This one pan baked swordfish has minimal prep, is light and healthy, and highlights a few of our favorite summer staples: corn, tomato confit, and fresh herbs. It’s the ultimate hands off date night meal because once you toss everything in the skillet, there’s nothing left to do!
Here’s why we love it so much:
- Healthy! This light meal is high in protein (white beans and swordfish), yet light (the remaining star ingredients are fresh corn, tomato confit, garlic, and fresh herbs).
- One pan meal! That’s right, the entire dish cooks in one pan. No pre-searing the fish, either!
- Repurposed leftovers! This baked fish recipe features our favorite, made-every-week confit tomatoes. That’s right, in the summer months, we make these tomatoes every single week. Super hands off, tons of flavor, perfect as an appetizer or served on top of all kinds of breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes.
- Budget-friendly! Yes, we know that swordfish isn’t the cheapest fish, but… the rest of the ingredients are extremely economical. If you’re only cooking for two, as per the serving suggestion for this recipe, this is a great way to serve a nicer fish with a bunch of less expensive ingredients and still have a killer, flavorful dish to be proud of!
But really, did we mention that this is a one pan dish?!
If you love swordfish as much as we do, be sure to try our Sicilian Swordfish and Grilled Swordfish Skewers next!
Ingredients For Baked Swordfish
- Swordfish steaks
- Canned white beans, such as navy beans, rinsed and drained
- Leftover tomato and garlic confit + reserved confit oil
- Fresh corn
- Herbs: dried oregano, fresh thyme, and fresh basil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Red onion, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
I don’t have tomato confit — what should I use instead? Well, that’s easily solved by making a batch of our best every tomato confit! No really, this is a summertime staple in our house. We make it at least once a week — not a typo! It’s that good! We use the leftovers on everything from pasta to grilled chicken to scrambled eggs. It is extremely hands off, and the leftovers keep for weeks.
If you really don’t want to make it, you can of course use raw cherry or grape tomatoes and a few cloves of peeled garlic in its place, but it won’t have the same intense flavor.
How To Bake Swordfish
- Season the swordfish. Preheat an oven to 300F. Pat the swordfish steaks dry with a paper towel, then season lightly on both sides with ½ tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
- Rinse the beans. Drain and rinse 1 (15.5 oz) can of white beans.
- Assemble the dish. Grab a 10″ or 12″ nonstick skillet, then begin layering the ingredients. Add rinsed beans, cherry tomato confit, corn, and ½ tsp dried oregano to the pan, then toss to combine. Place the seasoned swordfish steaks on top, then scatter fresh thyme sprigs on top.
- Bake the fish. Place the skillet in a preheated oven then bake for 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 130-135F is reached for the swordfish.
- Serve immediately. Discard thyme, then garnish with fresh basil, thinly sliced onion, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a few lemon wedges.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Tips For The Best Baked Fish
- Use a nonstick skillet so that the beans and tomatoes don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Leave the swordfish skin on to help keep the fish tender and moist throughout cooking.
- If you are sensitive to raw red onion, we recommend mincing it instead of thinly slicing so you still get that crunch without as intense of an onion flavor. Alternatively, you can substitute the red onion with thinly sliced scallions.
- Don’t leave out the fresh basil or lemon wedges at the end. They add a beautiful brightness to the baked swordfish!
FAQs For Baked Swordfish
- What is the bloodline in swordfish and is it safe to eat? Those bright red or dark patchy spots that you see on swordfish steaks (and tuna, too!) are the bloodline. It’s a muscle rich with myoglobin that runs through the center of the fish. While it’s totally safe to eat, it tends to have a stronger, fishier flavor, so many people choose to remove it. You can cut it out either before cooking or after.
- What does swordfish taste like? It’s one of, if not the, meatiest fishes out there. We absolutely love it for its mild taste. In fact, we often prepare it simply on the grill with a squeeze of lemon at the end. Super mild, but has the most amazing texture.
- Do you eat the skin on swordfish? You can eat it, but it’s not that tasty. It has a bit of a rubbery texture (very different than, say, salmon skin, which we adore). We recommend leaving the skin on while cooking, as it helps to keep the swordfish moist. It’s easy to cut and discard (if you want) once fully cooked.
- Can I grill this recipe? Or roast instead? Yes! We like the gentle cooking method of baking (under 400F in an oven), but if you want to cook at a higher temperature or throw the skillet on the grill, you totally can. Just check the temperature of the fish every 10-15 minutes to ensure it’s not overcooked. Look for an internal temperature of 130-135F for swordfish.
- Can I use frozen swordfish? Yes! Just make sure to thaw completely before cooking and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess water.
Wine Pairings!
As part of my Date Night In series, I’m offering up a few wine suggestions to serve alongside. The white beans add a meaty texture, but the acidity from the tomatoes and lemon — along with the natural flavor profile and hearty texture of swordfish — gives us a strong preference for white wine.
White wine: We’re going Chardonnay or Sancerre for this one! A big, buttery Chardonnay will be able to stand up to the meaty texture of the swordfish, while the vibrancy and acidity of a Sancerre will play off the acidity in the tomatoes really nicely.
Rosé wine: Look for a dry rosé (even sparkling would be great — we love Mumm Napa Brut Rosé!). You know by now that Provence is my favorite region for this, but specifically I would pair this with Miraval.
Red wine: A fruit forward, medium-bodied Pinot Noir or Dolcetto would work really well here and not overwhelm the flavor of the fish. Don’t worry, the meatiness of the swordfish can stand up to a medium-bodied red just fine!
Guys, run, don’t walk — get all the ingredients you need to pull this together tonight, because this meal is ridiculously flavorful, simple to make, and sure to impress with minimal effort. Don’t forget the wine!!
If you make this Baked Swordfish, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
For a similarly easy seafood recipe, be sure to try our insanely delicious Slow Baked Steelhead Trout next!
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For more seafood recipes, check out the following:
Baked Swordfish Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 swordfish steaks about ¾-1 lb, skin on or off
- 1 (15.5 oz) can navy beans or other white beans
- 1 ½ cups leftover cherry tomato and garlic confit plus 3 Tbsp olive oil from confit
- 1 ear fresh corn removed from cob
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ small red onion thinly sliced
- Fresh basil for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Season the swordfish. Preheat an oven to 300F. Pat the swordfish steaks dry with a paper towel, then season lightly on both sides with ½ tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
- Rinse the beans. Drain and rinse 1 (15.5 oz) can of white beans.
- Assemble the dish. Grab a 10" or 12" nonstick skillet, then begin layering the ingredients. Add rinsed beans, cherry tomato confit, corn, and ½ tsp dried oregano to the pan, then toss to combine. Place the seasoned swordfish steaks on top, then scatter fresh thyme sprigs on top. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp olive oil (either from the tomato confit or extra virgin).
- Bake the fish. Place the skillet in a preheated oven then bake for 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 130-135F is reached for the swordfish.
- Serve immediately. Discard thyme, then garnish with fresh basil, thinly sliced onion, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a few lemon wedges.
Notes
- Use a nonstick skillet so that the beans and tomatoes don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Leave the swordfish skin on to help keep the fish tender and moist throughout cooking.
- If you are sensitive to raw red onion, we recommend mincing it instead of thinly slicing so you still get that crunch without as intense of an onion flavor. Alternatively, you can substitute the red onion with thinly sliced scallions.
Let us know your thoughts!