Swordfish maybe an exotic seafood, but there’s nothing exotic or complicated about cooking it. If you’ve cooked whitefish before for your typical fish filets, you’ll see that cooking swordfish is very similar.
Let’s talk about what you need to do to bake swordfish and make sure it turns out well the first time you make it.
How to Bake Swordfish in the Oven
Let me share with you a fairly straightforward recipe for how to bake swordfish filets.
How to Bake Swordfish
Ingredients
- 4 swordfish fillets
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- As the oven is heating, spread olive oil over the swordfish, coating it completely on all sides.
- Then, mix together your seasonings and sprinkle them over all sides of the swordfish filets.
- Place a cooking pan on the stove and warm it on medium heat. Once the pan is heated, place the swordfish in there and cook it for two minutes on each side. It should only cook long enough to become lightly brown on both sides.
- Once the oven is heated, you can put the swordfish in the pan into the oven or put the swordfish onto a baking dish and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
How Long to Bake Swordfish
You want to make sure that your swordfish is fully cooked, and how long you cook it for depends on the temperature you’re using and the cooking method.
I shared with you a method for cooking swordfish at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, but how long do bake swordfish at 375 degrees? You can actually skip the pan searing part of the process if you want by cooking the fish for longer in the oven, and if you’re cooking swordfish at 375 degrees in the oven, you’ll need to cook it for about 18 to 22 minutes.
How long to bake swordfish at 350? This is a lower cook temperature, so you’ll need to extend your cooking time, taking it up to 20 to 25 minutes.
Let’s talk about cooking swordfish at a higher temperature. How long to bake swordfish at 425? If, once again you’re skipping the pan searing, you can simply cook your swordfish in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. The cooking times I’ve given you are taking into account that the swordfish is being baked uncovered in the oven.
How to Bake Swordfish in Foil
I’ve given you a couple ways for cooking swordfish already, including pan searing it and then oven baking it as well as simply oven baking the swordfish. There’s another way to bake your swordfish in the oven if you’re interested in wrapping the fish in foil.
This is an excellent method for keeping the fish really moist and succulent, as the foil traps in the moisture and keeps it from escaping while it is baking.
You can start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then prepare your fish with oil and seasoning. Remember to coat the fish with olive oil and then sprinkle your seasoning on all sides as well.
When you’re using foil, it’s a good idea to take advantage of its moisture trapping capabilities and top your fish with ingredients that will benefit from that cooking method. You can cover the outside of the fish with slices of tomato, lemon, and artichokes for a more flavorful and colorful dish.
You want to create a pouch around the fish with aluminum foil that seals the moisture and keeps any liquid from escaping. Just fold it over the fish and seal it on the edges.
How long to bake swordfish in foil? At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, a few swordfish filets cooked in foil take about 20 to 25 minutes to cook. Once they’re done cooking, you can carefully take them out of the oven and open the foil packets. The fish can be served with the liquid in the packet poured on top of it.
How to Bake Swordfish Steaks
Swordfish steaks are a little thicker and tougher than swordfish filets, and I’ll share with you how to cook them.
You can preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then heat up two tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet on the stove top, using high heat. Once the oil heats, add your fish to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes on one side, until the fish starts browning. Then, flip the fish over and season the other side and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
From there, you can put the entire pan with the fish into the oven and roast for about 10 minutes. The swordfish is done cooking when it’s flaky.
What to Serve with Swordfish
What goes well with swordfish? Most of the side dishes you would serve with seafood can be served with swordfish as well. It pairs nicely with salads, breads, pastas, and steamed vegetables.
Some of the most popular side dishes to serve with swordfish include quinoa, roasted potatoes, jambalaya, tomato soup, garlic bread, and corn on the cob.
You want side dishes that pair with the fish in such a way as to give your meal a variety of colors, nutrients, and textures. If you’ve covered your fish with a lot of veggies, you may not want to serve the fish with a salad, for variety’s sake.
Swordfish can be a tender and juicy fish when prepared well and cooked thoroughly. Following the directions I’ve given you above, you should end up with a delicate and tasty dish.
