Make these Air Fryer Swordfish Steak for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Our quick swordfish marinade adds so much flavor, and the air fryer cooks this fish to perfection, in under 15 minutes!
I am going to show you how to make a marinated swordfish, cooked in the air fryer.
Swordfish is like a steak because it's firm and easy to flip, unlike most fish that can easily break on you. Did you say steak? Have you tried my Air Fryer Fillet Mignon? Carnivores love this fish because of its dense meaty texture.
There are many ways to cook swordfish, including grilling, pan-searing, or turning them into kebabs.
Cooking swordfish steaks in the air fryer is great because you get a perfectly cooked fish every time! If you overcook this fish, it will quickly dry out, and nobody wants that.
We marinate our raw swordfish steak in a mixture of honey, lemon, and soy sauce. You will feel like you are eating at a fine-dining restaurant!
You can top swordfish with a spicy mango salsa or a red chimichurri sauce and serve it with your favorite side dishes.
So if you're looking for a perfectly cooked, seared on the outside and moist on the inside swordfish, give this recipe a try.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You can find swordfish year-round, making it a great fish to have in your rotation.
- Frozen swordfish cooks up beautifully in that Air Fryer. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it will take 10-15 minutes to cook.
- Our quick marinade packs so much flavor and makes this recipe gourmet.
I love cooking fish in the air fryer, are you looking for recipe suggestions? Try my Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon and Air Fryer Halibut.
📝 Key Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the air fryer swordfish ingredients in this recipe. Scroll to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Swordfish - Can be found year-round in most states. Frozen swordfish can be found anywhere and cooks up great in the air fryer. For this recipe, we like a swordfish steak that is ¾ - 1 inch thick.
- Marinade - Mix ingredients and marinate for 1 - 8 hours.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥘 Substitutions + Variations
- If you don't like swordfish, give Mahi-Mahi a try!
- Season fish with a lemon pepper spice mix for a quick and easy recipe.
- If you don't have an air fryer, try grilling swordfish or turn them into kebabs.
- Replace lemon zest with lime, grapefruit, or orange zest.
🦈 How to Pick the Best Swordfish Steak
For the best-tasting recipe, choosing the freshest swordfish is key. Here are some tips when buying fish.
- The swordfish steaks should have resistance and a firm texture, meaning they should spring back when touched.
- Fresh fish should have no odor. If it smells like fish, don't buy it.
- The color should be white and translucent. Avoid swordfish with a darker color because this is a sign of a stronger flavor.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these cooking steps and let me show you how to make air fryer swordfish steaks.
Step 1. Combine olive oil, honey, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade to spoon over the finished fish.
Step 2. Pat the swordfish dry with paper towels and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-8 hours. You can use a baking dish or a ziplock bag.
Step 3. Preheat your Air Fryer to 400°F/204°C. Place swordfish steaks into the air fryer basket.
Step 4. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Remove steaks when they reach an internal temperature of 140°F/60°C. Let fish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
👨🏻🍳 Chef Tips
- Select a swordfish steak that is 6 ounces and ¾-1 inch thick.
- When the internal temperature reaches 135-140°F/60°C, remove the swordfish and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Don't marinate longer than 8 hours, or the fish will have a mushy texture.
- When using a frozen swordfish steak, add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You'll have to add a few minutes of cooking time, but it beats waiting for your fish to thaw. Brush swordfish with olive oil and cook for 10-15 minutes in the air fryer.
Air Fry swordfish for 10 minutes at 400°F/204°C or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Cooking times depend on the thickness of the swordfish steaks.
Swordfish is done when the internal temperature is 145°F/62°C. We recommend taking the fish out at 140°F/60°C and letting it rest for 10 minutes because it will carry over cook.
Store cooked swordfish in the refrigerator with a tight cover for a maximum of two days. If it develops a strong fish odor, it should be discarded.
For reheating, place the fish in a preheated 275°F/135°C oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F/54°C.
Marinate for 1-8 hours before cooking. If you marinate swordfish too long the texture will be mushy.
🥕 What To Serve With Swordfish Steaks
Swordfish is a versatile fish that pairs well with many different side dishes. I recommend my Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes, Toasted Coconut Cauliflower Rice, and Air Fryer Slow Roasted Tomatoes.
🍽 More Fish Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @thefrizzledleek on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Swordfish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 swordfish steaks 4-6 ounce each
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 1½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
- 1 clove chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk olive oil, honey, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Reserve 1 tablespoon of the marinade to pour over top of the cooked swordfish. Set aside.
- Place swordfish in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade over top. Seal the bag and marinate for 30 minutes to 8 hours.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/204°C. Place the marinated swordfish in your air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Fish is done when it reaches 145 degrees.
- Spoon over the reserved sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- Pat swordfish dry with a paper towel so the marinade will stick to the fish.
- Store cooked fish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Check the fish's internal temperature; it should reach at least 145°F (63°C).
Mike Cleavenger says
Thanks Sherry!
Dianne says
Excellent ❤️Soooo good and moist
Mike Cleavenger says
Thanks Dianne! I am so happy this recipe turned out moist for you.
Kristen says
Hi! Found you in a random search and now I’m obsessed. This is my new favorite way to cook swordfish. So moist! Better than any restaurant-and I live in New England! Thank you!
Mike Cleavenger says
Thanks Dianne! I am happy this recipe worked out for you, it's one of my favorites too.
Kim says
when using frozen fish are you still marinating it in the refrigerator like the fresh fish?
Mike Cleavenger says
Hi Kim,
Yes, you can still marinate frozen fish but it won't absorb the marinade as well as fresh swordfish will.
Eb says
I just made this for dinner, and my 2 teenagers LOVED it!
Mike Cleavenger says
Thank you for trying the recipe! Thats awesome your teenagers like swordfish.