Baked Swordfish Recipe
Inside: Marinating the fish and cooking at a moderately high heat is the secret to this moist, flavorful baked swordfish. But if you’ve struggled with dry, overcooked fish before, grab my free guide for simple tricks to get it right every time.
This swordfish recipe is one I keep in my back pocket for quick and easy last-minute meals. With only a 15-minute soak in a flavorful lemon garlic marinade, this baked swordfish comes out moist, tender, and flavorful. A punchy tomato relish takes this dish to the next level.
Many people enjoy fresh fish, but are intimidated to cook it at home. I get it, it can be delicate, tears easily and is prone to over-cooking if you’re not careful. That’s why I created this free guide for you, which takes the guesswork out of cooking fish and saves you from some common mistakes.
We live in South Florida, so fresh fish and seafood are a mainstay of our diet. Swordfish has always been one of my favorites. It’s thick, meaty — and eats like a steak.
I have several fabulous swordfish recipes on the website, including this Cilantro Lime Grilled Fish Kebabs, and these Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Olive Relish.
While grilling is usually my favorite cooking method for swordfish, Florida is known for pretty powerful thunderstorms that frequently interrupt dinnertime. So, I created a baked swordfish recipe for nights when the weather wasn’t cooperating. And this swordfish dinner delivers.
It’s cooked perfectly fork-tender and juicy, and the marinade becomes a garlicky lemon sauce that adds a ton of flavor. A briny tomato olive relish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice marries so well with the baked fillets you’ll want a piece of bread on hand to soak up all the flavors.
Why this recipe works:
- The lemon garlic marinade is a concentration of intense flavor that seasons the fish and keeps it moist.
- High heat cooks 1″ thick fish fillets quickly and prevents them from drying out.
- The tomato relish adds more moisture and a zingy, briny pop.
- The swordfish only needs 15 minutes to marinate and another 15 minutes to bake in the oven.
- It’s healthy, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, keto- and paleo-friendly.
Ingredients:
- Swordfish Steaks – If you’re buying steaks from a fishmonger, ask for filets that are 1″ thick. Look for bright pink to pumpkin-colored fish with tight whorls in each quadrant. The fish shouldn’t smell fishy but clean like the ocean. You can also use previously frozen swordfish for this recipe.
- Lemon – You’ll need both the zest and juice of the lemon. The zest is for the marinade, and the juice is for the tomato relish.
- Garlic—Look for tight, firm garlic bulbs without sprouting green shoots. You’ll need about a tablespoon of minced garlic, usually 3-4 cloves.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil—For this swordfish recipe, I use everyday olive oil. There is no need for fancy finishing oils, and skip the butter for a healthier meal.
- Kosher Salt – I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you use Morton’s, cut the salt by about ⅓ to prevent oversalting the baked swordfish.
- Black Pepper– Freshly ground pepper has more potency and flavor than pre-ground pepper, which denudes quickly in the can.
- Tomato—Look for heavy, ripe tomatoes (they can be beefsteak, tomatoes on the vine or plum), preferably red all the way through, which will be juicier and sweeter.
- Kalamata Olives – If you can find kalamata olives packed in oil, I recommend them over brine-packed ones. I find mine at the olive bar at my grocery store.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes—a pinch or two adds spice to the tomato relish. If you don’t like extra heat, skip it (it’s missing from the photo above).
- Fresh Basil – herbs added just before serving make a difference to this dish. Don’t substitute dried basil.
STRUGGLING TO COOK FISH AT HOME?
Most home cooks avoid seafood because they don’t know how to:
- Pick the right cut of fish for the recipe
- Judge cook times and temperatures with confidence
- Prevent fillets from sticking, breaking, or drying out
My free “Quick Fish Cooking Guide” takes the stress out of seafood with simple tips and chef-approved tricks for perfectly cooked, flavorful fish every time.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Make the marinade by combining the garlic, lemon zest, kosher salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
2. Fish naturally have a bloodline that runs through their flesh — the dark red-to-brown sections – in the center of the fillets. This area is concentrated and has a fishy flavor that many people dislike.
To avoid it, cut away the bloodline, trim any sinewy bits from the fish and discard them. There will also be a nice chunk of meat above the bloodline, which is very good to eat. Cut the fillet into two roughly equal-sized swordfish steaks.
3. Coat the fish on all sides with the lemon marinade. Set it aside to rest for 15 minutes before baking.
4. While the fish marinates, seed and dice the tomatoes and kalamata olives and transfer to a bowl. Add the salt, crushed red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
5. Bake the fish in the preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes.
6. Transfer the baked swordfish to a serving platter and pour the pan juices over the top.
7. Before serving, stir freshly chopped basil into the tomato olive relish. (Basil is delicate and oxidizes quickly after chopping, that’s why I add it at the last minute).
