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Easy, juicy and tender grilled swordfish stuffed in light corn tortillas. These grilled fish tacos take minutes to prepare. The perfect Summer BBQ main dish! (Instructions to bake or broil included.)
Fish tacos are the best tacos - they’re light, delicious and tender! They’re a great way to incorporate more fish into your diet. The fish taco also tends to be healthier when grilled. Top with some cabbage slaw or Asian cucumber salad to your fresh corn tortilla and you’re set! (And I can't recommend enough to pair grilled fish tacos with Skinny Margaritas or Ranch Water Cocktails!)
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Growing up, my mom wasn’t someone who enjoyed cooking. But she did an amazing job at introducing my sister and I to different dishes! She wouldn’t believe it, but she does cook well!
The first times I ever ate swordfish, my mom would always marinate it in a type of Asian marinade. It had soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and a few other flavors. Then she would place the swordfish on skewers and broil them or grill them! I was the pickiest eater but I’d always love the skewers.
Over the years I created my own marinade recipe and eventually combined the skewers with my favorite dish: tacos! It's a simple way to eat these clean, healthy grilled fish skewers!
How to Make Swordfish Tacos
My favorite way to prepare swordfish tacos is by grilling swordfish!
STEP ONE: Prepare swordfish and marinate at least for 1 hour and up to overnight.
STEP TWO: Put swordfish on skewers. Turn on the grill.
STEP THREE: Grill for 5-mintues each side.
STEP FOUR: Remove from grill and stuff into tacos. Enjoy!
Wooden Skewers vs. Metal Skewers
I prefer metal skewers for grilling. They’re reusable and don’t take any prep time.
If you do use wooden skewers, make sure to soak skewers in warm water for at least 10-30 minutes prior to using.
Fish Tacos on the Grill
I love grilled fish for tacos. They’re lighter and healthier than typical tacos because I find it uses less oil. My favorite fishes to grill are swordfish, salmon, ahi tuna, and mahi-mahi.
A great way to grill fish is to place them onto skewers. Placing the fish on skewers and then onto the grill means less sticking to the grates.
Why use swordfish for grilled fish tacos?
Swordfish is my favorite fish to grill. It’s thicker and doesn’t fall apart when on the grill. Swordfish also tends to stand up to stronger flavors and marinades.
How to Prepare Swordfish for Grilling
I remove the skin of the swordfish first by cutting it off. You can eat the skin, but it doesn’t add a great taste. Then, I dice the swordfish into 1” cubes. (The darker red spots on swordfish are fine to eat - it's colored due to a muscle rich in myoglobin and may have a stronger taste.) Next, I marinate them in a large Ziploc bag or container. Into the fridge for at least 30-mintues to soak up the flavor!
Marinade Ingredients
Marinate the swordfish for at least 30-minutes and up to overnight. This allows the swordfish to take in all of the flavors.
- Coconut Aminos. I prefer using coconut aminos because it is a gluten-free and soy free alternative to soy sauce. As a substitute, use reduced sodium soy sauce (not a gluten-free substitute).
- Honey. Honey helps balance out many Asian sauces and marinades. I definitely wouldn’t skip this ingredient. Substitute for agave syrup.
- Sriracha. Sriracha adds an underlying heat to the sauce. It does not make the marinade nor the swordfish spicy. If you’re worried about the heat, skip!
- Yellow Mustard. This helps emulsify the sauce and add flavor. If you’re not a fan of mustard, don’t worry, it doesn’t add the mustard taste.
- Water. This helps thin out the marinade!
Three Different Ways to Cook Swordfish
While my favorite way to prepare swordfish for tacos is grilling, you can also use the oven!
ONE: Swordfish on the Grill
My favorite way to cook swordfish! I love the extra flavor it adds to the fish. Swordfish easily holds its shape for skewers, so I prefer that method. I always use a marinade when I grill swordfish - it adds a delicious taste!
TIP! I like to pour about 1-2 TBSP of oil onto a paper towel and rub it onto the grill grates where you’ll add the skewers.
TWO: Baked Swordfish Kebabs
If you don’t have a grill, you can always bake the swordfish. I prefer to add the marinated swordfish to the kebabs before any next steps.
I preheat the oven to 400ºF. Next, I place the kebabs on a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until swordfish is cooked through and flakey.
THREE: Broiled Swordfish Kebabs
Another way to cook the swordfish is to broil it. It results in a slightly charred swordfish most similar to grilling.
First, Preheat the broiler for a few minutes. Next, I place the kebabs on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place swordfish kabobs in the oven under the broiler for 10-minutes, flipping halfway.
How to Serve Grilled Swordfish Tacos
Serve in your favorite flour tortillas or corn tortillas. Squeeze with lime wedges and serve with margaritas!
Some delicious taco toppings include:
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Shredded Cabbage or Shredded Lettuce
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Mexican Avocado Salad
- Fresh Guacamole
- Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde
- Tomato Salsa
- Pineapple Mango Salsa
- Spicy Serrano Pepper Chimichurri Sauce
Other Taco Ideas
- Vegan Cauliflower Tacos al Pastor
- Slow-Cooked Beef Barbacoa Tacos
- Blackened Fish Tacos
- Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos & Cabbage-Carrot Slaw
- Fried Tilapia Tacos with Kale-Carrot Slaw
📖 Recipe
Easy Grilled Swordfish Tacos
Equipment
- Grill or Oven
- 4 Skewers (wooden or metal)
Ingredients
- 16 OZ Swordfish (about 2 medium sized steaks)
- 5 Corn Tortillas
Marinade
- ½ Cup Coconut Aminos
- ½ Lemon juiced
- 1 TBSP Yellow Mustard
- 1 TBSP Sriracha
- 1 TBSP Honey
- 3 TBSP Water
- ¼ TSP Salt
Instructions
Prepare the Swordfish
- First, remove the skin of the swordfish, by cutting it off. Next, dice the swordfish into 1” cubes. (If they’re not all cubes that’s fine, it’s hard!)
- Place the swordfish cubes into a large Ziploc bag or container.
- Prepare the marinade by adding all of the ingredients into a bowl or mixing cup. Pour the marinade over the swordfish. Close the ziploc bag or container and make sure the swordfish mixes around in the marinade.
- Leave the swordfish in the refrigerator in the marinade for at least 30-minutes and up to overnight.
Skewer & Grill
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water at least 10-30 minutes prior to next steps.
- After marinating at least 30-minutes, remove the swordfish from the fridge. One-by-one, take each cube of swordfish and carefully add it onto the skewer. I split the swordfish evenly between four skewers. Place skewers onto a plate.
- Pour 1-2 TBSP of oil onto a paper towel. Rub it gently on the grates of the grill.
- Preheat the grill on Medium-High.
- Once it reaches temperature, place the skewers onto the grates. Grill the first side for 5-minutes, until the bottom starts to have a golden-brown color.
- Flip the skewers (carefully with tongs) and grill the second side for an additional 5-minutes.
- Remove the cooked swordfish skewers from the grill and onto a fresh, clean plate. Turn off the grill.
Build the Tacos
- Heat corn tortillas by warming them for 60-seconds each side on a hot pan on the stove.
- Remove the swordfish from the skewers and place a few pieces of the swordfish into each taco.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).
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