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    Home » Seafood

    Published: Aug 21, 2021 · Modified: Oct 18, 2023 by Mads Martigan · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Smoked Swordfish Steaks with Lemon and Garlic

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Learn how to make smoked swordfish on ANY grill or smoker!

    Swordfish is a deliciously meaty fish that tastes GREAT when smoked.

    It's also incredibly easy to prepare and to smoke, whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp chef, or Pit Boss, a propane or electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional kettle grill like a Weber. 

    Let's go!

    searing smoked swordfish steaks

    Swordfish is considered by many to be the steak of the sea.

    Well at least we consider it to be that around Mad Backyard, much like smoked mahi mahi, smoked swordfish holds up well to stronger flavors compared to more delicate fillets like tilapia and halibut.

    In fact, we are going to prepare it much like say a smoked ribeye steak, by first smoking it and then reverse searing it to get a nice chargrilled texture on the outside.

    But it IS seafood after all, so we need to take some other steps with our smoked swordfish first we wouldn't necessarily with a steak, like brining it first and then marinating it for maximum flavor before throwing it on the smoker.

    Let's get started!

    Jump to:
    • Seasoning Swordfish Steaks
    • Brining the Swordfish Steaks
    • Marinating the Swordfish Steaks
    • Best Wood for Smoked Swordfish
    • Smoking Temperature
    • Target Internal Temperature
    • Cooking Time
    • Cedar Planks, Grill Baskets, or Grill Mats
    • Monitor your Grill Temperature
    • Reverse Searing the Smoked Swordfish
    • Serving Suggestions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Seasoning Swordfish Steaks

    Below you will see that we are going to brine and marinate our swordfish before smoking.

    This is for maximum flavor and juiciness but is by no means 100% necessary, especially if you want to make your smoked swordfish tonight and not tomorrow.

    You can go gentle and delicate with a simple blend of salt and pepper on smoked swordfish if that's your thing. You can also add in some smoked paprika for more color and depth of flavor.

    Alternatively, if you want strong Cajun blackening flavors, you can use a spicier like our current favorite blackened  rub Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Dry Rub.  It holds up very well on smoked swordfish without overpowering it.

    Traeger Grills SPC178 Blackened Saskatchewan Rub with Garlic & Signature Spices
    Traeger Grills SPC178 Blackened Saskatchewan Rub with Garlic & Signature Spices
    Check Price on Amazon

    Just sprinkle some on the swordfish steak after brushing both sides with some olive oil.

    Brining the Swordfish Steaks

    For our recipe below though, we are going to brine the swordfish for 2-4 hours before smoking it.

    This is incredibly easy to do.

    a swordfish steak brining before getting smoked

    Simply mix together:

    • 4-6 cups cold water (enough to cover the swordfish steaks in whatever container you use).
    • ½ Cup Kosher Salt
    • ½ Cup Brown Sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper

    You may need to double this if you are making more than 4 smoked swordfish steaks.

    Place the swordfish steaks in a sealable plastic or glass container with a lid and make sure they are submerged in the well mixed brine solution.

    Place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

    Afterwards, take the swordfish steaks out of the brine and rinse them well under cold running water and then pat dry.

    Don't worry, plenty of seasoning is still inside the swordfish. If you don't rinse them, they may be overly salty.

    Marinating the Swordfish Steaks

    The brining will make the smoked swordfish juicy and somewhat seasoned, but to add maximum flavor, we need to marinate these swordfish steaks before smoking them as well.

    For our smoked swordfish marinade we are going to use:

    • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 2 tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt or your favorite Seafood Rub
    • 1 tablespoon Coarse Black Pepper
    • Juice of ½ a Lemon

    Again, you may need to double this if you are smoking a lot of swordfish steaks.

    You can place the ingredients with swordfish steaks in a resealable gallon sized bag and let them marinate for an hour or two in the refrigerator while you get your smoker set up.

    Best Wood for Smoked Swordfish

    Because we are only smoking the swordfish steaks for such a short period of time, you can really get away with any kind of smoking wood of your choosing.

