Pan Seared Swordfish Recipe
Fish,  Sauce,  Seafood

Seared Swordfish with a Lemon and Wine Rosemary Sauce

September 12, 2012 /
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I’m a huge fan of all sorts of different fish recipes. I will also admit that I do not eat as much fish as I would want to. I do make a Wisconsin fish fry on a fairly regular basis and have been known to smoke plenty of fresh trout, but I want more fish! With that said, I had just came off one of my shrimp scampi recipes and immediately fell in love with the wine sauce. So I thought, why not try a different type of fish other than cod or trout, and jazz it up a bit from herbs from my garden and make another wine sauce.

Boy, I was I ever right. I decided to go with a swordfish, not only because it is super awesome for you, but it could stand up to some pan searing. This recipe will be sure to please and offers a new take on a new type of fish for the family.

Pan Seared Swordfish Recipe

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lb swordfish steak, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cracked black pepper

Start by seasoning your swordfish with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Push it gently into the fish.

Heat your large skillet on medium to high heat. Add in the oil and get it nice and hot, until it shimmers.

Carefully add in the swordfish and sear for about 7 minutes, or so, on each side. Your internal temperature of the thickest part of the fish should be around 135-140 degrees.

Ingredients for making swordfish recipe

Right before you pull the fish, add the butter to the skillet. It will immediately begin to sizzle, so add in the white wine as well. Then add the lemon juice, and garlic. Let the sauce reduce with the fish for a few minutes,

Plate the fish, then pour the sauce around the perimeter of the fish. Garnish with a lemon, and sprinkle a bit more of fresh rosemary, thyme, or cut up chives.

The result is a truly great piece of fish that had this dark brown wine sauce that went perfect with the lemon, rosemary, and thyme. If you are looking for a new fish recipe, give this one a shot.

Pan Seared Swordfish Recipe

Seared Swordfish with a Lemon and Wine Rosemary Sauce

A simple fish dish that is huge in flavor.
5 from 15 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 19 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 lb swordfish steak rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of white wine such as Pinot Grigio
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Start by seasoning your swordfish with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Push it gently into the fish.
  • Heat your large skillet on medium to high heat. Add in the oil and get it nice and hot, until it shimmers.
  • Carefully add in the swordfish and sear for about 7 minutes, or so, on each side. Your internal temperature of the thickest part of the fish should be around 135-140 degrees.
  • Right before you pull the fish, add the butter to the skillet. It will immediately begin to sizzle, so add in the white wine as well. Then add the lemon juice, and garlic. Let the sauce reduce with the fish for a few minutes,
  • Plate the fish, then pour the sauce around the perimeter of the fish. Garnish with a lemon, and sprinkle a bit more of fresh rosemary, thyme, or cut up chives.
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38 Comments

    • Charlotte

      June 21, 2016 at 11:30 am Reply

      I used it with salmon & it was just as good & at the time I didn’t have any white wine so I used dry vermouth & it came out just as good

  • Amanda @ High Heels to Hot Wheels

    February 25, 2013 at 8:52 am Reply

    5 stars
    This was the most delicious fish!!!! I adapted it slightly for my blog High Heels to Hot Wheels by using garlic and rosemary infused olive oil, but your recipe is FANTASTIC!!

  • Anita

    April 7, 2013 at 11:00 am Reply

    I prepared this recipe using frozen swordfish steaks from Trader Joe’s – and it was hands down the most delicious swordfish we have ever eaten! My husband thinks we could open a restaurant and serve this dish. The only change I made was that I cut the searing time to 3 minutes per side, which was the recommendation on the preparation instructions from Trader Joe’s. It was perfect! Thank you!

  • Ayoka

    January 5, 2014 at 1:29 am Reply

    This was a truly delicious recipe! My goodness, that wine reduction was exactly the light buttery compliment that this flaky fish calls for. I will be subscribing. And I am definitely going to show off my culinary skills with this recipe for my date tomorrow. 😉

  • Jen H

    September 29, 2014 at 6:36 pm Reply

    This is an excellent recipe! I made it exactly following the recipe, with only exception being I seared each side for 4 minutes. It gives you a restaurant quality dish yet so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!

