~ Baked Swordfish Recipes might seem like a fancy indulgence. And for sure – these recipes are impressive enough for guests! But they’re also quick and simple enough for even busy weeknights. From swordfish steaks crowned with all sorts of toppings … to clever rollups, fun parchment packets, and even kabobs! ~
Need a quick-cooking dinner idea? Try baked swordfish!
Wanna get your family to eat more fish (but they’re hard to convince)? Swordfish for the win!
Or maybe you need a company-worthy meal that feels elegant and swanky but is secretly soooo easy-peasy? Yup … you know what I’m gonna say: SWORDFISH!
Pop it in the oven, and an impressive dinner will be ready in no time!
Why You’ll Love Baked Swordfish
• It’s Mild and Delicious
The biggest allure of swordfish is what it tastes like. It’s a mild white fish with a subtle, somewhat sweet taste that’s generally considered to be less “fishy” than other fish. Plus, its high oil content helps keep it moist once it’s cooked.
And, rather than being lightly flaky like many other types of white fish, it’s a firm fish with a satisfying, meaty texture that’s sometimes compared to beef steaks.
All that is precisely why these baked swordfish recipes are a great option for people who don’t think they like fish – a terrific first step in eating more fish and seafood!
• It’s Adaptable
I adore cookbook author Carla Snyder’s description of swordfish as the “Little Black Dress of the sea” because it’s so elegant and “easy to accessorize.”
Basically, its mild flavor and dense, meaty texture make it a wonderful blank canvas for all sorts of marinades, toppings and flavor combinations.
• It’s FAST and EASY
Baking swordfish in the oven is an ideal year-round technique that’s both simple and speedy. In fact, most baked swordfish recipes promise that dinner will be on the table in 30 minutes or less – usually with very little actual hands-on time.
It’s a quick option for busy weeknights, but also a slam dunk for harried hosts trying to pull together an impressive meal without a lot of fuss.
No matter how or when you serve it, baked swordfish is an easy option with practically endless possibilities! Here are just 10 fantastic ideas to get you started ….
10 Oven Baked Swordfish Recipes
With only 5 minutes of prep, this recipe is a lifesaver on hectic evenings! A quick marinade with lemon juice and garlic powder infuses great flavor, elevated by green onions and a touch of white wine. Recipe creators Anna and Liz promise that it turns out flaky, amazingly juicy, and yummy every time!
Swordfish is great for kabobs, since it holds up well on skewers. And the bonus here is that you can easily broil them year-round on a baking sheet in your oven – no need to fire up the grill! The meaty fish is quick-marinated alongside chunks of pineapple, red onion, and red bell pepper in a vibrant mixture of cilantro, lime, and soy sauce, and then threaded onto skewers with cherry tomatoes. Serve up your fabulous kabobs with a bed of rice and a squeeze of lime for an impressive dinner that's bursting with terrific flavors and textures!
With only 4 ingredients, this easy swordfish recipe is the key to a fast, healthy, flavorful dinner that you can make in 15 minutes flat! The meaty fish combines perfectly with the rich blend of blackening seasonings for a cajun-inspired dinner that'll have everyone asking for seconds.
A savory filling of breadcrumbs, garlic, raisins, pine nuts and minced parsley is wrapped inside thin swordfish cutlets before being nestled in a baking dish for a quick trip through the oven. It looks so upscale, yet the cooking process is surprisingly fast! Plus, there are yummy ideas for variations, like adding grated cheese or subbing out the raisins and pine nuts for more traditional capers and olives.
Cooking your swordfish en papillote (in a packet made of parchment paper or foil) seals in moisture to steam the delicious fish so it's tender and juicy. Fresh rosemary, lemon zest and a lemony balsamic vinegar marinade add layers of scrumptious flavor for a dish that's easy enough for busy weeknights, yet special enough for company. The fresh swordfish topped with lemon slices is such a pretty presentation, and opening the packets tableside adds fun, dramatic flair!
Swordfish steaks bake to perfection over white beans, fresh corn and homemade tomato confit. Red onions, oregano, and fresh thyme and basil amp up the vibrant, fresh notes in this one-pan meal. (Note that the post mentions you can use raw cherry or grape tomatoes and a few cloves of garlic in place of the homemade confit for an even faster dish with less intense flavors.)