    If you want to keep it simple and straightforward, choose a lighter smoking wood like alder, oak, apple, or peach.

    Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets - Cherry Flavor (20 lb. Bag) Perfect for Pellet Smokers, Fruity Wood-Fired Flavor
    Bear Mountain Premium BBQ Woods 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets - Cherry Wood (20 lb. Bag)
    • MILD CHERRY FLAVOR: Cherry BBQ pellets add a fruity, smoky flavor to your favorite red meat, fish, lamb, or pork dish
    • ALL-NATURAL HARDWOODS: Made from 100% all-natural hardwoods with no flavorings, fillers, or additives
    • USE WITH MULTIPLE GRILL TYPES: Ideal for all outdoor pellet grills, smokers, gas, charcoal, and electric grills
    Check Price on Amazon

    Want more smoky wood flavor? We also really like hickory, and especially cherry, for smoking swordfish.

    Weber Hickory Wood Chunks, for Grilling and Smoking, 4 lb.
    Weber Hickory Wood Chunks, for Grilling and Smoking, 4 lb.
    Check Price on Amazon

    Make sure to use wood pellets in a pellet grill or pellet tube, wood chips in an electric smoker, and wood chunks in a charcoal grill or firebox.

    Western BBQ Smoking Wood Chips Variety Pack Bundle (4)- Apple, Mesquite, Hickory, and Cherry Flavors (Original Version)
    Western BBQ Smoking Wood Chips Variety Pack Bundle (4)
    • Contains most popular flavors- Apple, Mesquite, Hickory, and Cherry
    • Made in the USA
    Check Price on Amazon

    Smoking Temperature

    smoked swordfish steaks cooking in a smoker

    We are going to set up the smoker or grill for indirect cooking at 225°F.

    This will allow the swordfish to absorb plenty of smokey flavor for about an hour before we crank the heat and reverse sear our smoked swordfish steaks to a perfect finish.

    Target Internal Temperature

    You HAVE to use a good instant read meat thermometer to know where the internal temperature is of your smoked swordfish steaks, especially because they will cook relatively FAST!

    We are particular fans of this one from ThermoPro because of its durability and affordable price.

    ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Digital Meat Thermometer - Backlit
    Check Price on Amazon

    While we have used and recommended ThermoPro for years, lately we have also become big fans of the MEATER leave in thermometer.

    It is extremely accurate and has an incredible 165 foot Bluetooth range and works right with your smartphone so you don't need to carry a separate controller around with you like many other remote thermometers require.

    It's got a great free app that is constantly being updated and even has an algorithm to predict how much longer your type of meat will take to cook based on cooking temperature, target temperature, current internal temperature.

    It's like a GPS for your meat!

    MEATER Plus | 165ft Long Range Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer with Bluetooth for The Oven, Grill, Kitchen, BBQ, Smoker, Sous Vide, Rotisserie
    • ► 2 Sensors, 1 Probe: Dual temperature sensors can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously. Dishwasher safe.
    • ► Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Can estimate how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
    • ► Connectivity Suite: Monitor your cook from a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. Extend your range Using MEATER Link WiFi and MEATER Cloud to use Alexa and monitor your cook from a computer.
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    We are targeting a final internal temperature of 145°F on the smoked swordfish to know that it is finished cooking. 

    Cooking Time

    At 225°F, the typical swordfish steak will take about 90 minutes to cook and come up to 145°F internally, if you don't reverse sear it, depending on its thickness of course.

    However, we are going to pull our smoked swordfish steaks off the grill or smoker when they reach 120°F, which should only take about 1 HOUR.

    We will then reverse sear the smoked swordfish over high heat, either in a hot cast iron pan, on a Grill Grate if using a pellet grill, or over the hot side of a gas or charcoal grill, resulting in a good Maillard reaction and giving us the best texture and flavor!

    Cedar Planks, Grill Baskets, or Grill Mats

    Option 1: Cedar Planks

    You can also experiment with smoking your swordfish steaks on cedar planks for some added woods flavor.

