Best Grilled Swordfish Recipe
When it comes to using your grill, there are plenty of delights you can prepare. While hot dogs, steak, and burgers are some of the most popular items we throw on the grill every summer, we think that a fresh piece of fish is one of the best items you can make with the help of your trusty outdoor cooking device. Take swordfish, for example. All you need to do is marinade the fish ahead of time, and then put it on the grill to get those perfect grill marks. Doesn't that sound amazing?
Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone came up with this wonderful grilled swordfish recipe that looks amazing and tastes even better. "I love this as a quick and healthy weeknight meal. Our whole family loves swordfish because it is so meaty and satisfying, and this recipe takes no time to put together," Rapone raves. Another significant part about this dish is that swordfish have plenty of health benefits. "I love that it's high in protein and omega-3s," Rapone says. Keep reading to find out how to make this wonderful recipe.
Gather the ingredients for grilled swordfish
Before you do anything else, you will need to gather all the ingredients necessary to make this delightful dish. Take a trip to your local grocery store, and grab a few swordfish steaks and a couple of lemons. To add the most wonderful flavor to this dish, be sure to get a few sprigs of fresh thyme, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. You will also need kosher salt and a cup of olive oil. Last but not least, get a few cloves of garlic and some red pepper flakes. Believe it or not, that is all you will need to start cooking!
Wash the herbs and zest the lemon
Now that you have all of the items gathered in front of you, it's time to begin! Start by grabbing the lemons and your fresh herbs. Run them under the sink to wash and dry them. This ensures they will be clean and ready to go for cooking.
Next, grab your lemons and a measuring cup, and zest and juice one lemon into the cup. Then, juice another lemon as well, but don't add the zest into the same cup. The last thing you need to add at this point is the fresh thyme.
Mince the garlic, and combine
Now, it's time to move on to the garlic, which will also go into your yummy marinade. You can either use a cutting board and a sharp knife to mix the garlic, or else you can make it into a paste using a garlic press or a Microplane. Then, add half of the garlic to the lemon and thyme mixture. (Yep, it's packed with a ton of flavor now and it's incredibly fresh!) Finally, add ¼ cup of olive oil to the mix. Using a whisk, combine everything together to make the marinade.
Dry and season the swordfish
Grab your swordfish from the fridge, and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then, use 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt to season both sides of the fish. If you like a lot of salt, you can always add a little bit more. Be sure to repeat the steps and season each fillet with salt. Then, place the fish in a sealable plastic bag, and pour in the marinade. Place the plastic bag in a shallow dish, and let the fish marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes while you tend to other business.
Make the vinaigrette
While the swordfish marinates in the fridge, you can fix up the vinaigrette. Start by picking the fresh basil and parsley leaves from their stems. Using a cutting board, coarsely chop the leaves. You will need about ½ cup from the basil and parsley after you chop them.
Add the leaves to a food processor and the juice from one lemon. Next, throw in a ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, the remaining garlic, and finally ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Continue pulsing the herbs until they are finely chopped. You will only need to pulse about five to seven times.
Heat the grill, and remove the fish from the marinade
Turn the grill to high heat for about seven to 10 minutes. Be sure to clean it well with a grill brush to get anything left from your last meal. Once the time is up, reduce the heat to medium. Then, remove the fish from the marinade, and place the pieces on the grill.
Grill each swordfish for three to five minutes per side until they release from the grill and the inside turns flaky and opaque. You can also check to see when the thermometer reaches 130 F in the thickest part of the fish. If you'd like, you can cut a fourth lemon in half, and grill it for three minutes to squeeze over the fish at the end.
Serve, and enjoy
Once you take the swordfish off of the grill, plate it as you wish. This is great on its own, but Rapone also provides a few additional serving suggestions. "I love this with grilled vegetables (especially zucchini and red bell pepper) because the herb vinaigrette goes great on this, too!" she raves. "I also usually grill up some sliced sourdough bread that's been drizzled with olive oil and rub it down."
If you have anything left, here's how to store it. "The leftovers are good for a couple of days when stored in the refrigerator," Rapone notes. "I actually love this leftover and eat it cold (with the leftover grilled vegetables, like a big grilled salad)."
- 3 lemons
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- additional lemon, to grill and squeeze on fish at the end
- Wash and dry the lemons and fresh herbs.
- Zest and juice 1 lemon into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Juice a second lemon into the cup, but do not zest it. Then, add the thyme to the mixture.
- Finely mince the garlic, or paste using a garlic press or Microplane.
- Add ½ the garlic to the lemon and thyme mixture. Then, add ¼ cup of olive oil. Whisk to combine the marinade.
- Dry the swordfish with a paper towel.
- Using 1 teaspoon of salt, season both sides of the fish.
- Place in a zip-top bag, and add the marinade.
- Place in a shallow dish, and marinate in the fridge for up to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Pick the fresh basil leaves and fresh parsley leaves from the stems, and coarsely chop. (You are looking for about ½ cup of each basil and parsley after the leaves have been chopped.)
- Add the leaves to a food processor. Add the juice from the remaining lemon, ½ teaspoon of salt, the rest of the garlic, ¼ cup of olive oil, and the red pepper flakes. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped (do not process until smooth), about 5 to 7 pulses.
- Heat the grill using high heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Clean well with a grill brush. Then, reduce the heat to medium.
- Remove the fish from the marinade, and place it on the grill.
- Grill the swordfish for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until it easily releases from the grill and the inside is flaky and opaque — or a probe thermometer registers 130 F in the thickest piece of fish.
- If desired, cut an additional lemon in half, and grill it for 3 minutes. Serve with the fish for a final squeeze of freshness.
| Calories per Serving | 511 |
| Total Fat | 38.7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.5 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 112.3 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 6.8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.3 g |
| Sodium | 635.8 mg |
| Protein | 35.1 g |
