This Garlic Butter Rainbow Trout is a quick and flavorful dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Baked in a savory garlic butter sauce, it’s tender, flaky, and full of delicious flavor. Whether you’re a fish lover or just looking for something light and tasty, this recipe is a must-try!
And if you have an air fryer, try my Air Fryer Trout recipe.
I always buy salmon because I love it. Here in Canada, this fish is popular. You can find it in almost every grocery store. But the last time my husband went shopping on his own, he accidentally picked up a rainbow trout fillet instead.
I decided to give it a try with this recipe, and we were so happy with how it turned out that I’ve already made it a few more times. Now I’m excited to share it with you all because it’s just that good!
I liked it because it’s always good to change things up a little bit. If you enjoy salmon like me, you will love this fish too since it tastes similar, although trout tends to be a little stronger in flavor.
Key Ingredients to make rainbow trout Recipe
Rainbow trout fillet — You can make this recipe with fresh or frozen fish fillets. If buying fresh, check for shiny scales and firm flesh. For frozen fillets, check to make sure that there aren’t any dried out edges. You can also make this recipe with steelhead trout.
Butter — It’s better to use unsalted butter because it lets you control the amount of salt in your recipe more precisely.
Dill — I like to use fresh dill or parsley. But you can also use lots of different fresh herbs such as thyme, oregano and fresh thyme too.
How to Cook Trout
- First, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Second, cut a sheet of foil that is large enough to wrap the trout fillet very well.
- Place the trout fillet in the center of a foil-lined baking sheet. Fold up the foil sides, but don’t cover the fish yet.
- Pat the trout dry, then season it with dill, fresh garlic, salt and black pepper.
- Melt some butter in the microwave or on the stove and drizzle it over the trout until evenly coated.
- Fold the sides of the foil over the trout and cover the trout completely. Then, bake for about 13 minutes.
- The cooking time will depend on the size of the trout fillet. Now, open the foil, and broil for 3 minutes. Serve with squeeze fresh lemon juice and top with lemon slices.
Tip: Fish is cooked when it reaches 145ºF. I always use this food thermometer to check the internal temperature. It gives me an exact reading in seconds—no guesswork, just juicy, flaky fish every time.
Ways To Serve This Rainbow Trout
Roasted or Grilled Veggies: Try asparagus, bell peppers, red onions, zucchini, or squash as side dishes.
Potatoes: Mashed potatoes or herb-roasted with garlic and olive oil is great with this fish. Or try my air fryer sweet potato.
Fresh Salad: Toss spinach, arugula, or mixed greens with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan, and nuts or make a greek salad.
Rice: Jasmine, wild, or fluffy rice pairs perfectly with trout.
Want Other Fish Recipes? Try These Favorites:
- Baked Halibut: Light, flakey, and moist, you are going to love this recipe.
- Baked Tilapia: This recipe is great for when you want lots of flavor without a lot of work.
- Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil: It’s ready in less than 25 minutes and is delicious with salads and roasted veggies.
- Garlic Butter Cod Fish Recipe: What a tender and juicy cod filet! I used garlic butter sauce I baked to perfection in 15 minutes!
- And if you have an air fryer, try my Air Fryer Trout recipe.
Garlic Butter Rainbow Trout Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound rainbow trout fillet
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dill minced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the trout completely. Then, cover the baking sheet with the aluminum foil, and place the trout fillet in the center.
- Then, season the trout with salt and pepper. Drizzle the melted butter over the trout until evenly coated and top with minced garlic and fresh minced dill.
- Fold the sides of the foil over the trout. Cover it completely.
- Bake for about 13 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Then, open the foil, and broil for 3 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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Wow! garlic is one of my most favorite ingredients, and it is delicious. The trout is a unique twist and might be a challenging recipe for me. Can’t wait to try it and share it with everyone.
Please, try it. You’re gonna love it since you like garlic 😉
Olivia, just want to thank you for all your amazing recipes and the stories that go with them. I don’t reply often, but wanted you to know that you are appreciated and your emails get read, saved, and used. Again and again. Thanks!
This makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad you enjoy my emails. Thanks so much for trying my recipes and stopping by to leave this lovely comment.
