Mmmmm, swordfish steak. I believe I first tried it about 5 years ago and have enjoyed it ever since. It’s one of my seafood favorites that’s quite steak-y because of how thick they are, but cooks super quick and isn’t “fishy” tasting. When cooked just right (as in, not overcooked and dry), it’s so delicious and tender, but mild enough that it goes well with any sauce or spices. I absolutely love it.
This is a great weeknight recipe because you’ll have a healthy and flavorful dinner in about 20 minutes. You don’t even need to turn on the oven!
The best part about it is the creamy lemon basil sauce, because it really brightens up the flavors. I’ve marinated swordfish steak before in all different sauces, but I like to keep it simple with the fish itself then give it a boost after cooking with a sauce or dressing. Swordfish itself is pretty neutral in flavor so this works out really well.
If you are unfamiliar with swordfish, don’t be intimidated. It’s one of the easiest fish to cook, because it cooks so fast compared to its thickness, and it’s quite nutrient dense! It’s one of the few food sources of vitamin D and has a substantial amount of anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids. Love when delicious food is jam packed with nutrients!
Ingredients
Swordfish
- 2 swordfish steaks, 1 inch thick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste (Omit pepper for AIP)
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
Creamy lemon basil sauce
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste (Omit pepper for AIP)
- 3 tbsp of water + more, if necessary
Instructions
- Pat the swordfish dry with a paper towel, and season them liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour lemon juice over the swordfish and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- While the swordfish is marinating, place all ingredients of the lemon basil sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more water until it becomes the right consistency. Set aside.
- Heat a coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Place the steaks in the pan and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Drizzle lemon basil sauce over the steaks and serve with delicious veggies!
SUPER excited to make this! Anyway to substitute the avocado for something else??
You can just make it without it!
I used your recipe but cooked it in my sous vide. It came out amazing! I wish I could post a picture!
Sounds amazing and so glad you liked it. I need to get a sous vide cooker. I hear so many great things!
I had a couple of beautiful Aussie barramundi fillets, and some day old basil, and was trying to figure out how to combine the two when I came across this recipe. It worked really well, and we loved it. Healthy, too. My Japanese wife thought it might be fun to see if it worked with shiso leaves instead of basil, so we’re going to try that at some time.
Love your variation! So glad you enjoyed it. Let me know how it works with shiso leaves!
Just tried making the recipe with shiso instead of basil. Works really well. It was hard to decide which version we preferred. We currently have more shiso growing in the garden than we know what to do with, so it’s a great way to use it. Thanks for a great recipe
Wow, Impressive.
Love the sauce! Such a great way to use up basil. I bet it wil make a nice spread for sandwiches tomorrow.
Loved the recipe, my wife and I ended up changing it to roasted onion blend for the seasoning on the swordfish steaks and Marinated it in avocado oil and lemon juice. on the side we cooked green beans lightly peppered and finally cooked potatoe wedges in a French onion seasoning. everything turned out with a smooth roasted flavor with some tanginess to it all, it was very Spectacular
Had some leftover sauce, any recommendations for its use?
You can use it on chicken or other meat, or even drizzle over roasted veggies!