Pan Roasted Swordfish is a delicious fish dinner and can be on your table in under 30 minutes. Cook this swordfish recipe and you will win the dinner lottery plus this is a meal with just one pan clean up!
Whenever I want a quick, healthy and delicious dinner, I make marinated pan seared swordfish steaks. Tomatoes, capers and herbs are added to the pan and then the swordfish is baked on high heat to create the most flavorful and flaky fish dinner.
Tips for Cooking and Buying Swordfish
Swordfish is a firm, dense, meaty fish that has a mild sweet flavor. It has a moderate fat content and is an excellent fish to grill, broil, saute or bake.
Because it is very meaty, I like to marinate the fish to give it lots of flavor and keep it moist. Make sure to not overcook swordfish as it can get dry. Also, make sure to trim off any skin as it is tough and inedible to eat.
When purchasing swordfish, buy steaks that are at least 1 inch thick and has meat that is white in color with a bit of red. There should not be any brown areas.
Make sure there is no fishy smell. Fresh fish should smell like the sea but should not smell fishy. I like to cook my fish within 1 day of purchase unless it is frozen.
When buying frozen, check to see if the fish was flash frozen at sea which makes for the best quality fish. Thaw frozen fish overnight in the fridge. It should be completely thawed and dried will with paper towels.
Ingredients Needed for Pan Seared Swordfish
- Italian Dressing – Use your favorite bottled dressing or mix up your own.
- Lemon – You can use bottled lemon juice but fresh juice will have a better flavor.
- Swordfish Steaks – You will want 2 steaks that weigh about ¾ pound each. They should be cut to about 1 inch thick.
- Seasonings – Liberally season both sides of the swordfish steaks with salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Olive Oil – Or use your favorite light, neutral flavored oil.
- Tomatoes – Select cherry or grape tomatoes and cut in half.
- Capers – Capers are immature flower buds of the capparis spinosa bush that are packed in a tangy brine.
- Garlic – 2 cloves of garlic will add a nutty, pungent flavor.
- Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley adds a pop of color.
- Chicken Broth – Vegetable broth can be substituted.
How to Make Pan Roasted Swordfish
See the recipe card for the full instructions.
- Season and marinate the swordfish in the refrigerator for 1 to 6 hours.
- Sear the fish for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until there is a nice char on the fish. Remove the fish from pan.
- Add cherry tomatoes, capers, garlic, parsley, and broth and cook for a few minutes to make the sauce.
- Return the swordfish to the pan and bake for about 7 minutes in a preheated oven or until the fish is cooked through.
- Serve the swordfish recipe with sauce spooned over it. Garnish with extra parsley.
These steaks were really juicy. The pan roasted tomatoes along with the capers are also the perfect accompaniment for maximum flavor. When NJ tomatoes are here, I pick them right out of my garden and make this dish.
If you can't find swordfish or prefer another fish, mahi mahi and halibut would also work in this recipe.
I don't buy swordfish often but when I saw it on sale this week I was all over it. My husband doesn't eat as much fish as I do but he does love my Pan Seared Scallops and this swordfish. I also have gotten him to eat salmon with lots of lemon and dill on it. Once he tried this swordfish recipe, he liked it as much as I did!
What to love about this Fish Recipe
The nice thing about this swordfish recipe is that it can be made all year round because I can always get good cherry or grape tomatoes at the market. I always keep a jar of capers in my pantry and only a few more ingredients are needed.
This swordfish dish is perfect for a week night dinner as it only needs to be marinated for an hour before cooked. But it can also be marinated in the morning to sit in the fridge until you are ready to cook in the evening. It has a quick cooking time and you will have a healthy gourmet dinner on the table in no time.
Make a simple side dish to go with it and dinner is complete!
FAQ
Swordfish has many nutrients in it and is a excellent source of preotin, selenium, niacin, vitamin B12, zinc and Omega-3. It is also low in calories and fat. But some research shows that swordfish consumption should be limited especially by young children and pregnant women due to the mercury level in the fish. I like to eat everything in moderation so having swordfish just a few times a month is ideal for me.