8. Spoon the relish and its juices over the swordfish and serve.
Doesn’t that look good? You’ll love the meaty texture of the fish and the briny, tangy, bold flavors from the lemon garlic marinade blended with fresh relish.
Pro-Tips:
- To avoid any fishy taste, ask your fishmonger to remove the bloodline or cut it out yourself; it’s very straightforward.
- Reduce the cooking time by 3-5 minutes if your fish fillets are thinner than 1″ thick.
Variations:
- If you can’t find swordfish, you can adapt this recipe to other types of fish, such as grouper, walleye, seabass, salmon, mahi mahi, cod, or halibut. The baking time may differ based on the thickness and type of fish you use.
- Instead of baking, you can grill the fish after marinating, but crank the heat to 425-450°F to get good sear marks on the steaks. Test for doneness at the 10-12 minute mark so they don’t overcook.
- Add more fresh herbs to the tomato relish, or switch it up according to what you have on hand. Fresh tarragon, Italian parsley, chives, and marjoram work well or use just a touch of fresh thyme or rosemary.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped capers to the relish for an extra hit of briny flavor.
- If you like your olive relish spicy, add more crushed red pepper or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
FAQs
No matter what method you use, this particular fish should be cooked completely to reduce the mercury content by 30%, according to WebMD. That means there should be no translucent flesh on the interior. This swordfish recipe bakes the steaks at a relatively high heat, and some of the juices from the fish mix with the marinade to create a delicious sauce that helps to keep the fish moist despite being cooked through.
A serving of swordfish is low in calories, fat and carbohydrates and high in protein, making it a good choice for healthier diets. Because they are large pelagic fish that prey on smaller fish and squid, they do have a higher incidence of mercury (but baking swordfish completely can reduce the mercury content by 30%. Women who are pregnant may want to avoid it.
There’s no need to rinse the fish before cooking. Just pat the fillets dry with paper towels before marinating them.
Storage:
- Store leftover fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Reheating:
- To reheat fish, remove it from the refrigerator while preheating the oven to 350°. This will let the swordfish come to room temperature. Heat the fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet (without the tomato relish) for about 10 minutes until heated. Top with leftover relish.
Favorite side dishes to serve with swordfish fillets:
- Saffron Rice
- Mixed Vegetable Medley
- Creamy Dijon Asparagus
- Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
- Endive Salad with Walnuts and Dijon Dressing
More fresh fish recipes:
- Fresh Fish Ceviche
- Hogfish Recipe
- Crispy Baked Fish Tacos
- Caribbean Grilled Yellowtail Snapper
- Crunchy Salmon Cakes
- Sweet & Spicy Tuna Poke Recipe
Baked Swordfish
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 Stress-free Guide to Prep & Cook Fish Grab a copy of my free cheatsheet before you begin!
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE BAKED SWORDFISH
- 1½ pounds swordfish about 1" thick
- 1 lemon zested
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
FOR THE TOMATO OLIVE RELISH
- 1 medium ripe tomato or 2-3 plum tomatoes
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives seeded and chopped or quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ kosher salt
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 6-7 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS:
- Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- In a small bowl combine the zest of 1 lemon, 3 cloves garlic, minced, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well and set aside.
- If you have a whole slice of fish that includes the bloodline, cut around and remove the bloodline (the dark brown or reddish center of the fish) and discard. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet and pour the lemon garlic marinade over the fish to coat it on all sides. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
ASSEMBLE THE TOMATO OLIVE RELISH
- Slice 1 medium ripe tomato in half and remove the seeds. Cut the tomato into ¼" dice and transfer to a small bowl. Add⅓ cup kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ kosher salt, pinch red pepper flakes and 6-7 fresh basil leaves, chopped. Stir to combine and set aside for the flavors to marry.
- Place the fish in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer the fish to a serving platter and scrape any remaining pan sauce over the top of the swordfish. Spoon the relish over the baked swordfish and serve.
NUTRITION:
Pin it for later!
It was delicious. I served it on top of rice.
Excellent, E z to read the recipe and to follow instructions , and it was delicious recipe
Made this tonite. It was fabulous! Added some Calabrian chile paste to the Remoulade for a little kick. So good! The fish was perfect.
I made this recipe and liked it but it was too salty! You might want to go back and specify how much Kosher salt is needed because 1/4 Kosher salt (2x)leaves a little too much to interpretation. Next time I will leave out the salt.
What brand of Kosher salt do you use? I only ask because they do vary. For instance, I use Diamond Crystal, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. I specified that in the post (in the yellow block marked “ingredients”. If you use Morton’s it will definitely taste oversalted.
This is such a simple but delicious way to make swordfish. I love the way the marinade seasons the fish and the olive relish doubles down on those bright flavors. The texture of the fish was perfect
Easy to make and delicious flavors. I soaked up the juices with a piece of French bread.