Grilled Swordfish

Succulent and flavorful, my grilled swordfish is a vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired dish that's incredibly easy to prepare as a healthy dinner any night of the week. Fresh swordfish steaks are marinated in lemon, garlic and olive oil before a quick trip to the grill pan, then topped with a fresh tomato-olive salad for a burst of sweet, juicy flavor!

Swordfish Steaks, Perfect For The Grill Pan

While we love to indulge in a rich, decadent meal in our household from time to time, I'd have to say that, more and more, we’re finding ourselves gravitating towards fresh, vibrant recipes that pack lots of nutrition by way of lean protein and fresh produce.

Seeing as my hubs and I are always looking to incorporate more fresh fish into our diets, experimenting with different varieties of fish to see which we enjoy the best has become a bit of fun kitchen adventure for me.

Our latest favorite fish to cook with is swordfish, specifically swordfish steaks, which are high in vitamin D and E, and lots of those healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

I love the firm texture of swordfish, which makes it a perfect candidate for the grill pan, as well as the mild flavor which makes it a terrific canvas for adding any flavor that I like to it.

My grilled swordfish recipe has a bit of a Mediterranean twist from the notes of lemon, garlic and olive oil, plus the fresh, juicy topping of a simple tomato-olive salad for a bit of tangy, briny flavor.

Prepared in less than thirty minutes, it's an ideal option when you're craving a fresh fish recipe filled with lots of texture and color, made with just a few ingredients!

My Grilled Swordfish Recipe with Tomato-Olive Salad

While there are myriad of ways to cook swordfish, from searing the steaks in a hot cast iron pan to baking or broiling them in the oven, I find the most flavorful way to cook them is to grill them.

It only takes mere minutes to grill swordfish steaks to succulent, juicy perfection, about 3 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness.

That hint of “charred” flavor from grilling lends even more flavor to the steaks, and you can achieve this by using either a grill pan (my preferred method), or your outdoor grill.

For added deliciousness, marinating swordfish steaks is a terrific way to go....

Marination can be done very quickly and easily by using a bit of olive oil, garlic, dried herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice, plus a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.

The ingredients I use in my recipe create a lot of savory, bright flavor, and penetrate the mild swordfish for juicy results once the fish is grilled.

And to make this recipe extra irresistible, I like to finish the grilled swordfish steaks with a simple little tomato-olive salad, with a flourish of fresh parsley and basil—absolutely scrumptious!

Here's a glance at my grilled swordfish recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I marinate my swordfish steaks in my marinade ingredients for about 20 minutes.
2. While the swordfish marinates, I prepare my tomato-olive salad, and keep that chilled in the fridge.
3. To grill my swordfish steaks, I grill them for 3 to 4 minutes per side (depending on thickness), just until cooked through yet juicy on the inside.
4. To serve, I place the grilled swordfish on a platter or individual plate, spoon over some of the tomato-olive salad, finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and basil, and serve as is or with quinoa, rice, roasted potatoes, or couscous on the side.

Recipe

Grilled Swordfish

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This succulent grilled swordfish is marinated in lemon, garlic and olive oil, then finished off with a fresh and rustic tomato-olive salad!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition Info: 560 calories per serving

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Total time: 28 minutes

Grilled Swordfish Ingredients:

• 4 (6 to 8 ounce) swordfish steaks (skin removed)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Torn basil leaves, for garnish
• Roughly chopped parsley, for garish

Tomato-Olive Salad Ingredients:

• 1 pint small cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your grilled swordfish ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To marinate the swordfish steaks, place them into a large shallow bowl or onto a platter. Sprinkle with a few pinches of sea salt and black pepper, then add the pressed garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, lemon juice, and about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Use your hands to rub this marinade into the swordfish, and allow it to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. While the swordfish marinates, gather and prep all of your tomato-olive salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
4. To prepare the salad, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and using a spoon, very gently toss to combine the ingredients. Taste to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, then cover and place into the fridge while you grill your swordfish.
5. To grill your swordfish, place a large grill pan over medium-high heat (add a bit of oil if it isn't non-stick). Once the grill pan is hot, add in the swordfish steaks and allow them to grill on that first side for 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness), then flip and grill for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked through to your liking. (Take care not to overcook your swordfish, as it tends to dry out in that case.)
6. Once the swordfish steaks are grilled, place them onto a platter and allow them to rest for just a couple of minutes.
7. To serve, spoon over top of each swordfish steak a generous spoonful or two of the fresh tomato-olive salad, then sprinkle over top some of the torn basil leaves and chopped parsley, and serve with your favorite accompaniment.

Tips & Tidbits for my Grilled Swordfish recipe:

• 6 to 8 ounce swordfish steaks: Typically, swordfish is already portioned off into steaks that are roughly 6 to 8 ounces. But if your fish monger only has larger portions, then you simply cut them into the size steaks that you need here. And if your steaks are on the thicker side (more than 1” thick), then grill slightly longer on each side, about 3 ½ to 4 minutes.
• Alternatives to a grill pan: If you don't have a grill pan, you can substitute a cast iron or non-stick pan, and cook according to the recipe time listed above. You can also broil the swordfish steaks in the oven for the same amount of time, flipping the fish halfway through.
• Prepare the tomato-olive salad shortly before serving: This salad is best prepped just a little while before you grill your swordfish and serve it, so that the tomatoes stay fresh and firm. However, if you'd like to prep the salad a little earlier for convenience, then hold off on adding the salt, lemon juice and olive oil until just before you toss it to spoon over top of the fish, to keep the tomatoes from getting too soft.
• What to serve with grilled swordfish: I love fluffy quinoa with this dish, but roasted fingerling potatoes, rice, pasta, or even a spicy green salad will do the trick nicely.

Craving more mouthwatering and healthy seafood dishes? Check out this Pan Seared Salmon, this Grilled Mahi Mahi, this Baked Halibut, these Pan Seared Scallops, this Bourbon Glazed Salmon, or this Mediterranean Salmon Burger!