    Check out our complete guide on how to grill with cedar planks HERE.

    Make sure to soak the cedar planks in water for at least an hour before putting them on your grill or smoker so that they don't char and burn.

    This also helps release steam and flavor the mahi mahi while they are smoking.

    12 Pack Cedar Planks for Grilling Salmon and More - Sourced and Made in The USA
    12 Pack Cedar Planks for Grilling Salmon and More - Sourced and Made in The USA
    Check Price on Amazon

    Option 2: Use a Grill Basket or Grill Mat

    While swordfish is a heartier and meatier piece of fish, it is still seafood, and may need to be handled a little more delicately than say a big New York strip or ribeye.

    You may be more successful if you place the smoked swordfish steaks in a grill basket rather than directly on the grill grates.

    We are particular fans of the ORDORA Portable Grill Basket because it comes with its own handle, making it much easier to manage and move lots of delicate food around with one quick motion.

    ORDORA Grill Basket, Fish Grill Basket, Rustproof Stainless Steel BBQ Grilling Basket for Meat,Steak, Shrimp, Vegetables, Chops, Heavy Duty Grill Basket Outdoor Grill Accessories
    ORDORA Grill Basket, Fish Grill Basket, Rustproof Stainless Steel BBQ Grilling Basket for Meat, Steak, Shrimp, Vegetables, Chops
    • 3 Custom Divided Sections
    • Food-safe Material, Rustproof 201 Stainless Steel
    • Larger Cooking Surface
    • Portable with Detachable Wooden Handle
    Check Price on Amazon

    Another option is to use a grill mat, which are becoming increasingly popular in many BBQ circles, especially for delicate veggies and small seafood like shrimp and scallops.

    Our personal favorite is the Grillaholics Mesh Grill Mat.

    Just throw it down on your grill to keep your fish (or any other food) from falling through. It keeps your grates really clean, and when you are done, you just throw it right in the dishwasher!

    Grillaholics BBQ Mesh Grill Mat - Set of 2 Grill Mats Non Stick - Nonstick Grilling with More Delicious Smoky Flavor - Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty
    Grillaholics BBQ Mesh Grill Mat - Set of 2 Grill Mats Non Stick
    • Grillaholics Grill Mat Mesh allows more air circulation for your food to give it that extra smoky flavor.
    • Dishwasher safe
    Check Price on Amazon

    Monitor your Grill Temperature

    Almost every grill and smoker will have some sort of temperature gauge on them.

    Now, if you are using a pellet grill or electric smoker, you should be able to pretty accurately dial in your desired temperature of 225°F with the turn of a dial.

    This is what makes them so convenient!

    If, however, you are using a charcoal or propane grill/smoker, you can't rely on the cheap lid mounted temperature gauge that come installed on them.

    We have found these can sometimes be up to 30°F off from what the true actual temperature at the grill grate level.

    This is unacceptable.

    This is why you will always see competition cooks, and backyard chefs who know their stuff, using wireless digital probe thermometers to keep track of both their meat AND their cooking chamber.

    And even if you have a fancy pellet grill like a Traeger or even an electric smoker, it can't hurt to double check how accurate your temperature settings are to the true temperatures you are getting.

    We are big fans of the ThermoPro Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer series.

    ThermoPro TP08 300FT Wireless Meat Thermometer for Grilling Smoker BBQ Grill Oven Thermometer with Dual Probe Kitchen Cooking Food Thermometer
    ThermoPro TP08 300FT Wireless Meat Thermometer with Dual Probe
    • 300ft remote range
    • Oven safe with highly accurate stainless steel meat probe and oven/ grill/ smoker temperature probe, to allow you to monitor both food and ambient temperature simultaneously
    • Food temp & HI/LOW ambient temp alarm
    • Highly accurate temp range 14˚f to 572˚F; Displays both Fahrenheit and Celsius
    Check Price on Amazon

    Reverse Searing the Smoked Swordfish

    "Reverse Searing" is just a fancy term for searing your food at the very end, once it is pretty much all the way cooked through, in order to get a nice crispy exterior crust that you just can't get from low and slow smoking alone.

