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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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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.
This was absolutely delicious, and very easy! I would totally make this for company - a keeper, for sure.
Barbara, I am so happy to hear that the recipe was enjoyed! Thank you for the comment!
I had never cooked trout before. Your recipe was so easy and it turned out beautiful and delicious. My wife wanted to know if there were leftovers for her to take for her lunch. Of course not, we ate it all at dinner!
Ha-ha, no leftovers, love it! Kirk, I am glad the recipe was a success. Thank you for stopping by and sharing this wonderful and fun feedback! 🙂
Hi Julia, i just started cooking fish on the stove (salmon/tilapia/steak tunas). I pretty much make them all the same: heat oil/butter on the pan, season fish, heat one side 4-5 mins & then 2-3 minutes on the other. So far they come out delicious. Gonna try trout for the 1st time. Is it absolutely necessary to leave on the pan (off heat)?
Fish is an excellent protein to eat regularly! Regarding this recipe - because the fish is cooked relatively briefly on the stovetop, the reason it is left covered, off heat, in the skillet, for several minutes is so that the fish continues to cook, off heat, gently, without overcooking. What you will have in the end is a soft, not dry, cooked fish.
very seasoned and tasty!
Kassidy, I am glad the recipe was enjoyed! 🙂
Hi Julia. I’ve never cooked trout before but I want to try this recipe as it looks very nice but I’m not sure what else to serve with it as a meal. What do you suggest please.
Carol, below are my recommendations:
1) Serve this with rice, risotto, cauliflower rice.
2) It will also be good with roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower.
3) Or, serve this with angel hair pasta or just dip the bread in the sauce.
4) If you want some of my favorite side dishes - Try this baked asparagus with Gruyere cheese, garlic, and bacon or these green beans with pine nuts. You can also try this cooked spinach with garlic and lemon zest.
Hi Julia. I’ve never cooked trout before but I want to try this recipe as it looks very nice but I’m not sure what else to serve with it as a meal. What do you suggest please.
I have made this a several times and it is absolutely amazing for how simple this recipe/method is. I think I have only been able to actually plate the fish once, because I eat it right out of the pan!
Ha-ha! It's not a bad way to serve this fish - right out of the pan. Like they do in some restaurants. Keeps the fish warm and creates a beautiful presentation!
Tried it and loved it. Followed all but had no white wine so used ACV. Oh and had no parsley so left it out. My man was highly impressed with how perfectly the fish came out.
Michele, your comment made my day! Thank you for sharing your changes - very helpful to other readers. And, thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
Fantastic recipe and easy to make. Thank you for this!
Mona, Thank you for taking the time to share such a kind comment and the 5-star review! 🙂
Wowza! I have made this recipe 5 times now. The first couple times with trout. It was mouth watering. Then I expanded it to red snapper! Oooo la la! We love it. I feel like I’m in Florida sitting at an ocean side 5 star restaurant!! Thank you!!!!
Lori, your enthusiastic comment made my day and made me smile at the same time. 🙂 Thank you for this uplifting feedback!
This was really good. My son really likes it and now wants to know every type of fish I can make. The sauce was yummy and made for a good parmeasan noodle topping and for mopping up with sourdough bread. Will definately make it again.
Sandy, I am so glad the recipe was a success and was enjoyed! Thank you for such a positive comment! Yes, this sauce is great for noodles and for dipping bread! 🙂
The flavor was good, but the fish was is not served hot due to the cooking technique. The fish sits too long removed from the heat and then the sauce is finished also removed from the heat after adding the butter. It results in lukewarm fish. Sorry, but I like my food hot.
Dawn, the fish sits covered, off heat, for about 5-10 minutes so that it gently cooks through. Since you just turn off the heat, the fish does not get lukewarm - it stays quite hot. However, if you do let the fish sit covered for longer than listed in the recipe - it will get lukewarm.
Great recipe. I have never made fish before - ever!! So I wasn’t expecting too much - but was pleasantly surprised that my children liked the trout. The second time I made this I didn’t have white wine, so I used red - fantastic!!!
I am very happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the comment! And, good to know that using red wine works fine, too!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was amazing! I didn't have the space to cook them in a fry pan as the fillets were too large. So I cooked them on a sheet pan in the oven, and made the sauce separately. My 7 year old kid who lives for fish sticks said he'll never eat fish sticks again if I cook fish like this. Hubs said the flavour on the fish was outstanding. Thank you for this beautiful recipe. I wish I had taken a pic before it all got eaten, but next time!!!
Christine, what a wonderful, heart-warming comment - thank you! I know that everybody is too busy to leave comments on people's blogs, but when I read comments like yours with a story behind them - they truly make my day! Thank you! 🙂
Fantastic! Very tasty. I didn't have the wine, so I substituted with apple cider vinegar. A very satisfying dish.
Doreen, I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing your changes - that's very helpful to me and others!
I absolutely love trout and this recipe! I usually keep it simple and just cook in brown butter. This is next level. Thank you! This will be my go to!
Carlette, I am so glad you love this recipe. Thank you for stopping by and letting me know - it means a lot!
LOVE LOVE this recipe!
Looking forward to your other recipes.
Thank you for sharing.
Sylvia, thank you for such a positive comment - I appreciate it! Enjoy other recipes!