Love firing up the grill the moment spring arrives? Looking for a new dish to add to your grilling repertoire? Swordfish is an excellent choice, thanks to its meaty texture and mild flavor. Here’s how to grill swordfish with no marinade — just a few simple seasonings, a hot grill, and a fresh summer salsa.
The recipe first came to Yankee back in 2009 from Recipes from a Very Small Island by Linda and Martha Greenlaw (Hyperion, 2005). Linda Greenlaw, a commercial swordfishing boat captain in the 1990s, became an unexpected minor celebrity thanks to her supporting role in the best-selling 1997 Sebastian Junger book, The Perfect Storm. If you ask me, I think it’s fair to assume that anyone who knows how to catch swordfish must also know a thing or two about how to grill swordfish, so it’s wise to follow her advice!
How to Grill Swordfish
The first step when grilling swordfish is to decide whether you’re going to marinate your fish. A marinade adds flavor and helps keep the fish moist, but it’s not necessary to achieve delicious results. You can grill swordfish with nothing more than a few seasonings and liberal brushings of olive oil. (The oil helps prevent the swordfish from sticking to the grill.) Rinse and pat the swordfish dry, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper on both sides.
The first “how to grill swordfish” step is to marinate the fish (if you’re using a marinade) or to brush the steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
Grill the swordfish on a preheated gas grill set to medium-high (about 400° on a thermometer — you should be able to hold your hand 2 inches above the grill grate for about 5 seconds). Brush the grate with oil before adding the fish to help prevent sticking. Grill the swordfish, turning once, until nicely charred and the fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steaks. Fish dries out quickly, so you’ll need to watch it carefully. Remember, the fish will continue to cook for a moment or two after it’s off the grill.
Using a charcoal grill? Check out our charcoal grilling tips.
Grill swordfish about 5 minutes per side. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
To be extra sure the swordfish is safe to eat, you may also want to use a thermometer to test for doneness. To kill any harmful bacteria, the internal swordfish temperature you’re looking for is at least 145°.
Perfectly grilled swordfish, ready for salsa! Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
Once the fish is cooked, move it from the grill to a plate and top with a few generous spoonfuls of tomato and sweet pepper salsa, which can be made and stored in the fridge up to 3 hours in advance. I think this dish would go great with a side of rice or even a few ears of grilled summer corn.
The final result: a summery meal of swordfish with tomato and sweet pepper salsa. Photo Credit : Aimee Tucker
I love the way this flavorful salsa perfectly complements the mild fish.
Once you know how to grill swordfish, you’ll find it offers many new options for tasty summer recipes. Do you have a favorite way to enjoy grilled swordfish?
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
