Quickly sautéed in butter and finished with lemon juice, pan-fried rainbow trout is easy to make and delicious.
I cook fish and seafood several times a week, including baked salmon, shrimp scampi, and grilled halibut. This recipe is one of my favorites. Rainbow trout is a delicious fish - a delicate version of salmon. The simple flavors of browned butter and lemon complement it well, and the quick preparation time is a bonus. Ready in just 20 minutes, it's the perfect dish to make when you're not in the mood for an elaborate recipe.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Rainbow trout: I buy the fish at Whole Foods Market or order it online. When ordering online, it comes frozen. I thaw the fish overnight in the fridge, then rinse and pat dry.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Fat for frying: I use a combination of butter and ghee. You can use olive oil, but butter is better. It turns into delicious brown butter.
- Lemon juice: I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Minced parsley: Mostly used for garnish, but also adds a layer of flavor.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper. Heat the ghee and butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the fish, skin side down.
Cook the fish until the skin is browned, for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the tops with garlic powder. Carefully flip, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until cooked through, for 2-3 more minutes.
Add the lemon juice to the skillet and remove it from the heat. Transfer the fish fillets to plates, drizzle them with the pan juices, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
So easy and so delicious! Will definitely put this recipe into the rotation.
Caroline
Read more comments
So easy and so delicious! Will definitely put this recipe into the rotation.Recipe Tips
- To help the skin brown, gently press on the fillets with a spatula to ensure the skin has full contact with the pan.
- The addition of ghee helps prevent the butter from burning. It will still brown, and you'll get delicious brown butter. But if the pan doesn't get overheated, it shouldn't burn.
- I add the garlic powder midway through cooking to prevent it from burning.
Recipe FAQs
It's not the same, but it does belong to the same family as the Pacific salmon. Its skin is dark, its flesh is pink, and it has a distinctive red line, as shown in the photo below. Its flavor is similar to salmon but milder.
Yes. Rainbow trout fillets are typically sold with the skin on, and that's good because the skin is fatty and delicious! The skin also provides a protective layer between the fish and the hot pan, helping protect the flesh from drying out.
Cooking fish skin-side down has two advantages. The first is that it helps crisp up the skin. Typically, you cook the fish longer on the first side, so you want that side to be the skin side. The second advantage is that when it's time to flip the fish, it's easier to slide a spatula under the fish's skin than under its fragile flesh.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to a month.
Serving Suggestions
When plating the trout, I like to place it on a bed of sautéed spinach or steamed spinach. I cook the spinach first, then keep it in a warm oven (170°F) while I cook the fish.
I also like to serve this fish with steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas, roasted cherry tomatoes, or sautéed broccolini.
When I don't feel like cooking a side dish, I opt for a salad. Good options include broccoli salad, asparagus salad, and cucumber tomato salad.
Recipe Card
Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout
Video
Ingredients
- 2 rainbow trout fillets - 4 ounces each, bones removed, skin on
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons parsley - minced
Instructions
- Pat the trout fillets dry using paper towels. Sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter and ghee over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat. When the butter starts foaming, add the fillets to the pan, skin side down.
- Cook the trout fillets, gently pressing on them with a wide spatula to ensure the skin has contact with the pan surface, until the skin is browned, for about 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the fish fillets with garlic powder. Carefully flip them. Lower the heat to medium and keep cooking the fish until cooked through, for 2-3 more minutes. The internal temperature should reach 145°F.
- Add the lemon juice to the pan and remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the fish to plates. Drizzle the pan juices over the fish. Sprinkle them with parsley and serve.
Notes
- I buy the fish at Whole Foods Market or order it online. When ordering online, it comes frozen. I thaw the fish overnight in the fridge, then rinse and pat dry.
- The addition of ghee helps prevent the butter from burning. It will still brown, and you'll get delicious brown butter, but as long as the pan doesn't get overheated, it shouldn't burn. If the pan seems to be heating too much, lower the heat.
- I add the garlic powder midway through cooking to prevent it from burning.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to a month.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Jeff Jennings says
How do I know that the trout is done? Does it need to reach 145 degrees like salmon? Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jeff,
You're correct - the internal temperature should reach 145°F.
Thank you for this question - I edited the recipe card to clarify.
Stanley Co says
Quick & easy.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stanley!
Caroline says
So easy and so delicious! Will definitely put this recipe into the rotation.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! I'm so glad this was a success, Caroline!
Lynn says
Easy and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and the trout was perfect.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad this recipe was a success, Lynn! Thank you for the comment.
Jeremy N Armstrong says
Can I use olive oil or avocado oil instead of ghee?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Jeremy,
Yes, you can.