Grilled Swordfish
On January 06, 2020 (Updated September 27, 2024)
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This Grilled Swordfish is a completely wonderful and totally delectable way to enjoy swordfish. Topped with a blueberry balsamic reduction, this swordfish is tender, sweet, and the perfect taste of the sea.
Easy Grilled Swordfish
Now, I’m not always one for a backstory on recipes, but this recipe has been decades in the making.
The first time I ever had swordfish was in a restaurant in my college town of Cedar City, Utah. I was super broke at the time (because, college), and my mom came to visit and took me out to dinner. The restaurant we went to had swordfish on the menu, and I decided to be adventurous and try it out. This swordfish had a blueberry sauce on top, and I remember it tasting like heaven. Today’s recipe is my own take on that great swordfish I had way back when that made me feel super fancy, and I hope it makes you feel fancy too.
Swordfish is a mild-tasting fish with a good, meaty texture. If you’re not a fan of fish for that “fishy” flavor factor, then swordfish may be just up your alley.
Not only is swordfish a great fish to try, it’s very easy to cook. As with all things on Hey Grill Hey, I cooked this swordfish on the grill. Charcoal was the preferred grill today, and this swordfish came out tasting mmm, mmm good!
Grilled Swordfish Steak
Swordfish tends to be a bit pricier than your more common fish, like salmon or trout. Because of this, I went very simple with the seasoning. Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper are all you need on this swordfish steak. After all, if you’re spending extra money on a nice bit of seafood, you want to allow the taste of the swordfish to shine through!
And the crowning glory of this swordfish is the blueberry balsamic reduction that is lovingly drizzled on top of the swordfish after it cooks. This stuff is delectable and fancies up the swordfish, so you really feel like you’re eating a sophisticated meal.
How to Cook Swordfish on the Grill
Once you have your swordfish seasoned with a high temperature cooking oil (avocado or vegetable oil work well here) and kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, you’re ready to get this fish on the grill! Here’s the skinny on how to cook swordfish on the grill:
- Cook hot over direct heat. To begin, preheat your gas or charcoal grill for 2-zone cooking, aiming for an overall temperature of 400 degrees F. Place the seasoned swordfish directly on the grill grates and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Use a small metal spatula to carefully flip the swordfish after the first 2-3 minutes. Swordfish is best cooked over direct heat first to ensure the fish won’t stick to the grates. If you cook over low heat first, you’ll end up with the fish sticking to the grates and a big old mess.
- Finish cooking over indirect heat. Move your swordfish steaks over to the indirect heat side of the grill to finish cooking. These steaks only need about 5 minutes over the indirect heat, and you don’t need to worry about flipping them again. At this point, the final target internal temperature for cooked swordfish is 145 degrees F, but you can pull the steaks around 140 degrees F knowing that carryover cooking while they are resting will likely bring the final temp up to 145.
- Rest and serve. Once your swordfish is fully cooked, remove it to a serving platter (I like to serve most of my meat and seafood on a nice wooden cutting board). Drizzle the swordfish with the blueberry balsamic reduction, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy! This is a good one.
How Long to Grill Swordfish
It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to fully grill swordfish with your grill preheated (and holding steady!) at 400 degrees F.
For this recipe, I began by cooking the swordfish steaks over direct heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Next, I cooked them over indirect heat for another 5 minutes for a total cook time of 11 minutes. It is recommended to cook your swordfish to 145 degrees F, so make sure you have a reliable meat thermometer on hand to check your swordfish as you go to prevent overcooking.
More Grilled Seafood Recipes
I’m a big fan of cooking seafood on the grill. In fact, I think you’ll agree that seafood on the grill enhances the fantastic fishy flavor of seafood without overpowering it or killing that fantastic flavor. From fish to scallops, check out more grilled seafood recipes from Hey Grill Hey below:
Scallops with a Lemon Herb Dressing
Grilled Halibut
Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dill Seasoning
Grilled Swordfish Steak Recipe
This recipe was created for you, backyard griller! Here at Hey Grill Hey, we’re in the business of helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes here on my website (browse the Homepage for inspiration) on Instagram, YouTube or our Facebook Page.
Grilled Swordfish
Ingredients
- 4 swordfish fillets
- 2 teaspoons avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Blueberry Balsamic Reduction
- ¼ cup blueberry jam
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs thyme
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons water (more as needed)
Instructions
- Make the blueberry balsamic reduction. Combine all ingredients for the blueberry balsamic reduction in a small saucepan. Whisk occasionally over medium heat until it reduces by half (approximately 5 minutes). Then whisk in 2 tablespoons of water and cook until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. You want it to be almost syrupy, but not too thick. Remove the reduction from the heat and keep warm.
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill for 2-zone cooking (one side of the grill with indirect heat and the other with direct heat) with an overall grill temperature of 400 degrees F.
- Grill hot. Drizzle both sides of the swordfish with your high temperature cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Place your swordfish directly on the direct heat side of the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a metal spatula.
- Cook over indirect heat. Move fillets over to the indirect heat side of the grill. Grill for 5 minutes without filliping until the internal temperature of the swordfish reaches your desired temperature (FDA recommends 145 degrees F). You can likely remove the fish from the grill at 140 degrees F with carryover cooking increasing the temperature to the target 145 degrees F.
- Rest and serve. Remove the swordfish from the grill to a serving platter. Drizzle with the blueberry balsamic reduction, rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I smoked the swordfish on my pellet grill tonight (at 225, the steaks took around 25 minutes to hit 145 and came off perfect) using this reduction sauce, and paired it with your smoked corn on the cob that was posted this week.
My wife thanks you, she’s a very happy lady tonight.