Smoked Swordfish with Lemon and Garlic
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.
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 300kcal
Cost $40
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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal