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    Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce

    By Julia | Updated: Aug 24, 2021 | Published: Oct 21, 2015 | 510 Comments

    387.7K shares
    • Facebook8.1K
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Trout Recipe with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce - simple and delicious way to cook fish, especially if you're in a hurry!  The whole recipe takes only 30 minutes.  Italian herb seasoning, chopped fresh parsley and garlic give great flavor to the fish!  Healthy, low-carb dinner rich in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

    2 Trout fillets with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce in a stainless steel skillet

    Trout fillets are usually pretty thin which makes them perfect for cooking on stove top in a skillet.  One of the best trout recipes I've tried is simply cooking the trout in the skillet  in olive oil, and then adding garlic, lemon juice, white wine, fresh parsley and butter.  That's it!  Simple and delicious.

    2 trout fillets seasoned with herb seasoning in a stainless steel skillet

    What makes this trout recipe work:

    • The ingredient list for this trout recipe is short and simple.
    • The trout itself is such a delicate fish with a great flavor, it doesn't need too many ingredients or special technique to enhance it.  So, just cook it in a large skillet on stove top with olive oil and butter, garlic, butter, lemon juice, white wine, fresh parsley.
    • The cooking times are short since trout fillets are usually pretty thin.  This trout recipe takes only 30 minutes from start to finish.
    2 Trout fillets seasoned with Italian seasoning, topped with chopped fresh parsley with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce in a stainless steel skillet

    I have also made this recipe using the type of fish I've never cooked with before - Arctic Char. Arctic Char looks very similar to trout, and it's closely related to both salmon and trout. Therefore, this recipe will also work with salmon and arctic char. Very easy and versatile!

    Other trout recipes

    • Another simple way to cook trout is simply to enhance it with capers, garlic, lemon and butter.  I combined just those ingredients to make this easy and delicious Trout with Caper-Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce.  And yes, I used steelhead trout for this recipe but you can use a regular trout.
    • I made this recipe with salmon - but it is easily adaptable for trout: Garlic Parmesan Crusted Salmon and Asparagus
    Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
    4.80 from 682 votes

    Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce

    One of the best trout recipes I've tried is simply cooking the trout in the skillet  in olive oil, and then adding garlic, lemon juice, white wine, fresh parsley and butter.  Gluten free, healthy, easy-to-make and delicious!   Low-carb dinner rich in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids. A family favorite!   Perfect way to cook an amazing fish: trout. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories per serving 380 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 pounds trout or salmon, or arctic char - 2 large fish fillets with skin on the bottom
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil more, if needed
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (dried thyme, oregano, parsley, combined together)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
    • 4 garlic cloves diced
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
    • 2 tablespoons white wine
    • 2 tablespoons butter softened
    • 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
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    Instructions 

    • Season the top of fish fillets with Italian herb seasoning and salt (generously). Fish fillets will have skins on the bottom - no need to season the skins.
    • In a large skillet (large enough to fit 2 fish fillets), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat until heated but not smoking.  To the hot skillet with olive oil, add fish fillets skin side up - flesh side down. Cook the flesh side of the fish for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat, making sure the oil does not smoke, until lightly browned.
    • Flip the fillets over to the other side, skin side down (add more oil, if needed). Cook for another 2-4 minutes on medium heat (to prevent oil from burning). 
    • Remove the skillet from heat, close with the lid, and let the fish sit for 5-10 minutes, covered, in the skillet, until flaky and cooked through completely.
    • After the fish is cooked through, off heat, using spatula, carefully remove fillets to the plate, separating the fish from the skin. Carefully remove or scrape the fish skin off the bottom of the pan, making sure to leave all the cooking oils in the pan.
    • Add diced garlic, lemon juice, and white wine to the same pan with oil. Cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minute, until garlic softens a bit. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons of butter, off heat, to the sauce, stirring, until the butter melts and forms a creamy mixture.
    • Add fish to the pan, spoon sauce over the fish, top the fish and sauce with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley, and serve.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    380
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    24
    g
    37
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    6
    g
    38
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    113
    mg
    38
    %
    Sodium
     
