Pan Roasted Swordfish with Cherry Tomatoes

Name: Pan Roasted Swordfish with Cherry Tomatoes and Capers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Italian dressing; juice from one medium sized lemon; 2 swordfish steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds cut 1 inch thick); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (half cut in half); 1/4 cup capers; 2 cloves chopped garlic; 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus extra for garnish; 1 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)

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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!

Pan roasted swordfish topped with tomatoes and capers in a pan.

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.

Fresh swordfish steaks on paper with meat that is white with a slight area of red.

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!

Pan roasted swordfish recipe on a plate with tomatoes and capers to serve for dinner.

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.

This pan roasted swordfish dinner can be cooked in 30 minutes.

Make a simple side dish to go with it and dinner is complete!

FAQ

Is Swordfish healthy?

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.

What fish is substituted for swordfish?

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!

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5 from 12 votes