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    Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Black Pepper, and Garlic

    By Julia | Updated: Aug 24, 2021 | Published: Nov 08, 2018 | 111 Comments

    18.4K shares
    • Facebook2.0K
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Lemon Pepper Garlic Rainbow Trout and Asparagus baked on a sheet pan in the oven. Healthy, low-carb, and gluten-free recipe, packed with healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Easy and quick - only 30 minutes from start to finish!

    rainbow trout recipe with asparagus on sheet pan

     

    For this recipe, I used a single large rainbow trout fillet which made 2 generous servings. You can easily double this recipe by using 2 trout fillets.

    Rainbow trout is such a tasty fish with a wonderful yet mild flavor - it doesn't need much enhancing at all, which makes it a very easy fish to cook.  To bring out the best flavor out of trout, I used very basic ingredients: olive oil, salt and pepper, minced garlic, and fresh lemon slices. That's it! That's all you really need to make the best rainbow trout!

    The fish is baked on a sheet pan together with asparagus. This recipe makes a complete meal: you get the dinner (trout) and the side dish (asparagus) done at the same time.

    About trout

    • Trout is low carb and contains a good amount of protein. There are also health benefits to eating trout as it is packed with omega 3 fatty acids.
    • Asparagus has a low carb content and makes an excellent side dish for trout.
      Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Pepper, and Garlic

    What spices to use for cooking rainbow trout

    There are lots of ways that you can enhance the flavor of trout with simple ingredients:

    • Use basic ingredients, such as salt and pepper, minced garlic, and lemon slices.
    • Dried and fresh herbs go great with rainbow trout. Use thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, or dill.
    • Use dry rubs for fish. You can buy excellent dry rubs made specifically for fish in various stores, or you can make your own. It's easy to make your own dry rub for fish: combine small amounts of dried paprika, chili powder, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and dried herbs, such as oregano, parsley, cilantro, etc.

    How to cook rainbow trout fillets in the oven

    Rainbow trout fillets are usually quite large in size, which makes them well-suited for baking on a sheet pan in the oven!  Here is how to make baked rainbow trout:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
    2. Line a rimmed small baking sheet (I used half sheet) with parchment paper.
    3. Place trout fillet skin side down in center of the baking sheet. Brush 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the trout.
    4. Sprinkle salt and cracked black pepper over the trout.
    5. Spread minced garlic over the trout fillet.
    6. Top trout with lemon slices.
    7. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 F in the preheated oven until the trout fillet is cooked through.

    Step-by-step photos for cooking the rainbow trout:

    Place the trout fillet skin side down and asparagus on a parchment paper lined sheet pan:
    rainbow trout fillet skin side down and asparagus on parchment paper lined sheet pan

    Spread olive oil over the trout and the asparagus.  Sprinkle the fish and the vegetables with salt and black pepper. Add minced fresh garlic on top.
    salt and pepper and minced garlic sprinkled over the rainbow trout fillet and asparagus on sheet pan

    Add thinly sliced lemon.
    lemon slices on top of rainbow trout fillet with asparagus on sheet pan

    Bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 15 minutes.
    baked rainbow trout and asparagus with lemon on parchment paper lined sheet pan

    Remove lemon slices before serving, if you like.
    cooked rainbow trout with asparagus on parchment paper lined sheet pan

    What to serve with rainbow trout:

    • Oven-roasted vegetables, such as asparagus, sliced bell peppers, red onions.
    • Grilled vegetables, such as squash, zucchini, red onions, asparagus, or bell peppers.
    • Potatoes. Serve mashed potatoes or oven-baked potatoes roasted with herbs and garlic in olive oil.
    • Fresh green salad. Make a simple green salad by tossing together spinach, or arugula, or mixed salad greens with a small amount of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Top the salad with shredded Parmesan cheese and a handful of nuts, such as cashew nuts, pine nuts, or toasted slivered almonds.
    • Rice.  Jasmine rice is an excellent side dish choice for trout fish.  For more flavor, serve wild rice or flavored rice.

    Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Pepper, and Garlic

    Other trout recipes

    These 2 recipes feature pan-fried trout cooked in a large skillet on a stovetop:

    • Trout Recipe with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce - pan-fried trout made with Italian herb seasoning, chopped fresh parsley, and garlic butter sauce.
    • Steelhead Trout with Garlic Butter Lemon Caper Sauce - healthy and low-carb dinner rich in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

    Side dishes to serve with rainbow trout

    Fresh, colorful, Mediterranean-style salads are a way to go with trout:

    • Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Basil Pesto
    • Tomato Basil Avocado Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Dressing

    You can also serve plain rice or flavored rice as a side dish.  Make your own flavored rice:

    • Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice
    • Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Rice
    Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Pepper, and Garlic-10
    4.80 from 225 votes

    Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Pepper, and Garlic

    Sheet-Pan Baked Rainbow Trout and Asparagus.  Trout is flavored with olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper, freshly minced garlic and fresh lemon.  Healthy, low-carb, and gluten-free recipe, packed with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.  Easy and quick dinner - only 30 minutes from start to finish!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 2 people
    Calories per serving 521 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound rainbow trout
    • 1 pound asparagus
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 5 cloves garlic , minced
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper , cracked
    • ½ lemon , sliced
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 400 F.
    • Line a rimmed small baking sheet (I used half sheet) with parchment paper.
    • Place rainbow trout skin side down in the center of the baking sheet. Brush half of olive oil amount over the top of trout. 
    • Toss the asparagus (ends trimmed) with the remaining half of olive oil. Place asparagus all around trout on a sheet pan. 
    • Sprinkle the trout and the asparagus with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic on top of the trout fillet and asparagus.  Top with lemon slices.
    • Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 F in the preheated oven until the trout is cooked through.
    • Remove from the oven. Remove lemon slices from the trout before serving.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Baked Rainbow Trout with Lemon, Pepper, and Garlic
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    521
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    29
    g
    45
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    25
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    133
    mg
    44
    %
    Sodium
     
    658
    mg
    29
    %
    Potassium
     
    1616
    mg
    46
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    14
    g
    5
    %
    Fiber
     
    5
    g
    21
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    52
    g
    104
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1855
    IU
    37
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    34.8
    mg
    42
    %
    Calcium
     
    227
    mg
    23
    %
    Iron
     
    6.8
    mg
    38
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword rainbow trout recipe, baked rainbow trout
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Margaret Collinge

      November 25, 2024 at 10:01 pm

      Could you sub.steelhead for rainbow trout in this recipe.
      I prefer sheetpan recipes and steelhead is more available

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 02, 2024 at 9:13 pm

        Yes, you can use either!

        Reply
    2. SUSAN CAMMEROTA

      October 24, 2024 at 10:46 pm

      I made this tuna bake and it was great and fanstasic! Just what I needed being fast and having most of the indgredients right here at home. I left out the aparagus (we don't care for that) and added a baked potatoe and small salad. On my own plate, I added spinach and asiago cheese melted on top. Very delicious and quick.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 26, 2024 at 9:23 pm

        Hi Susan! I'm so happy to hear this recipe worked well with tuna! I love your serving suggestions, too!

        Reply
    3. Joan Churchill

      October 18, 2024 at 8:26 pm

      Hi Julia, I just tried your recipe for rainbow trout
      and I can honestly say this is the very first time
      I made something from theses sights that actually
      turned out perfectly. Usually it is not cooked when they
      say. Thank you so much, I will be using your recipes
      a lot.
      Joan Churchill

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 26, 2024 at 10:41 pm

        Thank you for trusting my recipes, Joan! I hope my other dishes will not disappoint either.

        Reply
    4. Nancy

      April 27, 2024 at 10:51 am

      Being in the South it is hard to find trout in the supermarket. Is there another fish you would recommend using with this recipe? Could salmon be used?