    286
    mg
    12
    %
    Potassium
     
    664
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    2
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    35
    g
    70
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    460
    IU
    9
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    8.8
    mg
    11
    %
    Calcium
     
    101
    mg
    10
    %
    Iron
     
    3.2
    mg
    18
    %
    * 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 how to cook trout, trout
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Christy D. Woods

      July 29, 2021 at 2:39 pm

      I love fish but fear cooking it myself. I usually just order it when we go out to eat. I decided to get past my fear and made this recipe. This was THE BEST trout I have ever tasted let alone cooked myself! And it was so much easier than I ever imagined! This recipe is definitely part of my menu rotation now!! Thanks so much!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 8:47 pm

        Christy, you are very welcome! So glad you found this recipe helpful and delicious! Thank you for stopping by and sharing such a positive comment! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Susan

      July 20, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Great recipe, my daughters were very skeptical on eating trout but loved the flavors of this dish!! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 9:49 pm

        Susan, I am so glad you enjoyed this dish! Thank you for a 5-star review! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Patrick F

      July 16, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      This was great. Was looking for a recipe for Trader Joe’s Rainbow trout fillets and this was delicious. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 10:03 pm

        Patrick, you are very welcome! Thank you for 5-star review - I really appreciate it! 🙂

        Reply
    4. André Martins

      July 14, 2021 at 9:30 pm

      Great success!!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 13, 2021 at 10:10 pm

        Happy to hear that!

        Reply
    5. Tracey

      June 29, 2021 at 8:10 pm

      Have made this twice now with great results. I definitely recommend

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 13, 2021 at 6:04 pm

        Tracey, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing such positive feedback - I really appreciate it!

        Reply
    6. Julie Brucki

      June 26, 2021 at 11:01 pm

      Made sauce tonight with, thyme instead of tarragon, toserve over sauteed trout fillets. Sauce was easy to prepare and finished the trout fillets off perfectly. Will defenitly be making this again.

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 13, 2021 at 6:09 pm

        Julie, I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    7. Barbara O

      June 15, 2021 at 7:30 pm

      love the recipe, very simple and delicious

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 13, 2021 at 6:45 pm

        Thank you, Barbara, glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    8. Joy

      June 09, 2021 at 3:03 pm

      This is the best recipe for trout. I've made it so many times. Always enjoyed and makes me look impressive!! Thank you, Julia.

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 13, 2021 at 6:53 pm

        Joy, thank you so much for your comment! So glad you enjoyed this recipe many times.

        Reply
    9. Brent

      May 22, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      I like to fish, but as far as how to cook them, I have no idea. I use this recipe on the trout/perch I caught and they was soo good! Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Shawn Williams

      May 21, 2021 at 10:36 am

      Really tasty and super easy!

      Reply
    11. Lisa Osmond

      May 17, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      Had this for dinner tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t have any white wine so I added more lemon juice. I would definitely make it again.so quick and easy too

      Reply
    12. Kristen

      May 16, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      Amazing flavors! I didn’t have parsley-so I used that new partially dried basil stuff to half amount and it was so good! This will be my good to trout recipe!

      Reply
    13. Tee

      May 04, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      This is my absolute favourite fish recipe. I don't typically cook with white wine so I use vegetable bouillon cubes with water. It works extremely well and gives it a nice flavour. I also cook vegetables with it as well (onions, zucchini, Peppers and cherry tomatoes) with a side of baamati rice and Spinach and apple puree. Everyone loves it and often goes back for seconds. Thanks so much for this recipe!!!!

      Reply
    14. Ann

      April 17, 2021 at 9:38 pm

      So delicious! One of my favorite fish recipes. Have made this several times since finding it!

      Reply
    15. Erin

      April 13, 2021 at 8:03 pm

      Never made trout before (salmon many times) this was perfect! My 6 year old had seconds! Will make again for sure!!

      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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