Grilled Swordfish Kabobs
These easy Grilled Swordfish Kabobs are tender and delicious, bursting with lemon flavor. This dish is a great way to serve swordfish without any fuss, making it perfect for cookouts and large gatherings.

Swordfish and These Grilled Swordfish Kabobs
Swordfish is a thick, meaty fish that lends itself to being cut into cubes, making it easy to thread onto skewers, and a pleasure to grill outdoors. Before grilling, we decided to cube the swordfish, marinate them with a tangy marinade and seasonings. Then skewered them with some vegetables and lemons, making them simple, and flavorful. Delish!
This recipe for swordfish kabobs couldn’t be any easier. And, practically effortless.
How to Make Grilled Swordfish Kabobs?
For this recipe, you will need one large or two swordfish steaks. Then simply cut the swordfish steaks into 1-inch cubes, and marinate them with our simple marinade for at least one hour before grilling. Then the swordfish is threaded onto skewers with vegetables and grilled for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The Marinade
Our marinade is an easy one, and it’s made with a few ingredients such as fresh lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, chives, a splash of wine, some fresh fennel along with seasonings.
Quick Recipe Tips Before You Start
- Frozen or Fresh: With this recipe, you can use either frozen or fresh swordfish. If frozen, allow the fish to thaw completely.
- Marinate: It’s best to marinate the cubes for at least one hour before threading them onto skewers.
- Threading: When threading the skewers, always add 3 cubes of swordfish per skewer, alternating with fennel, onion, cherry tomatoes, and lemon wedges. Don’t worry, they don’t have to be perfectly matched.
- Lemons: Also, you will need at least 4 lemons. The marinade is always best if you use freshly squeezed lemon juice, rather than the bottled stuff. But if you don’t have any lemons on hand, you can use bottled lemon juice instead.
- Soaking Wooden Skewers: If you plan to use bamboo or wooden skewers, you will need to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes or more before using them.
- Gas Grill: If you are using a gas grill, it’s best to put it on “medium-low heat” when grilling these seafood kabobs. They cook up quickly. So keep an eye on them.

How Many Kabobs Do We Need?
The number of kabobs you need will determine how many swordfish steaks to prepare. This recipe yields about 9 kabobs on 12-inch skewers, providing 9 servings. So, for this recipe, here are the following ingredients needed:
Ingredients You Will Need:
- 1 or 1.5 pounds of frozen swordfish (thawed and rinsed) – cut into 1-inch cubes
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 4 garlic cloves – crushed or diced
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. white wine
- 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped chives
- 1 cup chopped fresh fennel
- and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
For the Kabobs:
- 1 small onion – cut into quarters and separate the layers
- 2 lemons – cut into wedges to alternate on skewers
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (about 16 tomatoes)
- 10-inch skewers (metal or wooden)
- fresh herbs and lemon slices, to garnish
Directions to Make Grilled Swordfish Kabobs:
This recipe is very easy, even for those who have never cooked or grilled before. Plus, our full recipe card is located at the bottom. But first, let’s run through our steps and show you what’s involved before you start.
- Make the Marinade: In a small mixing bowl mix together, lemon juice, olive oil, fennel, chives, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Cut the Swordfish Steaks: Cut into 1-inch cubes and toss them into the bowl with the marinade, and gently stir to combine.
- Cover with Clear Wrap: Cover and chill for at least one hour to marinate.
- Next, Prep the Veggies: Prepare the cherry tomatoes, lemon wedges, and onion slices in small bowls and place them nearby. When you’re ready to thread the skewers, take the swordfish cubes out of the fridge.

4. Begin to thread swordfish, onion, tomatoes, and lemon wedges onto the skewers. You may even thread pieces of the fennel alternating. Give each skewer at least 3 pieces of swordfish.
5. Place your kabobs on your outside grill or a rack over coals for 5 to 10 minutes, turning them frequently and brushing with any remaining marinade.