    We've previously shown how reverse searing works great on lamb chops, as well as a whole smoked rack of lamb reverse seared with a blow torch!

    This also works great for thick cuts of meat like London broil that need time to slow cook and absorb smokey flavor but then benefit from a nice outside sear.

    With larger cuts of meat like hams and pork butts, they will develop a nice exterior crust naturally just due to the long length of time they spend in the smoker.

    Technically you can reverse sear in a hot pan with butter, a flat top grill with oil, or over a hot propane burner or searing hot batch of charcoal on any grill.

    If you are using a pellet grill and finding it hard to get that high direct heat for searing, try laying a couple of Grill Grates over a section of the grill. 

    These work great for creating a hot searing stations on a pellet grill using the ambient heat the pellet grill is already creating. You can see with this infrared thermometer just how hot the grates can get!

    grill grates flat side heated to 742 degrees
    2 Panel GrillGrate Sets of 19.25" (Interlocking) + GrateTool
    2 Panel GrillGrate Sets of 19.25" (Interlocking) + GrateTool
    Check Price on Amazon

    For our purposes today, we are just going to reverse sear our smoked swordfish steaks for about 2-3 minutes per side after they reach 120°F internally to finish bringing them up to 145°F.

    Make sure to watch your internal temperature closely using a good thermometer.

    If you are using Grill Grates on a pellet grill or a hot cast iron pan, get it preheating with some high heat point oil like avocado oil while the swordfish steaks are smoking.

    Once they hit 120°F either move them over to the hot side of a gas or charcoal grill or place them on the Grill Grates or into the hot cast iron pan.

    Let them sear for about 2 minutes per side and continue to watch the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer.

    Continue searing 1 minute in each side until they reach 145°F internally, then remove them from the heat and put on a plate.

    There is no need to rest your smoked swordfish steaks, so make sure everyone is ready to eat!

    Serving Suggestions

    Your smoked swordfish steaks should be served immediately after removing them from the smoker.

    smoked swordfish on a plate

    You can brush at the end with a BBQ or mustard glaze or just have them simply seasoned right off the grill!

    No need to rest or wait to eat!

    You can also slice up that swordfish to make delicious smoked swordfish fish tacos, or incorporate it into a salad or serve simply alongside some smoked cauliflower or asparagus!

    📖 Recipe

    searing smoked swordfish steaks

    Smoked Swordfish with Lemon and Garlic

    Mads Martigan
    Swordfish is a deliciously meaty fish that tastes GREAT when smoked.
    It’s also incredibly easy to prepare and to smoke, whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss, a propane or electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional kettle or propane grill like a Weber. 
    First we brine and then marinate the swordfish steaks in garlic and lemon before smoking over indirect heat and finishing with a high heat reverse sear.
    5 from 1 vote
    PRINT PIN SHARE SAVE Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 2 hours hrs
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Brine Time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Seafood
    Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Mediterranean, Seafood, Smoked
    Servings 4 Servings
    Calories 300 kcal

    Equipment

    • Large Baking Dish with Lid
    • Mixing Bowl and whisk
    • Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker
    • Wood chunks or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips
    • Grill Tongs or Spatula
    • Instant Read Thermometer and/or Leave in Temperature Probe
    • Ziploc Bag
    • Filet Knife
    • Cutting Board

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lbs Swordfish Steaks cut into (4) ½ lb portions

    Smoked Swordfish Brine

    • 4 cups Cold Water
    • ½ cup Kosher Salt
    • ½ cup Brown Sugar
    • 2 tablespoon Coarse Black Pepper

    Lemon Garlic Marinade

    • 6 tablespoon Olive Oil enough to coat all the swordfish steaks
    • 4 tablespoon Minced and crushed fresh garlic
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Coarse Black Pepper
    • ½ Juice of a Lemon save the other half to squeeze on fresh at the end.

