Cooking Trout Fillets: Easy Trout Recipes

Reading Time: 7 minutes
Test out these easy trout recipes for cooking trout fillets, including baked lake trout, jambalaya, smoked trout dip and cedar grilled fillets.
by Dana Benner
I love fishing, and fish are a significant part of my family’s diet. From fresh to saltwater, I stock my freezer with just about everything legal to keep. When it comes to freshwater fish, I go with trout every chance I get.
Far too many people reach for the cast iron skillet when preparing trout. That’s how my mother prepared any fish, and so did I for a long time, but times have changed.
Nothing’s better than some good pan-fried trout at the campsite, but there are other ways to prepare that catch.

It’s a good feeling to properly prepare something you had a hand in from start to finish and then share it with others. You caught it; now prepare it in a way that honors both the fish and yourself.
Preparing Trout and Other Fish
No matter where I venture, everyone has their own unique way of preparing trout. Every visit I make to the different regions of our country, I try to learn about local food and how to prepare it. Every chef will tell you to make the dish your own, and I’m sharing my versions of these regional recipes.
Keep in mind some recipes call for a species of fish other than trout, and that’s fine. As recipes are just guidelines, don’t be afraid to deviate and substitute trout for these other fish. That’s what I’ve done with many of the following dishes.
Smoking Fish and Trout
There are many smokers on the market. Some work with wood chips, some are electric, and others are gas-fired. Mine is a wood-pellet-fired smoker. While each works differently, they’ll all get the job done. The trick with fish is to use fruit woods (cherry, apple, etc.) for the best flavor. Hickory and mesquite have a habit of overpowering the fish.

Smoked Trout Dip
Of all the recipes, except the trout salad (which appears later in this article), this one is the simplest to make and will be the hit of every social gathering. I first learned about this “dish” in Alaska, where the fish of choice was salmon. I had a similar version while visiting Smokin’ Tuna in Key West, Florida, where they used tuna, and their version had a kick to it. In Montana, Chef Alex, at Bodhi Farms, just outside of Bozeman, makes a version of this dip using lake trout obtained from the Flathead Indian Reservation. The common denominator is that the fish is smoked in every version before being made into the dip. My recipe replaces the salmon and tuna with trout (brook, rainbow, brown, or lake), and I add the “bite” I learned about in Key West.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-to-large trout of your choice (more trout means more dip). This equals about 4 to 6 ounces of boneless trout.
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons chipotle Adobo (pepper sauce)
Instructions:
- Smoke the trout.
- Using a fork, pull apart the trout, carefully removing the bones as you do so. Mince the trout into small pieces and set aside.
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Some people like to use a food processor, but I prefer mixing by hand. A little goes a long way when it comes to the Adobo sauce. Taste it as you go along, and add more if you like it really spicy. Keep in mind that Adobo sauce has a slow heat factor. The kick comes in a few seconds after you eat, so don’t let the first taste fool you.
- Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dish goes well with vegetables, chips, and crackers.

