Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s the perfect dish to make when you’re not in the mood for an elaborate recipe. I like to cook fish and seafood 2-3 times per week. I almost always default to baked salmon and shrimp scampi, both easy and quick. But after discovering frozen rainbow trout fillets at Trader Joe’s, I’ve been making this recipe regularly. It’s a truly tasty fish, kind of like a delicate version of salmon, and the quick preparation is also a bonus.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this truly easy recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: Rainbow trout: As mentioned above, I buy frozen fillets at Trader Joe’s. I defrost them overnight in the fridge, then rinse and pat dry. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic granules. Fat for frying: I use a combination of butter and ghee. The addition of ghee helps prevent the butter from burning. Lemon juice: I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe. Minced parsley: Mostly used for garnish, although it also adds a nice layer of flavor to the dish.
Instructions
Making this rainbow trout recipe is easy! The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the steps: You’ll start by patting the fish fillets dry with paper towels, then season them with salt and pepper. Now, heat the ghee and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts foaming, add the fish, skin side down. Cook the fish until the skin is browned, about 3 minutes. At this point, sprinkle the tops with garlic granules. Carefully flips the fillets over, lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until they’re cooked through. This should take 2-3 more minutes. Add the lemon juice to the skillet and remove it from the heat. Transfer the fish to plates, drizzle them with the pan juices, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Expert tips
Here are a few tips for you for making this recipe a success:
To help the skin brown, I like to gently press on the fillets with a spatula to make sure the skin has full contact with the hot pan.The addition of ghee helps prevent the butter from burning. It will still nicely brown and you’ll get delicious brown butter, but as long as the pan doesn’t get overheated, it shouldn’t burn.The reason I add the garlic powder midway through cooking is to ensure it doesn’t burn.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
This is a simple recipe and that’s a big part of its magic. So I don’t usually make too many changes. But if you’d like, one way to change things up is to add more spices. When you sprinkle the fish with garlic powder, you can also add paprika and dried thyme. Another variation is to cook the fish in 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of the butter/ghee combination. But I highly recommend using butter. It turns into browned butter and is simply delicious.
Serving suggestions
When plating the fish, I like to place it on a bed of sauteed spinach. I typically cook the spinach first, then keep it in a warm oven (150°F) and cook the fish. I also like to serve this dish with steamed broccoli, sauteed sugar snap peas, and sauteed broccolini.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, on 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to a month.
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