Grilled Marinated Swordfish Steaks

By Pierre Franey

Updated April 3, 2024

  • Michael Kraus for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(4,089)
Comments
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Swordfish, with its firm, lean flesh, is an ideal candidate for grilling. It's not as forgiving as some fatty fish, like tuna and black sea bass, so proceed with caution. If you remove the fish from the fire when the center is still slightly pink, by the time it gets to the table it should be cooked through. A quick marinade of soy sauce, red wine vinegar, rosemary, garlic, coriander and cumin pairs beautifully with the meatiness of the fish, but do not marinate for more than 10 to 15 minutes, or the acid will break down the flesh and leave it mushy (or the flavor will overpower the fish). If you don't have a grill, this works equally well in a broiler. Serve this alongside a colorful pile of Pierre Franey’s green bean and tomato salad. It's a meal you'll never forget. (The Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood watch list provides up-to-date information on sustainable seafood options here.) Why You Should Trust This Recipe The celebrated French chef Pierre Franey first created this recipe in 1993, and it remains the most popular swordfish recipe on New York Times Cooking. After a career in noted fine-dining kitchens, he began writing The Times’s “60-Minute Gourmet” column in 1976, teaching home cooks how to simply and quickly prepare restaurant-quality dishes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 center-cut swordfish steaks, about 6 ounces each, one-inch thick

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

  • 4 sprigs rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

3 grams carbs; 112 milligrams cholesterol; 353 calories; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 458 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat a charcoal grill or broiler, or heat a grill pan.

  2. Step 2

    Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Place oil in a flat dish, and add soy sauce, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, coriander, cumin, lemon rind and pepper flakes. Blend well. Place fish steaks in marinade, coat well on both sides, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    If the swordfish is to be cooked on a grill (or grill pan), place fish on grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 3 minutes more. Cook longer if desired. If it is to be cooked under a broiler, place fish on a rack and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve with a string bean salad.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
4,089 user ratings
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Comments

Randy

Swordfish has a more muscular texture than ahi tuna so cooking it in the same manner will not yield the same silky texture that makes seared ahi so appealing. Swordfish is at its best if cooked briefly in oil + butter over MED heat which will yield a soft succulent texture in the M/MR spectrum.
I sear 3/4 thick steaks of ahi for 1 minute per side on high heat for rare. I sauté 3/4 inch thick swordfish for 2 minutes per side on medium heat for MR. Add aromatics, herbs, etc. for a pan sauce.

NJR

I used two large (6 inch each) rosemary sprigs and broke them in half. I used them as a bed for the fish on a gas grill. The fish tasted of smoked rosemary. Absolutely wonderful.

David Look

Swordfish can be very chewy when not cooked through. We recommend a temperature closer to well done.

D. Sommerhoff

Wow! This marinade was fantastic. I think it is the best swordfish I have ever cooked. I followed the timing suggestion for 3 minutes on each side on a good hot grill and the fish was just cooked through, moist and delicious. I cooked about one pound of fish (two steaks) and used the full amount of marinade. I plan on using the marinade on other fish, veggies, chicken, pork-you name it!

LizzieO

Delicious!!! I've made this twice using a broiler and it was amazing- marinaded for 30 minutes, then broiler 5 minutes one side and 4 minutes on other and perfect! Cooked completely through but delightfully juicy and fork tender. If cumin and coriander are not your thing, best to move on in your swordfish recipe search.

Nick K

Prepared as directed and it came out very well. I think the comments complaining that marinade overwhelmed fish may reflect the fish having spent too much time in the marinade. I followed the 15 minute direction, and the flavor added by marinade was just a delicate accent. In fairness, I cooked over charcoal, so that in itself would reduce how noticeable the marinade flavors are.

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