back on the grill so, yeah, 'twas ALL good!
Thanks for sharing! I'm so glad it turned out to be such a hit! 🙂
I never comment on recipes, but-
I had never cooked (or even tried) swordfish before and this caught my eye. So easy and DELICIOUS!!!! The only real adjustment I made was less oil and made up the difference with more lemon juice, as well as less garlic. Thanks for posting, I will absolutely be making this again.
Awesome! So glad you loved it!
Can I cook this in a cast iron pan or in the oven instead of on the grill?
I haven't tried this particular recipe in the oven. You can cook it in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop...like an indoor grilling option
Just what I was looking for! A Mediterranean recipe for swordfish steaks on the grille. I can tell it will be delicious. I also have a couple tuna steaks on which I plan to use the same marinade. With a light salad and a few grilled wild caught shrimp on the side... it should be the perfect July 4th barbecue ! Thanks, Suzy.
Sounds wonderful, Mikael!
I made this recipe with 1 8 ozs. of swordfish cut into three 6-oz steaks. I wanted to see if some of the swordfish could last in the refrigerator in the marinade for one or two days longer. I grilled one 6-oz swordfish steak per the directions the first day. The 8 minutes of total grilling on medium setting on the gas grill was a bit too long. The fish was just over the mark into the well done range. However, it tasted great. The next day for lunch, a Taco Tuesday in my book, I grilled the next tuna steak for three minutes per side on medium heat and it was a perfect medium, which made the swordfish tacos very tasty. The extra day in the fridge in the marinade in a baggie didn't transform the swordfish to ceviche. This evening I will be grilling the final steak. I may have overshot my nutritional allotment of mercury by eating 18 ozs of swordfish in three consecutive days, but this recipe is so good that I did not give it a second...er...third thought. Excellent recipe!
Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
Just made Swordfish and coleslaw for dinner. It’s religious meeting night so needed something quick and easy. Made coleslaw earlier in the day and put in fridge. Started prepping Swordfish about 5:00 p.m. Cooking at 5:15. Ate at 5:30. This is definitely a do again.
Awesome! Thanks, Bob!
Never made swordfish before, but with this recipe I'm trying it tonight. Your site is well designed and very helpful!
Thanks, John!