Helpful Tip! If your grill is very powerful, even on low heat and you’re afraid these could burn too easily. Then we like to suggest to grill them on the upper-tier rack of your outside grill (as shown in our photo above). If you don’t have one, you can grill them on a cast iron pan and place it directly on your barbecue.
6. Serve on a large platter and squeeze additional lemon juice over them. Or serve with a drizzle of our delicious and zesty authentic tzatziki sauce, for amazing flavors.

The Best Way to Serve Them
- For these grilled swordfish kabobs, we prefer to serve them with a splash of lemon juice over them and allow everyone to help themselves.
- Sometimes we serve them with our zesty tzatziki sauce drizzled over them. (It’s fantastic!)
FAQ’s
- Can we make them ahead? You can easily make these kabobs ahead of time and grill them when your family and friends arrive. The more you marinate them, the better.
- How to store leftovers? Cover with clear wrap any leftover kabobs, and refrigerate them. They will stay fresh for you for two days.
A Delicious Seafood Kabob
Seafood kabobs are simple when served. No fuss and fun to eat. Your family and friends will enjoy these as much as we do! These are delicious every time we make them and will disappear as soon as you put them on the table.
Serve them warm or at room temperature. They are delicious!
ENJOY!!
Delicious Recipes for Kabobs
- Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
- Best Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs
- Grilled Sesame-Ginger Tuna Kabobs
- Grilled Ginger-Lime Chicken Kabobs
Don’t forget! If you try our grilled swordfish kabobs, let us know and leave a comment below, and a star rating on our recipe card. Your comments with your variations of our recipes will help others who read them. Snap a photo and hashtag it on Instagram or on Pinterest, and be sure to tag us @2sistersrecipes. We’d love to see what you make and share it with the world!
Happy and Healthy Grilling!
Thanks for stopping by… anna and liz

Grilled Swordfish Kabobs
Grilled Swordfish Kabobs is a delicious way to serve up some swordfish without fuss. Before grilling, cubes of swordfish are marinated and then paired with some vegetables and lemons. Simple, easy, and delicious tasting. Perfect for cookouts and large gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 or 1.5 pounds of frozen swordfish (thawed) - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves - crushed or minced
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. white wine
- 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. of freshly chopped chives
- 1 cup chopped fresh fennel
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
For the KABOBS:
- 1 small onion - cut into quarters and separate the layers
- 2 lemons - cut into wedges to alternate on skewers
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (about 16 tomatoes)
- fresh herbs and lemon slices, to garnish
- 9 metal or bamboo (10-inch) skewers
Instructions
- Prepare the Swordfish: On a cutting board, cut the swordfish steaks into 1-inch cubes. Do the best you can, they don't have to be perfect.
- Next, Make the Marinade: In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, white wine, fennel, chives, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Toss in the swordfish cubes and stir to combine. Cover with clear wrap and chill for at least one hour to marinate.
- Prep the Veggies: Next, you can place the cherry tomatoes, the lemon wedges, and sliced onion in small bowls and place them nearby. When you're ready to thread the skewers, take the marinated swordfish out of the fridge.
When Ready to Make the Kabobs:
- Begin to thread swordfish, onion, tomatoes, and lemon wedges onto 8 or 9 skewers. You may even thread pieces of the fennel in between, alternating. Reserve the marinade, you will use it to brush on the skewers while grilling.
- Heat your grill for about 5 minutes. Place your kabobs on your outside grill or a rack over coals. Grill for about 5 to 10 minutes, turning them frequently and brushing with the remaining marinade.
- Transfer the skewers to a large platter and squeeze additional lemon juice over them. Or serve with a drizzle of our favorite authentic tzatziki sauce, over them. Allow them to sit and rest before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Yields: 8 to 9 Kabobs
Notes
- If you plan to use bamboo or wooden skewers, you will need to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes or more before using them.
- If you are using a gas grill, it's best to heat your grill on low-medium heat when grilling seafood kabobs. They cook up quickly.
- Keep in mind, that the prep time does not include the time needed to marinate the swordfish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 servings Serving Size: 1 swordfish kabobAmount Per Serving: Calories: 123Total Fat: 8.4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 1.6gFiber: .4gSugar: .3gProtein: 9.9g
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!
They look wonderful!
thanks so much, Susan. Have a great weekend! … and happy grilling! 🙂