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 1/3 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 juiceSpices: a trio of warm ground spices- 1 teaspoon coriander, 3/4 tsp cumin, and 1/2 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
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. How to make this grilled swordfish recipe (print-friendly recipe below) Sides like couscous, skordalia, or Greek green beans will also go well with swordfish. And a little drizzle of Tahini sauce never hurts! Check out our collection of Mediterranean diet recipes. For all recipes, visit us here. JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST HERE. SHOP OUR ONLINE STORE FOR QUALITY OLIVE OILS, ALL-NATURAL SPICES AND MORE. *This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit. Enjoy! 4.8 from 71 reviews
