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This mouthwatering Pan-Fried Trout recipe features tender and juicy garlic herb butter-drenched trout fillets with crispy skins. A restaurant-quality dinner ready in less than 15 minutes!
There’s no shortage of quick, easy, and budget-friendly dinner recipes on my blog, but this recipe for Pan-Fried Trout has to be one of the easiest. And don’t think that just because it’s foolproof means it’s missing flavor! Trust me, you’re going to love this mouthwatering meal.
I started by drenching delicate and flaky trout fillets in homemade herb butter to make them flavorful from the inside out. Then, similar to my pan-seared cod recipe, I fried them in a hot skillet with butter to lock in the moisture, keeping the inside tender and juicy while the skin gets super crispy.
Finish them off with a squeeze of lemon juice and voila! A quick and easy dinner of restaurant quality.
Recipe features
- A delicious and budget-friendly dish that’s ready in less than 15 minutes!
- Pan-frying gives you tender and juicy trout with a crispy skin.
- An easy 6-ingredient herb garlic butter fills every bite with mouthwatering flavors.
- It pairs well with everything, from easy bone broth rice to this rich brown butter brussels sprouts salad!
Ingredients
Trout – You can use either a whole trout or individual skin-on fillets. When you’re shopping, look for fresh fish with firm flesh and a subtle ocean-like scent. Keep in mind that steelhead trout tends to be a bit firmer and more flavorful, while rainbow trout is delicate and mild. If your trout is frozen, thaw it in the fridge before cooking.
Butter – You need butter to make the herb butter and for frying the fish. I would recommend using unsalted butter for both.
Garlic herb butter – A simple herb butter—made with melted butter, minced garlic cloves, fresh dill, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper—is brushed over the trout before cooking to take every bite up a notch. Personally, I think it’s delicious and mouthwatering as-is but you can always play with the flavors as much as you’d like. Either use fresh tarragon or chives instead of the dill/parsley or use dried herbs as a substitute (only use ⅓ of the amount called for in the recipe).
Instructions
Step 1: Make the herb butter. Melt some of the butter in the microwave before combining it with the garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: Prepare the trout. Pat the trout dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Brush a generous amount of the herb butter over each fillet.
Step 3: Pan-fry. Heat the remaining plain butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it has melted, place the trout fillets skin-side down in the pan and fry until the skin is crispy.
Step 4: Flip and finish. Use a fish spatula to gently flip the trout fillets and continue cooking until the fish is cooked through. Garnish them with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice, then enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- Take the trout out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start cooking so it can come down to room temperature. This will help it cook evenly.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels to help the seasonings stick and crisp up the skin while frying.
- Make this quick dinner even faster by preparing the herb butter up to 1 week ahead of time. Just keep it covered in the fridge until it’s time to use it!
Tip
Fry the fish skin side down to start. Don’t flip it until the skin crisps up and becomes golden brown. If the skin sticks, let it cook a little longer before flipping.
Variations
Season your trout to your liking using these spice rubs and flavor variations:
- Cajun-spiced – Coat the fish with a Cajun or blackened seasoning blend before pan-frying for smoky and slightly spicy flavors. To balance the heat, finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
- Dijon-crusted – Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the trout before adding the herb butter. The mustard adds an extra layer of flavor and helps create a delicious crust as it cooks.
- Pesto-finished – Brush a thin layer of almond pesto over the fish instead of the herb butter. My red pepper pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto would be good here, too!
Serving suggestions
Pan-fried rainbow or steelhead trout makes for a light yet satisfying dinner you can serve any night of the week. I like it best with fresh, vegetable-forward side dishes. An arugula salad or beetroot salad always adds a pop of color to the plate, while streamed broccoli or sauteed asparagus take almost no time to prepare.
For a more substantial meal, serve the fish with roasted red potatoes or mashed potatoes and the cooked grains of your choice, like caramelized onion quinoa, bone broth rice, or tomato risotto.
How do you know when the trout is done cooking?
Trout cooks quickly—about 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets. When done, it should easily flake with a fork at the thickest part and look opaque.
Remember that trout will continue to cook slightly after it’s removed from the pan, so it’s okay to take it off the heat just before it looks fully done.
Do you eat the skin on pan-fried trout?
Yes, you want to keep the skin on the trout! As it fries, the skin crisps up and gives the tender fish a satisfying crunch and a slightly smoky taste. Still, if you prefer not to eat the skin, it’s easy to remove it once the fish is cooked.
Storage
Refrigerator: Transfer the leftover pan-seared trout to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezer: Wrap the trout in a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for 1 to 2 months. The skin will lose some of its crispiness, but the fish will still taste great once it’s thawed and reheated.
Reheating: To keep it from drying out, reheat the trout in a covered pan over medium heat with some olive oil or butter.
More fish recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Pan-Fried Trout
This mouthwatering Pan-Fried Trout recipe features tender and juicy garlic herb butter-drenched trout fillets with crispy skins. A restaurant-quality dinner ready in less than 15 minutes!
Servings:
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. trout with skin on (either 1 large trout or individual fillets)
- 3 tablespoon butter melted and divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon dill plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon parsley plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
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Start by making the herb butter: melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, add the garlic, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
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Pat the fish dry, then season with salt and pepper. Spread the herb butter over each trout fillet.
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Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the trout skin-side down and cook for 3 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the fish over and cook for 3 more minutes or until cooked through.
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Garnish with additional dill, parsley and/or chives and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional) and enjoy!
Notes
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 559IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg
