Give delicate rainbow trout a bold Mediterranean flavor with this easy baked trout recipe, complete with savory spices, lemon-garlic sauce, and fresh herbs. All you need is a baking dish and 20 minutes!
My Favorite Baked Trout Recipe
A beginner-friendly baked trout recipe that delivers big flavor but asks for little in return? This is sure to earn a spot in your regular weeknight dinner rotation. It has on mine!
When it comes to trout recipes like this one, I bathe fish fillets in a bright, savory mix of garlic, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and essential Mediterranean spices like earthy cumin and sweet Spanish paprika. There’s no need to plan ahead; just get the trout soaking in those glorious Mediterranean flavors while your oven heats up. And then your work is done! Simply bake the fish until it flakes with a fork.
Baking is, without a doubt, the easiest and most fail-proof way to cook fish. That’s true for salmon, cod, trout, you name it. You won’t get that crispy skin, but to me it’s a very worthy trade-off for buttery-tender fish with almost no effort. And you can have dinner on your table in under 30 minutes with just one dish to wash. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Baked Trout Recipe Ingredients
You only need 11 ingredients to make this Mediterranean-inspired trout recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Coats the fish, enriching it and infusing it with the marinade. Use a high-quality extra virgin variety–any olive oil from our shop would work well.
- Lemon: Both the zest and juice lift the richness of the fish.
- Seasoning: A mix of cumin, sweet Spanish paprika, Urfa pepper, kosher salt, and pepper gives the trout a very mildly spicy, slightly earthy, distinctly Mediterranean flavor.
- Garlic and green onions add that famous sweet and savory onion-like flavor.
- Parsley: Adds an essential freshness. I wouldn’t skip the fresh herbs, but feel free to use any tender green herb you have, like basil or cilantro.
- Rainbow trout: Has a mild, clean flavor that goes well with the punchy marinade. Feel free to sub in any firm and flaky fish you have, like seabass or salmon, or check out our Lemon Garlic Salmon recipe.
Ingredient Spotlight
This is a simple rainbow trout recipe with one intriguing spice you may not be familiar with: Urfa Biber. This crimson-red spice is a Turkish chili flake from the southeastern city of Şanlıurfa. It’s made by sun drying red chili peppers, then wrapping them in plastic to “sweat” and concentrate their flavor, then sun drying them once more before grinding and packaging.
This intricate process results in a deeply concentrated pepper flavor: earthy, slightly sweet, and salty, with a mild lingering heat. Think of Urfa Biber as your standard red chili flakes with a flavor boost, but its milder kick means it plays particularly well with other spices.
How to Cook Trout
This rainbow trout recipe is essentially fail-proof–Just be sure not to overcook it or it will dry out. Start checking on it at the 10-minute mark (or even sooner if your oven runs hot) and remove it when it flakes with a fork.
- Get ready: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Pat 1 1/2 pounds of rainbow trout fillets dry with paper towels.
- Make the marinade. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add 1/4 cup olive oil. Zest in one lemon, then slice it in half and squeeze in the juice of one half (save the other half for later). Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon Urfa pepper. Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 finely chopped green onions, 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, and a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each). Whisk to combine.
- Flavor the fish. Add the trout fillets to the dish, turning to cover with the sauce on both sides. Arrange, skin-side down, in a single layer in the baking dish. Set it aside for a few minutes while the oven is heating.
- Bake the fish. Bake in the heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily at the touch of your fork. Take it out of the oven when the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 140°F. Remember, the temp will rise even as you remove it from the oven. (The fish is safe to enjoy when it reaches 145°F).
- Finish and serve. As soon as the fish is ready, squeeze on the remaining lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley for garnish. Serve immediately!
What to Serve with Baked Trout
This versatile baked trout recipe can go with any number of sides, but I like something briny, lemony, and rich to balance the lightness of the fish. Greek Potato Salad or Greek Lemon Rice both come to mind.
If you want to add more vegetables, this Asparagus Salad or Sautéed Broccoli Rabe are both beauties, and you can’t go wrong with a quick and easy Italian Salad.
Easy Mediterranean Fish Recipes
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Get ready: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Pat the trout dry with paper towels.
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Make the marinade. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, half lemon juice (keep the rest for the lemon juice for later), cumin, paprika, Urfa Biber (if using), garlic, green onions, fresh parsley, and a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each).
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Flavor the fish. Add the trout fillets to the dish, turning to cover with the sauce on both sides. Arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in the baking dish. Set it aside for a few minutes while the oven is heating.
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Bake the fish. Bake in the heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily at the touch of your fork. Take it out of the oven when it’s internal temperature taken at the thickest part is at about 140°F. Remember, the temp will rise even as you take it out of the oven. (The fish is safe to enjoy when it reaches 145°F).
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Finish and serve. As soon as the fish is ready, add the remaining lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley for garnish. Serve immediately!
Calories: 225.1kcalCarbohydrates: 2.7gProtein: 23.7gFat: 13.1gSaturated Fat: 2.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7.9gCholesterol: 66.9mgSodium: 38.6mgPotassium: 609mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.6gVitamin A: 411.2IUVitamin C: 16.7mgCalcium: 92.4mgIron: 1.4mg
Urfa Biber
Smoky with a deep wine-like flavor and a subtle kick. Stock up on this unique Turkish spice at our shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trout has finished cooking when the flesh turns opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. I like to check the thickest part of the fillet, and take it out of the oven at 140°F and let it rest for about 5 minutes. The carryover cooking will bring it to 145°F.
Fillets cooked at 400°F typically take 10-15 minutes, depending upon how thick they are.
I use parsley in this recipe, but really, almost any tender herb will work. Try dill, tarragon, basil, chives, and thyme, especially lemon thyme. I would stay away from strong woody herbs like rosemary or pungent herbs like sage.