What Does Sword Fish Taste Like? [Explained!]

Have you ever been to a restaurant and been paralyzed by choice? If so, it may be due to having no idea what a certain dish will be liked despite being quite curious. A classic example of this is when swordfish steaks are available. Sure you may enjoy eating fish on a regular basis but most people don’t eat swordfish often, right? Naturally, you may be curious though. If so you may be wondering, what does swordfish taste like? 

Table of Contents

• What Is Swordfish?
• How Does Swordfish Taste?
  • How Does Swordfish Steak Taste?
  • How Does It Compare To Other Fish?
• Is Swordfish Healthy To Eat?
• How To Choose Swordfish
• Swordfish Cooking Methods
  • Grilled Swordfish
  • Steamed Swordfish
  • Fried Swordfish
  • Deep Frying Swordfish
  • Seasoning Swordfish
• What Does Sword Fish Taste Like? Great, Actually!
• What Does Sword Fish Taste Like – FAQs

What Is Swordfish?

Most people have probably seen a picture of, at least heard of a swordfish before.

As their name suggests, these rather elegant fish are known primarily for the large swordlike snout that protrudes from the front of their heads.

Despite their long characteristic snouts though, the main body of the swordfish is actually quite round and somewhat broad. At maximum size, the length of a swordfish can be around four meters whilst they can weigh up to just over fourteen hundred pounds.

Swordfish will commonly be found in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. As such, they are well known around the world with many cultures having different cooking methods for swordfish.

How Does Swordfish Taste?

A swordfish has a rather mild slightly sweet taste. Swordfish doesn’t have a particularly strong fishy aroma or taste when cooked.

Despite being a type of fish, swordfish doesn’t have a particularly strong fishy aroma or taste when cooked. In fact, many people upon first trying swordfish are surprised to find that it has a rather mild, yet slightly sweet taste.

Texture-wise it is often compared more to meat like beef than to other fish. This is because swordfish has a very high oil content, with it containing more oil than most types of fish. As a result of this, unlike other cooked fish, swordfish doesn’t become flaky fall apart when cooked. Instead, it has something of a dense yet meaty texture.

How Does Swordfish Steak Taste?

Swordfish steak is perhaps of the most famous ways that swordfish meat can be prepared.

Like regular swordfish, it has a mild yet slightly sweet flavor. It is particularly meaty though with a dense texture that is bone-free.

How Does It Compare To Other Fish?

A common comparison in terms of flavor and texture to swordfish is that of shark.

So texture-wise, they are very close. However, swordfish is noticeably sweeter than shark and doesn’t really have much of a fishy smell at all.

Compared to mahi-mahi taste and bluefin tuna, swordfish is also much more flavorful whilst not being as tough as the latter. As such, it is often considered one of the tastiest fish you can eat. 

Speaking of other seafood and how they’re like, you can check out our other blogs: Can You Eat Saltwater Catfish, Can You Eat Starfish, and Tobiko!

Is Swordfish Healthy To Eat?

Swordfish is not only considered one of the best-tasting fish but is also often touted as being one of the healthiest, This is because it is packed to the gills with vital nutrients such as amino acids, essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and contains a variety of micronutrients.

Additionally, it is also very low in both fat and calories, with the aforementioned nutrients helping to maintain the health of your heart and fight cancer.

However, like other predatory fish such as barracuda and sharks, swordfish has a high mercury content. This is due to the fact that they will prey on other fish, causing them to ingest a large concentration of this potentially harmful substance. As such, whilst not as harmful as something like shark meat, swordfish can potentially cause mercury poisoning when eaten in larger quantities.

How To Choose Swordfish

To get the best flavor out of your swordfish, and ensure that it is fit to eat, it is important to know what good and bad quality swordfish meat looks like.

With that in mind, there are a few key signs you need to look for in order to identify whether or not you should buy a particular piece of swordfish:

• Color of the veins: When buying swordfish, the color of the veins are a dead giveaway as to whether it is fresh or old meat. Red veins will indicate that it is fresh meat, meanwhile darker colored veins will show that it is old.
• The color of the flesh: Fresh swordfish will have flesh that is white and slightly translucent. However, older meat will be darker and opaque.
• Avoid meat with red spots: This is a sign of the swordfish being under some stress during capture. The result is that the texture of the meat will be much less pleasant.

Swordfish Cooking Methods

Swordfish is a surprisingly versatile meat that can be cooked in a variety of different ways. When cooking swordfish the moist meat will often become similar to that of a beef steak in texture, although this isn’t always the case.

Some popular examples of how to cook swordfish are shown below:

Grilled Swordfish

Perhaps the most common way to cook a swordfish steak is to grill it. To so you can either keep it intact or cut it into cubes in order to make cubed swordfish skewers.

When heated on a well-oiled grill with some melted butter the results are truly incredible. Especially so since it should only take roughly five to six minutes for your swordfish to be ready.

To further enhance the flavor of your fresh fish you may also want to season or marinate the swordfish. However, if doing so, take the mild taste into account and use flavors that compliment it rather than dominate. 

Steamed Swordfish

Like with a lot of fish, steaming swordfish is a good way to cook your swordfish in a healthy way. The additional benefit of steaming though is that it helps your swordfish to fully retain its delicious flavor.

Fried Swordfish

Whilst grilling swordfish is a popular method of cooking it, many people will prefer to fry it instead. Doing so is simple enough though as much of the process is the same as frying a regular steak.

However, before starting, you must use a knife to remove any red sections, pat the swordfish with paper towels to dry any wet sections and then remove the skin.

Following this you should fry in an oiled pan for five minutes before flipping over and frying for another two before removing. Ideally, the center of the swordfish should still be slightly pink when you do so.

Deep Frying Swordfish

Whilst deep-frying swordfish is doable, it isn’t necessarily recommended that you do so. This is because when deep-fried the result is not brilliant as the delicious texture is lost and it becomes incredibly tough.

Seasoning Swordfish

Swordfish is as we’ve discussed delicious yet delicately flavoured. With this in mind, it is important to use only seasonings and marinades that complement this. Some good seasonings and marinade options for swordfish include the following:

• Soy Sauce
• Olive Oil
• White Wine
• Mustard
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Paprika
• Basil
• Cumin
• Cilantro

What Does Sword Fish Taste Like? Great, Actually!

Swordfish is a truly delicious form of seafood that is mild yet sweet in flavour but wonderfully meaty in texture. This is best shown when it is grilled or fried similarly to steak and marinaded with flavours that complement its subtle taste instead of overpowering it.

So the next time you see swordfish at a restaurant, or even down the local fishmongers, why not give it a try? You never know, you may just love it.

What Does Sword Fish Taste Like – FAQs