      Reply
      • Julia

        April 27, 2024 at 1:35 pm

        Hi Nancy, salmon will work great! Large unsliced salmon fillet or individual salmon fillets are both great options.

        Reply
    5. Carolyn

      January 09, 2024 at 6:22 am

      Julia,
      The picture is a side of trout, probably 3-4 pounds. Yet the recipe is for 1 pound. Did you actually use this recipe for that side of trout? Do you triple all the ingredients when the trout is that big. Shouldn’t the picture match the recipe?

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 09, 2024 at 11:12 am

        Carolyn, no, this trout was definitely on the smaller side, 1 pound. I think what might be confusing for you is the perceived size of the sheet pan. I actually used a quarter sheet pan (sized 9x13 inches) - that's what's pictured. 🙂 (as opposed to a regular full-sheet pan measured 26x18 inches or even a half sheet).

        You can also see by the size of the asparagus that the trout is not that big. 🙂 I wish I could get my hands on a 3-4 pound trout though! 🙂

        Reply
        • Mark

          January 10, 2024 at 8:44 pm

          Caught a 8# & 4# Rainbow in Oct., This is the best tasting simple recipe I have used so far !!! I sinned I used 1/2 butter!
          By the way your images are over the top !
          Thanks

          Reply
          • Julia

            January 11, 2024 at 4:23 pm

            Mark, I am so glad you like this recipe! 🙂 Thank you for your compliments about my photos and for taking the time to share your super positive review!

            Reply
        • SC

          February 17, 2024 at 5:06 pm

          I have never seen rainbow trout that salmon colored...steelhead trout, sure ;!)

          Reply
    6. Jesse Bookless

      November 04, 2023 at 4:06 pm

      Pretty sure that that isn't a trout in the pictures. Salmon develop a red tinge to their flesh from eating plankton in the ocean. I have not eaten or cooked ocean run steelhead. So I guess it could be that. But that is steelhead. Yes I know "technically" steelhead is a trout from the ocean.

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 05, 2023 at 3:15 pm

        Jesse, this was labeled as "rainbow trout" when I bought it. 🙂 But anyway, I am looking forward to making more trout dinners after the holiday rush is over, so I have a better variety of trout recipes of all kinds to present and choose from.

        Reply
      • Eric Gainer

        March 22, 2024 at 6:31 pm

        The rainbow trout I'm baking tonight is pretty red orange

        Reply
        • Julia

          March 28, 2024 at 11:32 pm

          Interesting. There are so many varieties of fish within a variety!

          Reply
      • Lisa

        March 29, 2024 at 7:48 pm

        My family ice fishes in Colorado lakes. Our trout are definitely pink, they do look like salmon. Right on Julia!

        Reply
        • Julia

          March 30, 2024 at 12:04 pm

          Wow, ice fishing in Colorado sounds like fun! I live in Colorado mountains but have never done this!

          Reply
        • Dave

          May 06, 2024 at 4:28 pm

          Yup, and I am cooking some rainbow from Lake Erie tonight that is definitely the same salmon colour.

          Reply
          • Julia

            May 07, 2024 at 5:51 pm

            Thanks for chiming in, Dave! Freshly-caught trout is the best!

            Reply
    7. Malissa Allen

      August 31, 2023 at 6:39 pm

      Easy weeknight sheet pan dish!! Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
    8. Rose

      August 02, 2023 at 4:21 pm

      So glad I found this recipe. So easy and delicious. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks, Julia!

      Reply
    9. Marion

      April 29, 2023 at 7:49 pm

      Very easy recipe! Recommend starting the cooking of the asparagus before the fish as our meal turned out such that the fish was overcooked and the asparagus was undercooked.

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 07, 2023 at 9:22 pm

        Marion, that's a great tip, especially if the asparagus stalks are thick.

        Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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