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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.
Left the skin on, didn't make a difference and saved me the time. Also put a bit more salt - and pepper - in the end. Didn't have wine, didn't need it anyways - turned out delicious!
Duane, thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. Glad you loved the recipe!
Love this recipe!!! Followed all instructions and used advised ingredients except I replaced parsley at the end with cilantro chopped for the gravy. Since this is my first try with a fish, I realized I could have fried it for a little less time to get it a bit more tender.
This 5⭐️ recipe will go into my collection for life.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for such a generous comment! It made me smile and made my day much better - thank you! 🙂
Oh. My. Goodness. That's what this recipe is, pure, simple goodness! I have book marked it after my husband's stamp of approval!
Your comment made my day - thank you for stopping by and sharing this positive feedback! 🙂
I’ve made this more times than I can count. An easy and delicious recipe. Thank you!
Olivia, I am so glad you found this recipe worth repeating!
I live in a dry county, so I'm not usually able to keep wine on hand. Subbed chicken broth, and before adding the fish back to the pan I whisked in a few tablespoons of heavy cream to cut a little bit of the lemon taste (I personally hate lemons lol, but I realize their importance in recipes). OMG - HIGHLY recommend! I'm a cream sauce kinda gal anyway, but it just made the sauce nice and cozy. Thank you so much for the recipe! I'm adding it into our permanent rotation!
Wow, Claire, I love-love your creativity! Love the addition of cream - will have to try it myself soon! Thank you for the idea! 🙂
Where is the garlic in this recipe?
Number 6.
Add diced garlic, lemon juice, and white wine to the same pan with oil.
It's under step 6
Bree, there are 4 garlic cloves listed in the ingredients list.
Hello, making this tomorrow with rainbow trout. It's fresh with tail and head still on. Never cooked trout before. Should I cut the tail and head off before cooking or keep it on then cut off after. Help!
We bought steelhead for the first time and I had no idea how to make it. This recipe was perfect and very easy to follow! My husband is picky and he said it was amazing so I will definitely be making it again! It went great with a baked potato and salad! Oh, I didn't have white wine so I substituted red Moscato and it was great!
Kristie, I am glad you found this recipe and gave it a try. Thank you for taking the time to share such a positive and kind comment - it means a lot to me! 🙂
Loved this recipe and my husband loved the fish surprised because it was not fried
Yolanda, thank you so much for your comment - I love reading the feedback from people who try my recipes! 🙂
Just made this for tonight’s dinner and it was absolutely delicious. So easy to make with ingredients on hand. I didn’t change a thing and will definitely be making this restaurant quality trout recipe again and sharing it with my other fish loving friends. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sandy, you are very welcome! I am glad you gave this recipe a try and that it was a success! Thanks for taking the time time to comment! 🙂
The garlic sauce really made this trout delicious. Gourmet flavor. Thanks for sharing.However, I didn't have nearly the amount of sauce that you show in your picture.
Andrea, I am so glad you liked the recipe and the sauce! Thank you for your kind words! 🙂 You can definitely double the sauce if you like!
loved it. It was delicious.
thanks
Glad the recipe was enjoyed!
Just made this sautéed shrimp on the side and added toasted panko and served on top with mixed green veggies great recipe
Saundra, I am glad you liked this recipe! Love that you used shrimp and served this over green veggies - sounds delicious!
Made this tonight! It was delicious!
Glad you liked it!
Made this tonight! It was delicious!
Thank you!
Made this just like the recipe said. It was delicious! Served it with rice and an Italian style salad. Will definitely be making this again!
Leona, I am so glad this recipe was a success for you! Love that you served it with rice and a salad.