18 Swordfish Recipes, From Skewers to Steaks and Pasta

Get ready to add swordfish to your regular dinner rotation.

Grilled Swordfish with Carrot-and-Walnut Salsa
Photo:

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

With its mild flavor and firm, meaty flesh, swordfish is a terrific choice for a host of scrumptious and satisfying dishes. Swap it in for steak in classic preparations like Swordfish au Poivre, cut it in chunks and thread it onto skewers for Seafood Spiedini, or grill it up and slather it in salsa, as in our Grilled Swordfish with Carrot-and-Walnut Salsa — whichever recipe you go for, you're sure to delight fish fans and skeptics alike. Read on for all of our favorite ways to enjoy succulent swordfish.

01 of 18

Swordfish Steaks with Salmoriglio

SWORDFISH STEAKS WITH SALMORIGLIO on a blue plate

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

A simple Italian five-ingredient marinade called salmoriglio infuses meaty swordfish steaks in this easy summer recipe while still allowing the fish’s natural sweetness to shine through. Drizzling additional marinade over the grilled fish just before serving provides a showstopping, glossy finish with a flourish of bright lemony flavor.

02 of 18

Swordfish au Poivre

Swordfish au Poivre

Carson Downing / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco

We’ll eat this elegant swordfish riff on classic steak au poivre from Houston chef Aaron Bludorn any time. Serve it with crispy roasted potato wedges, which are especially delectable with the briny, creamy au poivre sauce.

03 of 18

Grilled Swordfish with Carrot-and-Walnut Salsa

Grilled Swordfish with Carrot-and-Walnut Salsa

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Grilled fish maintains our mantra of simple, easy, and delicious for summertime cooking. 2013 F&W Best New Chef Jason Vincent steeps swordfish steaks in a savory kombu marinade and serves them with a nutty, slightly piquant gremolata-like salsa with roasted walnuts and Calabrian chiles.

04 of 18

Slow-Roasted Swordfish Birria

Slow-Roasted Swordfish Birria
Jen Causey

"It’s a fruity, spiced flavor bomb in every sense of the word but a controlled one that keeps you coming back for one more bite until it’s all gone," says food writer Javier Cabral of the chile sauce that coats these swordfish fillets. It's a garlicky blend that includes toasted dried ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles.

05 of 18

Insalata di Pesce

Insalata di Pesce
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Quickly poaching the mix of swordfish, shrimp, and scallops gently cooks the seafood to perfection for tender, flaky bites. Choose a favorite olive oil here; its flavor permeates the whole dish and adds a savory vegetal flavor.

06 of 18

Swordfish Skewers with Salsa Verde

Swordfish Skewers with Salsa Verde
© Con Poulos

Chef Chad Colby uses fresh bay leaves on these swordfish skewers, which impart a lovely fragrance to the dish. He threads zucchini ribbons between the leaves and fish, grills the skewers alongside lemon halves, then serves them with the charred lemon.

07 of 18

Grilled Swordfish with Herbs and Charred Lemon Salsa

Grilled Swordfish with Herbs and Charred Lemon Salsa
© John Kernick

Justin Chapple dries herbs from his garden in the microwave to have them on hand for all kinds of dishes. Here, he uses a mix of rosemary, thyme, and oregano to season swordfish, which he serves with a salsa made from grilled lemon slices, parsley, celery, and shallot. 

08 of 18

Swordfish Sicilian-Style

Swordfish Sicilian-Style
© Greg DuPree

In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe from Marcella Hazan one of our 40 best. An oregano-infused sauce imparts bright flavor to hot-off-the-grill steaks. The secret to this quick-cooking swordfish is pricking holes in the fish so the lemony dressing seeps in.

09 of 18

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Basil-Caper Butter

Grilled Swordfish Stakes with Basil-Caper Butter
© Tina Rupp

Flavored butter gives these meaty swordfish steaks from expert griller Steven Raichlen a piquant, herbal taste. Serve them with an arugula and endive salad with pine nuts and Parmesan.

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Linguine Piccole with Grilled Swordfish and Parsley Anchovy Sauce

Linguine Piccole with Grilled Swordfish and Parsley Anchovy Sauce
© Ben Dearnley

In this delicious dish, the anchovies provide a roundness and depth of flavor rather than a strong hit of anchovy. If you like, you can swap tuna for the swordfish. 

11 of 18

Swordfish with Vegetable Couscous and Tomato Vinaigrette

Swordfish with Vegetable Couscous and Tomato Vinaigrette
© Kelly Brisson

Succulent swordfish steaks are simply seasoned with salt and pepper, sautéed until golden, and arranged on a bed of fluffy couscous studded with diced fennel and summer squash. A chunky plum tomato vinaigrette tops off the dish.

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Seafood Spiedini

Seafood Spiedini
© Abby Hocking

Firm-structured fish holds up best when cut into pieces and skewered. Italian chef Daniele Uditi uses swordfish for these herb-lashed skewers.

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Swordfish with Romesco Sauce

Swordfish with Romesco Sauce
© Con Poulos

Chef Jonathan Waxman makes his rich, nutty romesco sauce with caramelized vegetables, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and fiery Calabrian chiles for an unforgettable accompaniment to grilled swordfish. Feel free to prepare the sauce up to a week ahead of time.

14 of 18

Grilled Swordfish with Tangy Onions and Fennel

Grilled Swordfish with Tangy Onions & Fennel
© Christina Holmes

A riff on the classic Venetian dish sarde in saor, this recipe combines meaty swordfish, tangy onions, and smoky grilled fennel. Plump currants and toasted pine nuts are scattered over the cooked fish before serving.

15 of 18

Grilled Swordfish with Lima-Bean-and-Herb Butter

Grilled Swordfish with Lima-Bean-and-Herb Butter. Photo © Fredrika Stjärne
© Fredrika Stjärne

Chef Lee Woolver uses garden-fresh lima beans along with chives, parsley, and dill to make a green butter for this swordfish.

16 of 18

Sweet and Sour Swordfish

Sweet-and-Sour Swordfish
© Petrina Tinslay

This Sicilian-style dish, a recipe from TV chef and family friend Tyler Florence and adapted by beauty industry expert Sylvie Chantecaille, includes lots of vibrant orange bell peppers.

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Swordfish with Orzo, Pistachios, and Olives

Swordfish with Orzo, Pistachios and Olives
© Tina Rupp

This impressive dish is a bright and sophisticated medley of texture, color, and flavor — and it comes together in less than half an hour.

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Swordfish in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Swordfish in Creamy Tomato Sauce
© Kana Okada

Here, swordfish steaks are cooked at a low temperature in an aromatic broth spiked with tomato, garlic, and oregano, allowing them to absorb the rich flavors while still remaining moist and succulent.

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