  • Sarah

    April 1, 2015 at 6:55 pm Reply

    This was delicious! I was browsing the web trying to figure out what to do with two swordfish steaks I bought, and this recipe turned out amazing. Easy, simple ingredients I had on hand, and power-packed flavor. Thank you!!

  • Chris Williams

    February 2, 2016 at 10:08 pm Reply

    Thanks for the recipe. Only thing I would change is cook the fish more like 4-5 minutes per side before adding butter, wine, etc. To keep fish from overlooking we removed it while the sauce reduced. Delicious and juicy! It was awesome! We paired it with fresh sautéed whole rainbow organic carrots. We ate everything! Thanks! And…..we printed out the recipe for another time it was so good!
    Cheers, Elaine and Chris in Colorado

  • E Adam Frymer

    October 31, 2017 at 2:46 pm Reply

    The cook times need to be revised. 14 min then add ingredients and reduces as per directions will result in over cooked.
    Ingredients should be added early into the second side cooking so you can finish and pull at 135 to 140 degrees.
    Cooked properly this is an amazing dish.

  • James

    February 8, 2018 at 9:26 am Reply

    Tried this last night and it was great. Loved the sauce, we had broccoli that went well with it to. I would make this again. I did the fish 4 min on each side. Then 2 min once sauce was added.

  • MamaCat61

    February 20, 2018 at 12:08 am Reply

    Being out of white wine (gasp, how did that happen?), I also used vermouth and an extra tablespoon of butter at the end. I usually leave the cooking of fish to my husband, because he grills it amazingly. Today, however, was windy and cold outside, so I decided to try another way and I’m so glad we did. We will definitely make this again.

  • Charles Brown

    September 4, 2018 at 11:10 pm Reply

    Super tasty! Like some others, I reduced the searing time – 4 minutes on one side, then 3 minutes on the other, then adding the butter/wine/etc. and reducing for about 2 minutes more or so before pulling the fish.

    Definitely going to try again with trout next time!

  • Dawn K

    October 11, 2020 at 7:45 pm Reply

    5 stars
    Nice simple swordfish recipe! The flavors were excellent enhancing the dish but letting the swordfish stay the star of the dish.

  • Kenneth Sabatini

    February 17, 2021 at 6:51 pm Reply

    5 stars
    I love Swardfish. I usually grill it with soy amd Sage (you won’t taste the soy… 🙂 ).
    THIS was a surprise that turned absolutely awesome. What a wonderful recipe.
    Thank you.
    It’s now in my recipe book.

  • Sonal Humane

    October 20, 2021 at 8:32 pm Reply

    5 stars
    This recipe was amazing! I added some Cajun spices along with the salt and pepper and it made it extra flavorful. I added both thyme and rosemary at the end with the butter and garlic and then basted it slightly. Turned out great!!

  • Jason Burke

    December 2, 2021 at 1:02 pm Reply

    5 stars
    This is an Outstanding recipe! I followed it exactly with the addition of a little red pepper flakes. Thank you for sharing.

  • Ellen

    January 9, 2024 at 5:01 pm Reply

    5 stars
    I have made several swordfish recipes on Pinterest and this one is by far the best. The butter, garlic, wine, lemon sauce made right before you plate the fish is the perfect complement to the fish. I love this recipe and use it whenever I cook swordfish. Plus it’s so easy!

  • Shazia Abdullah

    March 27, 2024 at 8:35 am Reply

    5 stars
    Simple and delicious! My husband and I loved it! We will be adding to the dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  • Jonathon Truwit

    May 6, 2024 at 7:17 pm Reply

    5 stars
    Terrfiic recipe. I used albarino wine instead of Pinot Grigio, otherwise I followed the recipe. Simple and delicious.

  • Carolyn Ruschp

    November 8, 2024 at 7:13 pm Reply

    5 stars
    Excellent! I doubled the sauce and I think this is one of the best fish recipes I have cooked. I’m woiuld be good with a lot of different fish.

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