Swordfish is beautifully seared in a cast iron pan or indoor griddle, and then quickly finished in a preheated oven. It's draped with rich, wine-sautéed mushrooms, briny capers, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Fresh lemon wedges are an ideal finishing touch. So satisfying and impressive enough for guests, yet it's entirely ready in just half an hour!
Oven roasted swordfish is crowned with a rich compound butter featuring fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, chopped Italian parsley, grated lemon peel, and minced garlic. Recipe creator Chef Dennis Littley says that it's amazingly delicious and so very easy to make – a restaurant-quality recipe that actually tastes even better than the fish at your favorite seafood restaurant!
This recipe is sweet, savory and juicy – especially with a perfectly ripe summer peach! Toasted pecans add terrific crunch and are a cinch to toast on a sheet pan in the same oven you'll use for the fish. A simple yet delightfully unique preparation!
The subtle, buttery flavor of swordfish pairs perfectly with bright citrus. Thin slices of fresh garlic cloves and shallots add extra flavor and are so pretty sprinkled on top of the swordfish, with fresh lemon slices served alongside! And the suggestions of optional spices and fresh herbs let you customize the final flavors. With just 10 minutes of hands-on time, this recipe is on the table in under 30 minutes!
What Should I Serve with My Baked Swordfish?
Tailor your side dishes to the flavors of the marinades, sauces or spices in the swordfish recipe you choose.
For example, if you’ve got a Mediterranean vibe going, this Quinoa Salad with feta, olives and sun-dried tomatoes might be perfect! This Tuscan Kale Salad would be a good choice, too.
Want more of an Asian flair in your menu? Try these 5-Minute Asian Sugar Snap Peas or even fun little Shishito Peppers as a starter.
You get the idea! Build your sides around the flavors you want to highlight from your main course.
Or, for simple flavors that’ll go with practically any baked swordfish recipe, try one of these favorite side dishes:
Is Swordfish Healthy?
There are lots of nutritional benefits to swordfish. First, it’s a great source of protein. And it offers minerals like potassium and selenium (that provide benefits such as protecting against free radicals), and is a terrific source of vitamins D and E. It’s also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Plus, as I mentioned before, swordfish’s steak-like texture and unassertive flavor make it an excellent first step for people who are trying to gain the health benefits of incorporating more fish and seafood into their diets, but aren’t really sure they like fish.
However, as the FDA explains, the main concern comes in for pregnant women (or those who may become pregnant), women who are nursing, and for young children. That’s because swordfish are very large, very long-lived predators. Their age and diet allows them to accumulate higher levels of mercury than are found in many smaller types of fish, which can be harmful to an unborn baby or young child.
And, although WebMD points out that cooking swordfish reduces its mercury content by up to 30%, it’s still advisable for vulnerable individuals to choose an alternative protein. For more information, check out this FDA article or this Healthline article.
FAQs At-a-Glance
Sure! With its meaty texture, swordfish is also a great candidate for grilling. And it’s fast to cook in a hot pan on the stovetop, too. Try this Grilled Swordfish with Oranges and Fennel, this Grilled Swordfish marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and oregano, or this Pan-Seared Swordfish with a Lemon and Wine Rosemary Sauce.
As Elise at Simply Recipes explains, that’s just a bloodline, which isn’t harmful and doesn’t need to be removed. However, because that darker section of a swordfish steak tends to have a stronger flavor, you can opt to remove it if you prefer.
Swordfish can be a bit pricier and more difficult to find than some other fishes. Although the ideal substitute will depend on the specific baked swordfish recipe you’re preparing, your best bet will be in selecting a firm-textured, mild-tasting fish. Food Network suggests that some good options include halibut, mahi-mahi, tuna or even salmon.
With its mild, adaptable flavor and its high-end reputation as a meaty alternative to beef steaks, swordfish is an ingenious way to make any meal feel a little special, a little luxurious.
Yet, with such easy prep and fast cooking times, baked swordfish recipes are just as perfect for fast weeknight dinners as they are for impressing company.
Pick one of these new recipes to try this week, and surprise your family and friends with how much they just might actually LOVE eating fish!
More Fish Recipes You’ll Love!
Pssssst … already a fan of fish? We sure are! And we have lots more great inspiration for delicious, healthy fish and seafood dinners. Try:
- Red Miso Salmon with Ginger-Scallion Sauce
- One-Pot Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Caprese Grilled Fish
- Super-Fast Asian Salmon Pasta with Easy Peanut Sauce
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