Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Rainbow trout: I buy frozen fillets at Trader Joe's. I defrost them 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. The addition of ghee helps prevent the butter from burning.
• Lemon juice: I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe.
• Minced parsley: Mostly used for garnish, but it also adds a layer of flavor.

This is a simple recipe, and that's a big part of its appeal. So, I don't usually make too many changes. But if you'd like, adding more spices is an excellent way to change things up. When sprinkling the fish with garlic powder, I sometimes add a pinch of paprika and dried thyme.

Another variation is to cook the fish in two tablespoons of olive oil instead of the butter/ghee combination. I tried it and liked it, but I prefer butter. It turns into browned butter and is delicious.

Here's an overview of the steps for making this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the ghee and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts foaming, 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 the trout fillets, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until they're cooked through. This should take 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.

Expert Tips

1. To help the skin brown, gently press on the fillets with a spatula to ensure the skin has full contact with the pan.
2. 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.
3. I add the garlic powder midway through cooking to ensure it doesn't burn.

What is rainbow trout?

Should I cook fish with the skin on?

Why do you start cooking fish skin-side down?

Serving Suggestions

When plating the trout, I like to place it on a bed of sauteed spinach or steamed spinach. I cook the spinach first, then keep it in a warm oven (170°F) and cook the fish.

I also like to serve this fish with steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas, roasted cherry tomatoes, or sauteed broccolini.

Pan-Fried Rainbow Trout

Quickly sauteed in butter and finished with lemon juice, this pan-fried rainbow trout is as easy as it's delicious.

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 360kcal

Add Your Own Notes

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 1trout fillet | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 383mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g