Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Lemon Oregano Marinade

Make these grilled swordfish steaks on the grill for dinner. With a swordfish marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and thyme you’ll be licking the plate clean.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated May 20, 2022
Elise Bauer
Grilled Swordfish Steaks
Elise Bauer

What's your favorite way to prepare swordfish? Mine is marinated in an herby vinaigrette and then grilled.

A quick and easy marinade is just a bottle of your favorite Italian dressing. Or if you, like me, prefer to make your dressings and marinades from scratch, here's a lovely Greek-inspired vinaigrette with which to marinate the swordfish.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks
Elise Bauer

Swordfish is a sturdy fish. It holds up like steak when you cook it, and like beef, takes well to marinating.

It's made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and thyme.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Lemon Oregano Marinade Recipe
Elise Bauer

Choosing the Best Swordfish

  • Fresh swordfish should be pink, not brown, and should not have a "fishy" odor. Cook fresh fish the day you buy it.
  • Fresh swordfish should also have a bloodline, a muscle that is found in the center of the fish. The fresher the fish, the brighter red the bloodline. The older the steak gets, the browner it turns. It's not harmful to keep the bloodline on the steak, but it can be tougher and have a "fishier" taste than the rest of the steak, so some cooks prefer to remove it.
  • If using frozen swordfish, keep it in its package and defrost it slowly in a bowl of cold water. (Note: Unless you live on the coast, frozen seafood is often delivered to the grocery store and defrosted to put in the "fresh" fish case. There's no harm in buying quality, frozen seafood.)
  • To choose sustainably caught swordfish, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.

Tips for Grilling Swordfish

  • Do not marinate for more than 1 hour or you'll risk the acids in the marinade breaking down the fish, making it difficult to keep the steak together on the grill.
  • Clean and oil the grill grate so the fish does not stick.
  • The grill time will vary depending on the heat of your grill and the thickness of your steaks. Cook swordfish to 145°F. However, the fish will continue to cook after it's taken off the grill, so remove it from the grill at 140°F to avoid overcooking.

How to Store Leftover Swordfish

Refrigerate cooked swordfish, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. If it begins to smell "fishy," discard it.

Serve cold, cooked swordfish flaked on top of a green salad or as the main ingredient in a Fish Taco Salad Bowl.

To reheat, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and reheat at 275°F for 15 minutes or until heated to 145°F.

Serve These Sides with Grilled Swordfish

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Lemon Oregano Marinade

Prep Time 70 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 85 mins
Servings 2 servings

If you are buying fresh swordfish, buy the freshest you can. Like any other fresh fish, it should not smell "fishy" at all. Really, at all. Do not buy fresh fish to eat tomorrow. Cook it and eat it the day you buy it. Looking at the swordfish steaks in the market, any coloration should be pink, not brown. Pick out the best looking, most fresh pieces available.

To defrost frozen fish, keep it in its package, defrost slowly in a bowl of cold water.

Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano

  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Fish:

  • 2 (6- to 8-ounce) swordfish steaks

  • Olive oil, for oiling the grill

  • Fresh lemon slices, for garnish

Method

  1. Make the marinade:

    Place all marinade ingredients in a small bowl, mix to combine.

  2. Marinate the swordfish:

    Rinse the swordfish steaks in cold water and pat dry. (Don't remove the fish skin, it will help keep the steaks from falling apart when grilling. You can always remove after the fish is cooked before serving, if you want.)

    Place the fish in a non-reactive dish and cover with the marinade. Coat on all sides with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  3. Prepare the grill:

    Prepare your grill for high direct heat. You know the grill is hot enough when you place your hand 1 inch above the grill grates and you can only keep it there for 1 second.

    Wipe the grill grates with a paper towel infused with olive oil to oil the grates so the swordfish steaks don't stick when you turn them over.

  4. Grill the swordfish steaks:

    Brush off excess marinade (not all of it, just most) from the swordfish steaks. Place the swordfish steaks on the hot grill grates. Grill for about 5 to 7 minutes on one side, until you have good grill marks.

    Turn over and cook for a few minutes longer, until the fish is just cooked through. Remove from heat and let rest a few minutes before serving.

    grilled-swordfish-steaks-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    grilled-swordfish-steaks-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    Serve with slices of fresh lemon.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
580 Calories
38g Fat
3g Carbs
54g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 580
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 49%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 177mg 59%
Sodium 487mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 54g
Vitamin C 6mg 28%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 1183mg 25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.