Do you have any suggestions for preparing this on the grill? We are going trout fishing and won’t have access to an oven while we’re there.
Easy and Delicious!!
Added steamed brocoli and a spring mix/cucumber salad.
Sounds delicious with the steamed broccoli.
I’m making the exact same thing tonight..yummy
Awesome 😉
Wow! garlic is one of my wife’s favourite ingredients, she loves to use garlic on most of the recipes, and it is really fantastic. This is a challenging recipe for me. Can’t wait to try it and share it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re very welcome. Hope she likes it 😉
Definitely am going to try this! Wife and I used to live by a “well known” wild trout stream with a limit of 4 a day. Park beside the stream had grills so we kinda fudged on the limit as we were young and poor at the time. Brought a mix of butter, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper and fired up the grill before the line hit the water. Cleaned and stuffed the cavity with the mix and grilled and ate fish as we caught them. Fed our young family like that often with little or no cost. Still makes my mouth water!
Those were the days!!! I now have about 15-18lbs in the freezer just waiting for an excuse to cook them. This is it!!! 🙂
Glad to hear that. Hope you enjoy this recipe 😉
I just tried this but accidentally pre-heated to 400 and because I had a much smaller portion I put it in for 10 minutes instead of 13. After 10 minutes I pulled it out to remove the covering foil and then put it on broil and it was 100% raw still. I put it back in for 15 more minutes and it came out better.
Delicious recipe! My four young kiddos devoured the trout and didn’t leave me with any leftovers!
Awesome! I’m so thrilled to hear your kids enjoyed this recipe!
Delicious!
😉
This came out great. 1.25 lb of trout in 3 foil packets, with fresh thyme, oregano, garlic. 13min was great, and the sealed foil butter packets made it very forgiving to cook: one piece of trout was very thin, and another was about a inch thick yet they all came out juicy.
Next time I might take out the thin one at 10 minutes but it wasn’t dry at all.
Oh also, this LOOKS beautiful with the green herbs and red crushed pepper, really classy dish.
it was good my first time doing it.
Happy you liked it!
My husband does not like baked fish, And subtlety has never been my strong suit. I followed your recipe but I had to add more spices – smoky truffle, honey garlic, N’ Orleans cajun seasoning & a few moe. I had roasted broccoli & cauliflflower & baked potato. He hasn’t stopped raving about it since.
Mm.. Sounds delicious! Happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. It is pretty yummy 😉
I want to try this. Can I place broccoli in the foil pack as well?
Yes you can!
Came out really heavenly! Always preferred salmon as it seemed to be the best option for simple and tasty fish, but this was truly outstanding! All the family welcomed a new favourite, will definitely cook again and again. Thanks for sharing this recipe
That’s amazing. What a lovely review. Thanks for stopping by!
Let’s just say this is my first review on a recipe, but this was so damn delicious! Garlic and dill are two of my favourite ingredients. I ended up adding a pinch of red pepper flakes on there and it was soo good. And this technique had the trout so flakey it reminded me of salmon. I devoured it in seconds!! Will 100% make again!
You comment totally made my day. Thank you so much for stopping buy and for giving this honest review. I appreciate it 😉
Fantastic
Happy you liked it!
Do you debone your trout prior to seasoning & cooking?
The trout that I buy is boneless.
It definitely was easy to make. It would have been better with fresh dill, but I used what I had. Next time I would bake for less time – my wife thought it was overdone. Great recipe for an easy meal – it could probably be cooked on the grill in the heat of summer.
Yes this recipe is delicious on the grill too.
Lol that’s funny bc someone else commented that 13 min it was not nearly done. I couldn’t find that reply again but I was going to reply that the instructions say “or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.” Of course it depends on the thickness of your trout. Can’t wait to try this Thursday with FRESH LAKE TROUT!
Just made this. I usually don’t like fish that is cooked like this because it’s watery. NOPE, the liquid absorbed. The flavors blend quite well, flaky, flavorful.
Paired it with grilled asparagus, and corn. A satisfying meal that the whole family devoured.
Thank you for your feedback. Happy you liked it!
How can the skin get crispy if it’s wrapped in foil through the cooking? Thanks in advance!
It get crispy because when the fish is cooked, you open the foil, and broil for 3 minutes.