Pacific Northwest Planked Trout
Planking fish is a technique used by the Native people of the Pacific Northwest and Coastal Alaska for centuries and then adopted by the settlers coming into the area. It’s used most commonly for preparing salmon, but I’ve found it to be a great means of preparing trout. I’ve also learned to do some things differently than recipes you’ll find on the internet or in cookbooks.
Ingredients:
- 2 trout, 14 inches or better, filleted
- 2 cedar planks (there are commercially made planks out there, but you can make your own)
- 1 handful of chives chopped (there is no such thing as too much chive)
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil*
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano*
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
Instructions:
- Soak the cedar planks in water for no less than two hours before cooking. The planks need to be completely submerged, so you must weigh them down. While planks are soaking, mix the chives, oregano, and basil and put on the trout fillets. Squeeze lemon over all the fillets and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- *I prefer dried to fresh, as it’s easier to measure.
- Preheat grill for about 10 minutes. I used a gas grill, but charcoal will work as well. With charcoal, wait until your coals are hot.
- Place cedar planks on grill and leave for 7 to 10 minutes or until they start charring. Keep a spray bottle of water on hand to knock back any flare-ups.
- Flip planks over and place trout fillets on the planks. When I fillet trout, I always leave the skin on. If you do as well, you’ll want to place the fillets on the planks skin side down.
- If using a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium/low. If using charcoal, move planks off the direct heat by moving coals to one side and placing the planks on the cooler side.
- Cook for about 10 minutes or until the trout flakes.
Serves 2
Trout Jambalaya
This recipe is my take on Cajun jambalaya, which I learned to make while in Louisiana. Jambalaya is a mainstay in every Cajun kitchen, and everyone has their own “secret” family recipe. Traditionally, this dish is made with anything available, but the great thing about jambalaya is that anything goes, and there are no hard rules. For me, this meant using trout. Another tradition is to use Andouille sausage in jambalaya. Instead, I used kielbasa, but feel free to use any sausage you have available.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup oil (canola, olive, vegetable, or bacon fat)
- 2 pounds deboned trout fillets
- 1-1/2 pounds of sausage
- 3 cups yellow onions, chopped
- 1 cup green onions, chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 2 cups green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup jalapeño pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups long-grain rice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 heaping teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (or more)
Instructions:
- Cut fish fillets and sausage into bite-sized pieces and sauté together in a deep, well-oiled pan.
- Remove fish and sausage from pan and set aside, leaving oil and drippings in pot.
- Sauté onions, celery, green peppers, jalapeño pepper, and garlic in the drippings until they are tender.
- Return fish and sausage to the pan.
- Add stock and spices and bring to boil.
- Once boiling, add rice and stir everything together.
- Return to a rapid boil.
- Stir again and remove pot from heat and cover, letting the mixture rest for about 25 minutes.
- Remove cover and quickly turn rice from top to bottom completely.
Serves 12

Baked Lake Trout with Herbs
Lake trout are common here in the deeper lakes of the Northeast, with one of my favorite lakes being Sebago Lake in Maine. Lake trout tend to be larger than the stream rainbows, browns, and brookies I normally catch. My preferred way to prepare this trout is by baking. Sometimes, I fillet them, but most times, you’ll find me baking the entire fish, minus the heads (my wife doesn’t like seeing the heads). The following recipe is for two good-sized trout; adjust the recipe as needed depending on the number of fish you are preparing and the number of people you are serving.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for each trout
- 2 good-sized, cleaned, whole trout (with or without heads)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 cup IPA beer
- 1 cup water
Instructions:
- In a baking dish, add beer and water. This will keep fish from drying out and add flavor.
- Place a grill grate or cooling rack over the dish. This will allow oil and fat to drip into the dish while cooking.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- While oven is preheating, prepare trout by adding dried herbs and onions into the cavity of the fish.
- Place fish on grill and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve with rice.
Serves 2 to 4
Trout Salad
This is a good way to use any leftover trout from the first four recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 tablespoon dried dill
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1 cup Mesclun (mixed greens)
- 1 head of lettuce of your choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
- 8 ounces trout meat
- 4 scallions, chopped
Instructions:
Mix greens and herbs in bowl. Sprinkle with trout pieces. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Chill before serving.
Preparing and Cooking Trout Fillets
Cooking isn’t rocket science, but cooking well is an art form. Just as most artists work hard to flatter their subjects, as a cook, you need to work carefully to flatter the food that you are preparing, in this case, trout. As with any work of art, the fish you’re preparing must be pleasing to those you serve. Pan-frying your catch is still a great way, especially at camp. Just realize that there is life away from the frypan.
Dana Benner has been writing about all aspects of the outdoors, homesteading, gardening, and history for over 35 years with his work appearing in regional, national, and international publications, both in print and online.
Originally published in the May/June 2024 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.