Looking for something a little different to grill tonight? A new recipe with incredible flavor, but isn’t too difficult to make? Grilled swordfish might be a dish you’ve seen in food magazines but never tried yourself because it just looks too challenging. Today, you’re in luck! Our friend Denisse at Le Petit Chef shared with us her Grilled Swordfish with Smoked Tomato Basil Butter recipe and it’s too delicious to keep a secret.

You may have been browsing the seafood section in your local grocery store, come across marbled pink swordfish steaks and thought “how would I even cook that?” or “swordfish is for professional chefs, not for beginners like me.”

ingredients for making grilled swordfish dinner

Nothing could be further from the truth: grilled swordfish is a great recipe to make at home for the whole family.

We’re all spending more time in the kitchen this year and it can get tiring to come up with new recipes. Sometimes, the most interesting recipes take too much time to prepare.  If you’re craving something new and flavorful that doesn’t add more work to your plate, grilled swordfish is a great recipe to try out this weekend.

Trust us, it’s way easier than it looks. Have you ever grilled a New York Strip steak or even a thick salmon steak? When it comes to the question of how to make grilled swordfish, the process is very similar to cooking any other steak.

First, coat your grill in safflower or avocado oil and heat it up to Medium-High – you may want to use one of those awesome non-stick stovetop grill pans. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on your steak and place it right on the grill.

Watch your swordfish steak carefully, but don’t flip it yet! Just like a good steak, you only want to flip it once. This gives it those distinctive grill marks while locking in the flavor. After about 3 minutes, you can flip it and sear for another 3 minutes.

Congratulations, you’ve just grilled your first swordfish. Yes, really ­– it’s that easy!

The mild flavor of this fish is great for kids (and parents) who typically aren’t huge fans of seafood. Like any fish recipe, the most important part of the dish is the other flavors and ingredients you choose to incorporate.

mixing ingredients for homemade tomato basil butter

This is where Denisse’s recipe truly shines. She makes her own homemade compound butter in advance, mixing the flavors of sweet Juno Bites® Red Grape Tomatoes and fragrant basil together for the perfect creamy topping!

Juno Bites® are a great choice for this recipe for many reasons. These grape tomatoes are sweet and juicy, and when you char them lightly on the grill or in a frying pan, they can take on a wonderful caramelized flavor. Thanks to this savory sweetness, this tomato basil butter is incredible in other recipes too, like grilled steak, omelets, lobster and even grilled cheese!

If you have kids who are apprehensive about joining Mom and Dad at the table for swordfish, it really helps to incorporate flavors they love and feel more comfortable with, like fresh grape tomatoes. You can even get them in the kitchen to help make the butter – it’s fun and super easy!

All you have to do grill a handful of Juno Bites until parts begin to char and the skin starts to peel. Remove them and let cool for a couple minutes. Then, mix together the grape tomatoes with a half cup of softened unsalted butter, thinly sliced basil and a pinch or two of smoked sea salt.

side view of a plate of grilled swordfish

In the fridge, this butter can last up to two weeks. If you want to keep it for longer and use in small amounts with other recipes, you can scoop some into silicone ice trays and keep in the freezer for up to six months! This is a great way to add some last-minute savory flavor to your grilled cheese or sauteed vegetables!

When you’re ready to serve your grilled swordfish dinner, simply top each steak with a tablespoon of that delicious tomato basil butter. You’ll be amazed at how much depth it adds to the whole dish.

Denisse likes to serve this simple gourmet dinner on a bed of polenta with roasted asparagus and more of those charred grape tomatoes, but you can swap this for mixed leaf lettuce, couscous rice or quinoa.

To view, download or print the full recipe, click here.