Baked Trout Fillets

Name: Baked Trout Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. trout; 2 cloves roasted garlic; Zest of 1 lemon and half the juice; 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs; 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, (you can change this to dill, just use a little less); 1 tablespoons grated horseradish; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper

Baked trout is a simple yet flavorful fish recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. The fragrant rosemary and zesty lemon pair perfectly with the delicate trout, while a couple of secret ingredients and a special cooking method create a dish that’s good enough for company.

This is one of my top 5 favorite things you cook. I recommend everyone make this everyday. You will not get a complaint from anyone. This meal is even good cold straight out of the fridge.
brian

While we don’t necessarily recommend eating this baked trout right out of the refrigerator, if you’re looking for a quick and easy meal that’s sure to impress, this one is a winner. We’ll walk you through the steps, and you’ll see that cooking fish is easy!

Baked fish fillet garnished with lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs on a white plate, placed on a wooden board. Garlic cloves are also on the board.

Growing up on a farm in middle Georgia, my cousins and I ran wild every summer. We clambered up and down trees and spent hours wading in the creek, looking for any excuse to stay outside until well after dark.

We used to sift through the sandy bottom of Buck Creek to find the shiny, black freshwater mussels — which I would not have imagined eating back then. We just liked to pry them open and scoop out the fleshy mussel so we could add the shells to a growing collection. And we fished, either in the pond or down at the creek. Sometimes, we would return home with a mess of catfish, and sometimes, we would just return home as a mess ourselves.

Of course, the catfish and any other fish were always fried, including the salmon patties made from canned salmon or ocean perch from the frozen blue box. Even if we went out to a restaurant, which was a rare occurrence, if someone ordered fish, it was always fried.

I still enjoy fried catfish and salmon patties (I can do without the perch), but my preference these days is for grilled or broiled fish. I love this recipe, as it adds a crisp crust, with a bite from horseradish and savory rosemary and just enough lemon to lend a subtle citrusy tang. You can use almost any type of fish: salmon, trout, mahi-mahi, or even catfish. I made it with trout because that’s what I had.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

EASINESS – Our rosemary trout is ready in about 15 minutes if you do a little prep work. You can make the roasted garlic in advance and then make the garlic rosemary paste the day before you want to cook the fish.

TASTE – I mean, we’ve got roasted garlic, fresh rosemary, lemon, and our secret — horseradish. Slather that on a piece of cardboard, and it would taste good, so this trout has to be delicious!

INEXPENSIVE – As fish goes, trout is usually fairly inexpensive and easy to find since it’s a freshwater fish and available locally in many places. You can use other fish though. Salmon is great with this recipe, as is halibut.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS – I serve the baked trout fillets with a simple green salad and maybe rice or roasted fingerling potatoes. In the summertime, I love to add some fresh corn on the cob as well.

I hope you’ll try this baked trout recipe. I think you’ll love it, and your family will request it over and over!

Lucy

A plate features a fillet of rosemary trout seasoned with herbs and garnished with fresh rosemary and lemon wedges, with a fork placed beside it.

What you’ll need for rosemary trout

➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll down for frequently asked questions and tips for success.

Two raw fish fillets on parchment paper, surrounded by rosemary, lemon, garlic cloves, olive oil, and various spices on a wooden surface.

Trout or other fish – we like salmon or halibut

Roasted garlic – you can make the garlic several days in advance

Lemons – you’ll need two for the recipe and another to serve with the fish

Panko bread crumbs – just a little to add crispiness

Rosemary – fresh is best here as dried won’t have enough flavor

Horseradish – our secret ingredient that adds the zip

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

A fork holding a piece of baked trout above a white plate with more fish, lemon wedges, and herbs in the background.

5 from 14 votes

Baked Trout Recipe

Trout with roasted garlic and fresh rosemary.

Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Total: 30

Servings: 2 servings

Save This Recipe

A breaded and seasoned baked fish fillet garnished with a lemon wedge and sprigs of rosemary on a white plate with a fork.

Equipment

Ingredients

▢ 1 lb. trout
▢ 2 cloves roasted garlic
▢ Zest of 1 lemon and half the juice
▢ 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
▢ 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, (you can change this to dill, just use a little less)
▢ 1 tablespoons grated horseradish
▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
▢ ½ tsp salt
▢ ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to high broil. Cover a broiler pan with tin foil. Lightly spray or brush the pan with olive oil. Place the fish skin side down on broiler pan.
Mash the roasted garlic in a small bowl then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, until the mixture forms a paste. Coat the top of the fish with the paste.
Place the broiler pan on the 2nd rack underneath the broiler and broil for about 5-6 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. It should form a nice lightly brown crust.
At this point, depending on thickness, your fish may be done. Use a meat thermometer (you're aiming for at least 140F in the thickest part of the fish) or just use a fork to check for flakiness. If the fish flakes easily then it's ready.
If the trout is not quite ready, turn the oven down to 325° and move the fish down to the lower rack. Bake for another 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish but keep a careful eye to avoid overcooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 2servings, Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 48g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 133mg, Sodium: 767mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g

Course: Fish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 452

Keyword: baked trout fillets, rosemary trout

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Update Notes: This post was originally published on September 29, 2010, and was updated on June 13, 2024, with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, or new tips.

How to make baked trout fillets

Our secret cooking method: we broil the rosemary trout for just a few minutes, allowing the paste to get lightly brown. Then we finish a couple of minutes more in the oven.

Step 1. Prepare the pan and oven. Preheat the oven to high broil. Cover the broiler pan with tin foil and lightly spray the foil with olive oil spray or brush with oil. Place fish skin side down on broiler pan.

Step 2. Make the garlic paste and coat the fish. Mash the roasted garlic in a small bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until the mixture forms a paste. Coat the top of the fish with the paste. (You can make the paste the day before to save time.)

A glass bowl filled with seasoned breadcrumbs, garnished with chopped herbs, placed on a wooden surface.

A fillet of fish covered in a breadcrumb and herb mixture sits on a foil-lined baking sheet, ready to be cooked.

Step 3. Broil and bake. Place the broiler pan on the second rack underneath the broiler and broil for about 5 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. It should form a lightly brown crust. Depending on the thickness, your fish could be fully cooked at this point. You can check with a meat thermometer, and if it’s 140 F, pull it. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use a fork to see if the flesh is easily flaky. If it is, then the fish is ready to come out of the oven.

Otherwise, once the crust is lightly browned, turn the oven down to 325° and move the fish to the lower rack. Bake for another 6-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.

A fillet of fish topped with a breadcrumb and herb mixture, baked on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Questions and tips for rosemary trout

How long do you bake trout?

You should bake the trout to an internal temperature of 145° F at its thickest part. We usually pull the fish at around 140° F because it continues to cook for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use the fork test: the fish should flake easily with a fork when it’s cooked.

Can you use different fish for this recipe?

This recipe for baked trout fillets works well with salmon, halibut, catfish, mahi-mahi, or just about any fish.

What temperature should trout be cooked at?

Our recipe broils the trout first to get a crispy crust. Then, if needed, we bake for a few minutes at 325° F.

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