    Instructions
     

    Brine the Swordfish

    • Mix together the brine ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl
    • Place the swordfish steaks in a sealable plastic or glass container or baking dish with a lid and make sure they are submerged in the brine solution.
      a swordfish steak brining before getting smoked
    • Place in the refrigerator for about 2-4 hours.
    • Afterwards, take the swordfish steaks out of the brine and rinse them well under cold running water and then pat dry.

    Prepare and Marinate the Swordfish

    • Mix the marinade ingredients with the swordfish steaks in a ziploc bag.
    • Let them marinate for an hour or two in the refrigerator while you get your smoker set up.

    Prepare the Grill or Smoker

    • Light or turn on your smoker or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 225°F. If using a grill, set up the burners or charcoal on only one side for indirect cooking.
      setting the traeger pellet grill to 225 degrees F
    • Brush the grill grates with oil to keep the smoked swordfish steaks from sticking or use cedar planks that have soaked in water for at least 1 hour to hold the steaks.
    • Add your wood chunk(s) directly to the firebox or on top of the charcoal of a smoker, or use chips in a smoker box, or pellets in a tube smoker on a gas grill.
      smoking wood on lit charcoal

    Smoking the Swordfish Steaks

    • Once smoke is being produced, put your swordfish steaks in the smoker, or on the grill AWAY from the direct heat, even if using cedar planks.
      placinf swordfish in a smoker to smoke
    • While the swordfish is smoking for about the next hour, plan how you will reverse sear them to finish. You can move them to the hot side of a grill or use a hot pan with oil, or place them under a preheated broiler on a foil lined pan.

    Reverse Searing the Smoked Swordfish Steaks

    • Smoke the swordfish steaks continuously at 225°F, without flipping, until they reach an internal temperature of 120°F. This should take about 45-60 minutes.
    • Once the smoked swordfish steaks reach 120°F internally, either move them over to the HIGH direct heat side of the grill, a hot pan on the stove with oil or, place them on a foil lined baking sheet and position it under the preheated broiler.
      smoked swordfish steaks cooking in a smoker
    • Once the internal temperature of the swordfish steaks reaches 145°F, remove them from the heat and place on a platter optionally squeeze some additional fresh lemon juice over the swordfish, and serve immediately while hot.
      an instant read thermometer reading 145 degrees

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal
    Keyword barbecue, bbq, BBQ fish, Camp Chef, electric smoker, electric smoker swordfish, Garlic, garlic marinade, Lemon, Masterbuilt, pellet grill, Pit Boss, pit boss smoked swordfish, pit boss swordfish, Propane, propane smoker, seafood, smoked fish, smoked swordfish, smoked swordfish steaks, smoking on gas grill, swordfish, traeger, traeger smoked swordfish, traeger swordfish, Weber, Wood chips
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Seafood Recipes

    • smoked lobster tails on a white plate with lemon slices and clarified butter
      Smoked Lobster Tails with Lemon Garlic Butter
    • salmon smoking on the grates of a masterbuilt electric smoker
      Smoked Salmon in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
    • Salmon smoking on the top rack of a pit boss pellet grill
      Smoked Salmon on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill
    • smoked salmon fillets on the grates of a traeger pellet grill
      Smoked Salmon on a Traeger Pellet Grill

    About Mads Martigan

    Mads is the founder of Madbackyard.com and has been a BBQ and Grilling enthusiast for the past 15 years. He loves to write about and make videos on smoking and barbecuing all kinds of great food.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pete says

      August 25, 2021 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      Made these on the Pit Boss and came out well. I skipped the brining but may try that next time to see if they are a little juicier.

    2. Mads Martigan says

      August 25, 2021 at 11:13 am

      Thanks Pete! Yes, I find brining helps a lot with seafood like swordfish and salmon.

    5 from 1 vote

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    Robert "Mads" Martigan, the founder of Mad Backyard

    Hi, I'm Mads, the founder of Mad Backyard and an avid outdoorsman, barbecue/smoker buff, and pellet grilling enthusiast who loves to share my passion for outdoor living and outdoor cooking with the world.

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