Swordfish is an extremely delicious taco filling that pairs amazingly with tangy tomatillo salsa. You will love the balance of sweet and tart in these tacos.

A little kick from the roasted jalapeño and the creaminess of the avocado perfectly complement the seared swordfish. Plus, you can have them ready and on the table in 30 minutes!

Front view of a row of fish tacos with green salsa and avocado.

Why this Recipe Works

The meaty swordfish strips are paired with creamy and smooth avocados which have a mild flavor, and also with a spicier, tangy tomatillo salsa which balances out with those milder flavors.

I offer instructions to pan fry or grill, making this recipe flexible for your preference.

Roasting or broiling your vegetables for the tomatillo salsa is a game-changer – the heat of the oven helps amplify the flavors and uplift the salsa. You can customize your level of spiciness by leaving out some of the jalapeños, leaving out the seeds, or adding more.

The swordfish has a mild taste making it the perfect base for the roasted salsa and a crowd pleaser. Everyone is going to love these tacos.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Swordfish – Swordfish is a mild, meaty fish. It has a dense texture and can be easy to over-cook. When overcooked it has a chewy, dry texture. If you can’t find it, feel free to substitute it with another meaty, white fish.

White corn tortilla – My preference is white corn tortillas, but you could always use yellow corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or a gluten-free tortilla like a cassava flour tortilla.

Tomatillos – Your green tomatillos should be husked, cleaned thoroughly, and cut in half.

Note: My favorite thing to pair with swordfish is tomatillo salsa. You can always buy your favorite salsa available at the store, but if tomatillos are in season, consider making your own!

Onion – You can use either a small red or yellow onion. My preference in this recipe is red onion which is slightly milder.

Garlic – You will need whole garlic cloves that have been removed from the bulb, but not peeled.

Hot sauce – I personally love an extra kick of hot sauce on my tacos but you totally can leave it out if you want.

Oil – I usually use avocado oil. You can substitute with any other flavorless oil like canola or vegetable.

How to Make this Recipe

Tomatillo Salsa

Peel the tomatillos and wash them thoroughly. Tomatillos have a stickiness under the husk that you need to wash off.

Woman peeling green tomatillos on a black cutting board.

Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves to a sheet pan. Lightly drizzle them all with avocado oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Broil in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

Note that piercing the garlic cloves makes them easier to peel after you broil them, and allows them to cook through.

Charred tomatillos and onions on a large silver baking sheet.

Modifying the spice level of your salsa: If you like your salsa spicy, you can add an extra jalapeño to the oven. If you prefer your salsa on the mild side, use only 1/2 of a jalapeño.

Next, peel the broiled garlic so the papery outer layer is gone (they should pop out easily), and add all the ingredients to a food processor. Add in the juice of half of a lime. Pulse the salsa until the mixture is at your desired level of chunkiness.

Jar of green salsa next to a striped napkin and flour tortilla.

Always taste it and adjust for the lime, salt, and pepper level.

Preparing the Swordfish

Drizzle the swordfish strips with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear them in the pan, and make sure you get all the sides well seasoned and oiled.

Cook in a non-stick pan over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, getting all sides, as shown. You can easily grill the swordfish on a BBQ outside if you prefer.

Cooking fish in a pan.

Heating the Tortillas – Don’t Skip This Step!

The biggest taco mistake you can make is forgetting to heat up the tortillas before serving. Heating tortillas helps to reduce their chances of tearing and makes them more pliable. Plus, it makes them taste better!

Heat them for a few minutes on the stovetop or in the oven before serving. I like to heat them directly on the stovetop flame, flipping them about 4-6 times.

You can also heat tortillas in the microwave. Just wrap them in a kitchen towel, and heat them for 20-30 seconds at a time until they are warmed through.

Taco Assembly

Layer each taco as follows: 2 tortillas, 1/8 of the avocado mixture, 1 piece of swordfish, and then ~2 tablespoons of the tomatillo salsa. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

The double tortilla is a street taco classic technique that keeps the tortilla base strong to prevent tearing. Trying to eat a taco while the contents are leaking out of your taco is no fun!

Three assembled fish tacos with green salsa laid on a black table.

More Easy and Delicious Fish Recipes

These are some of the most popular fish recipes on the blog right now.

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Three tacos topped with green salsa.

Swordfish Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Save
These swordfish tacos are delicious, easy, and they're ready in less than 30 minutes! Plus, a homemade tomatillo salsa that's the perfect pairing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 797kcal

Ingredients

Swordfish Tacos

  • 1 1/2 lbs. swordfish cut into 8 strips ~1″ thick
  • 16 white corn tortillas
  • 2 tbsp flavorless oil like avocado, canola, vegetable
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 avocados skin and pit removed, smashed up in a bowl
  • 1 lime cut into 8 wedges, for serving
  • hot sauce optional

Tomatillo Salsa

  • 1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos husked, cleaned, and cut in half
  • 2 jalapeños stem removed and cut in half
  • 1/2 red onion quartered
  • 1/2 bulb garlic not peeled, cloves pierced with a pairing knife
  • 1-2 tbsp flavorless oil vegetable, or canola
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 lime juiced

Instructions

Tomatillo Salsa

  • Add the tomatillos, jalapenños, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves to a sheet pan. Lightly drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Broil for 5-7 minutes.
  • Peel the garlic. Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Add the juice of 1/2 lime. Pulse until the mixture is your desired chunkiness. Taste and adjust for lime, salt & pepper.

Swordfish Tacos

  • Drizzle the swordfish with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure you get all the sides.
  • To pan fry: heat your oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat and add in the pieces of fish. Cook the fish for 2 to 3 minutes per side until they are cooked through.
    To grill: cook over direct heat for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through.
  • Layer your tacos as follows: 2 tortillas, 1/8 of the avocado mixture, 1 piece of swordfish, and then ~2 tbsp of the tomatillo salsa. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce.

Notes

Piercing the garlic cloves helps them cook through and makes them easy to peel after broiling.
Heat the tortillas for a few minutes on the stovetop or in the oven before serving. I heat them directly on the stovetop flame, flipping them 4-6 times. See post for other heating methods.

Nutrition

Calories: 797kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 1920mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 639IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

5 Comments

  1. I’m so happy you branched out and made something new, Tisha! It’s always a bonus when it comes out great the first time… great job!

  2. Right?! My favorite thing to do with the leftover salsa is to use it on avocado toast topped with a fried egg… yum!

5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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