Swordfish is a meaty fish and can be substituted with other meaty fish such as tuna, salmon, halibut or mahi-mahi.
Side Dishes that go with Pan Seared Swordfish
This dish could be served with over rice or pasta. Here are some other side dishes and salads that would go great next to the swordfish:
- Oven Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest
- Brown Basmati Rice (Instant Pot Method) by Stuff Matty Cooks
- Avocado Tomato Arugula Salad
- Easy Garlic Parmesan Rice by Souffle Bombay
- Angel Hair Pasta with Blush Sauce
- Panko Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Swirls of Flavor
- Easy Garlicky Roasted Vegetables
My favorite way to serve this dish is with just a crusty loaf of bread. No extra work and the bread soaks up all the yummy pan juices.
Enjoy!
If you like this swordfish recipe, please give it a 5-star rating below!
RECIPE
Pan Roasted Swordfish with Cherry Tomatoes and Capers
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Italian dressing
- juice from one medium sized lemon
- 2 swordfish steaks about 1 ½ pounds cut 1 inch thick
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes half cut in half
- ¼ cup capers
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup chicken broth vegetable broth can be substituted
Instructions
- Mix together the dressing and lemon juice. Season the swordfish on both sides with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Pour over the dressing and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat oil in a heavy duty oven- proof skillet on medium high heat. Sear fish for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until there are nice grill marks on fish. Remove fish from pan.
- Add cherry tomatoes, capers, garlic, parsley, and broth. Cook for a few minutes or until tomatoes are wilted.
- Add swordfish to pan and top with some of the tomatoes and sauce. Place in oven and cook for about 7 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and serve fish with sauce spooned over it. Garnish with extra parsley.
Nutrition
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Margie says
Can I just cook this on top of stove. If so how long
lisa says
Yes, you can continue to cook in the pan. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Test for doneness (fish should flake with a fork) and cook a little longer if necessary.
Anne says
Swordfish is one of may favorites and the way this is cooked makes it even better!
alyssa says
We LOVED this dinner so much! Served with a mock Caeser. YUM
Diana Caldwell says
I'm making this now. I'm adding summer squash I have. I hope it works out! I didn't have capers and wondered what to substitute?
lisa says
Diana,
Hope it turned out well! You can just leave out the capers or add some chopped green olives too.
Best,
Lisa
Sandra Shaffer says
We don't buy swordfish often, so I was searching for just the right recipe. This dish is simple and tastes delicious. The capers add so much flavor! Thank you.
Sandra says
So delicious! The perfect dish for dinner tonight—fast, easy, my family loves it.
Angie says
Delicious! An immediate favorite.
Nathan King says
I've never had swordfish before, but this looks delicious! Definitely worth splurging a bit for such a yummy dish 🙂
WILLIAM Parks says
I added spinach and was amazing.
Joe Owen says
Simple tasty recipe thank you Lisa
Tracey says
I’ve tried many swordfish recipes; this one is the best so far. Fish was moist and lots of flavor and sauce. Highly recommend
lisa says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Serge says
I’ve cooked this recipe 3 times now. It always impresses everyone. It’s not hard to portion it down for 2 or 6 at least with the bigger pan I use. The fish is impossible to overcook if you follow the recipe. It comes out tender, and flavorful.
lisa says
Glad you like it! Thanks for the comment.
Jeanie says
Got a great deal on swordfish, so i bought it. Then went looking for a new recipe and found this one. It was dinner time, so, I did not have time to marinate it. i just did a quick pan grill with olive oil, salt and pepper. Followed the rest of the recipe and, oh my, it was absolutely delicious! This recipe is a keeper with or without the marinade and i, definitely, will be making it again. The cherry tomato and caper sauce is fantastic and NOT to be missed. Served it with baked sweet potatoes and roasted carrots. Thanks for a very lovey and easy dinner.
lisa says
Jeanie,
So glad you liked it!
Lisa
Jp says
This is a great recipe! And adaptable to other proteins. Everyone loved it and it was super-easy. (I added some white wine and shallots before the tomatoes, and let French beans cook in the broth when I put it in the oven.)
lisa says
Great idea!