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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. Rob

      August 07, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      Delicious & simple to make!

      Reply
    2. mili

      August 01, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      Great recipe !! thank you, everyone loved it

      Reply
    3. Joe

      August 01, 2020 at 1:32 am

      Cooked this lovely dish exactly as you specify; just like you say : quick, fast, delicious. As a side dish, I cooked saffron rice and steamed broccoli. I will definitely cook more trout this way again and the recipe is now an invaluable one in my arsenal. Thank You!

      Reply
    4. Doris Heroff

      July 22, 2020 at 11:01 pm

      Someone gave me two-year-old frozen lake trout that smelled a bit fishy when I opened the cryovac packaging. I removed the skin, soaked the fish in the juice of a lemon and proceeded with the reicpe. It saved the day: very delicious preparation, simple and fast but more importdantly it is an excellent methos for insurig the fish is not overcooked.

      Reply
    5. piebob

      July 16, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      this is a delicious recipe, but i'd like to echo what another commenter said--don't cook the fish too long, 10 minutes under the lid for a normal-sized trout filet, after between 6 and 10 minutes on the heat is wayyy too long if you're using a cast iron skillet, which holds the heat very well. i kept the initial sautee down to 3 minutes per side, then 5 minutes with the lid on, and it was perfect. loved everything else about this recipe.

      Reply
    6. Sharon Promislow

      July 09, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      I was blown away! First time I've cooked trout, so went looking for any pitfalls, and a good but uncomplicated recipe. Simple ingredients I had at hand (and love).The result was restaurant quality! Served it with gluten free pasta and veges, and eliminated the salt other than the butter being salted. We love, love the garlic lemon butter sauce and I can see it being my go-to with all sorts of other dishes and sides. Next time I will add green onions to the sauce. Clean up was a challenge from stove splatter. I don't usually saute. I must say I am in love with my new Oxo instant thermometer, as I was concerned that the short cooking time would not be enough for the thick part of the filet. But that time was enough to get me to the 145 degrees, perfect tender doneness.

      Reply
    7. Katrina Williams

      June 23, 2020 at 3:03 am

      I've made this dish two times already and I love it even more.

      Reply
    8. Pam

      June 11, 2020 at 6:37 pm

      Excellent but be careful not to cook it to long. Take it off the heat before it looks done because it really does finish cooking when it’s off the heat.

      Reply
    9. kiki

      June 03, 2020 at 5:48 pm

      I really loved it its a great dish. my husband and i eat this dish at least once a week. good job!! i rate it a 100/10

      Reply
    10. Michelke

      May 26, 2020 at 9:15 pm

      Just made this for dinner. It is the best trout we have ever eaten! Seriously, restaurant quality.

      Reply
    11. shona

      May 20, 2020 at 2:56 am

      This is now my husbands go to Trout dish instead of his usual way of smoking it. It was an easy recipe for him to follow, and we all gave it a 5/5 score.Yumm.

      Reply
    12. Marsha

      May 14, 2020 at 7:56 pm

      Amazing. Excellent recipe. Will definitely make this again.

      Reply
    13. MK Wilson

      May 09, 2020 at 10:24 am

      Delish and pretty easy! Will definitely make it again.

      Reply
    14. Melissa

      May 07, 2020 at 3:00 am

      This was my first time having trout and it was amazing! Didn't have the white wine but did it with everything else and I'm looking forward to doing it with the wine sometime soon! Lots of flavor but it didn't over power the fish which was great! Definitely try this recipe if your thinking about it!

      Reply
    15. Pauline Liesveld

      May 05, 2020 at 10:03 pm

      This recipe is the bomb! My husband and 5yo daughter cannot get enough of this dish! I didn't have white wine so i substituted it with white wine vinegar. This will be part of our main rotation from now on.

      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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