Simple Rainbow Trout Recipe (Maple Balsamic Glazed)
This moist, flaky, flavorful maple balsamic rainbow trout is a perfect simple meal, ready in 20 minutes with just six ingredients. Easy and delicious.
As oven-baked trout recipes go, this one is quick and easy and super tasty with a glaze made of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and lemon juice.
Rainbow trout is a freshwater river fish native to North America. It’s one of my go-to quick meals for weeknights.
My only tips for this recipe are to buy fresh trout fillets, figure out portion size and not overcook the fish.
What to expect
You can have the trout on the table from start to finish – with sides – in about 20-30 minutes.
Cleanup is also easy. Wrap up the tin foil or parchment paper from the pan that the trout lays on, toss it in the garbage and put the pan back in the cupboard 🙂
Most importantly, it’s delicious. The sweetness and depth of the maple and balsamic glaze work really well together. And the rainbow trout is mild and succulent.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Trout: Buy fresh rainbow trout fillets with bones removed. Typically, there will be skin on one side.
Glaze: The glaze is a mixture of maple syrup, balsamic vinegar (a good quality one will give the best results), lemon juice, cornstarch to thicken the glaze and optional sriracha to add some heat.
Variations and substitutes:
- You can substitute the trout with a different type of fish like Arctic Char, Bluefish, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Steelhead Trout, or Salmon. Use lime juice instead of lemon juice and add some zest when serving.
- Substitute the maple syrup with honey.
- Vary the heat with as much sriracha (or red pepper flakes) as you like.
Step by step instructions
Recipe FAQs
Rainbow trout has a mild, delicate flavor. The pale orange-pink flesh is moist, soft and tender when cooked well.
Buy trout fillets that are as fresh as possible with a mild scent and moist flesh.
There are several types of freshwater trout including rainbow trout. Saltwater trout like Arctic Char and Steelhead trout are typically farm raised. Wild trout is best if you can find it. If you can’t find it, buy farm-raised trout. The flesh should feel slippery and slimy. That’s a good thing. A sign of freshness.
Figure 1/2 pound (8 ounces or 220 grams) per person. I actually buy a bit extra because the skin (which I remove after cooking) takes up considerable weight on trout. Portion size will also depend on how substantial your side dishes are. Caterers suggest a portion size of 3 oz./90 grams, but I find that too small for an adult serving.
Like salmon, rainbow trout is one of the most healthy fish to eat. It’s packed with protein, niacin, vitamin B12, and omega 3. According to Healthline, rainbow trout is among the top 12 healthiest fish.
The general rule of thumb for cooking fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Peek in the center to check if it’s done. If the flesh is turning opaque, it’s done. It should be moist and warm pink, not dry, pale and flaky.
Bake the trout in the same pan with bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus (cut the veggies into small pieces). Here’s our Roasted Bok Choy and Broccoli recipe that will work perfectly.
What to serve with this trout recipe
I love to serve this rainbow trout fillet recipe with Cauliflower Rice with Pesto, Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad, Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Baby Cauliflower, Charred Corn Salad, Oven Roasted Vegetables Recipe or Savory Rice and Roasted Veggies.
For dessert, I’d go with moist whole orange cake or a gluten-free orange polenta cake. Or, try one of these homemade easy sweet snacks with quick prep.
Make Ahead
- The glaze/marinade can be made a couple of days ahead, but it’s best to cook the trout just before serving.
- Alternatively, make the rainbow trout recipe the day before. Cool it completely, refrigerate it, then serve it cold the next day.
Other easy fish recipes you might like
- lemon herb baked trout
- Canadian maple cedar plank salmon
- baked fish fillets with cherry tomato sauce (20 minutes)
- coconut curry salmon
- crispy baked fish (20 minutes)
- salmon stuffed with lemon ricotta
- citrus maple glazed salmon
- easy maple glazed salmon recipe
If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟in the recipe card below. And if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments. Thanks very much!
Easy Rainbow Trout Recipe (With Maple Balsamic Glaze)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds rainbow trout fillets (2 large or 3-4 smaller)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Maple Balsamic Sauce/Glaze
- 1 1/2 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or more (optional) (or use a pinch of red pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN to 400F/204C. Line a baking sheet, large enough to fit the trout, with parchment or disposable foil, sprayed with cooking oil (for easy clean up).
- MAKE SAUCE/GLAZE: Whisk together all ingredients in a small glass measuring cup or bowl. If you want a slightly thicker glaze, whisk in the cornstarch and microwave sauce for 45-60 seconds. I do this. If you prefer a thin glaze, don't use the cornstarch.
- PREPARE TROUT FILLETS: Generously sprinkle trout with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped green onions over fish. Drizzle on enough glaze to cover the fish, about half the sauce/glaze, reserving the rest for serving. Place fish, skin side down, on pan.
- ROAST/BAKE TROUT: for 8-11 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Note 1. Remove from oven to a large flat dish and cut into portions. If you want to remove skin, slip a spatula between the bottom of the flesh and skin, then lift trout off. Drizzle on the remaining sauce and sprinkle parsley, green onions or other fresh herbs on maple balsamic trout if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
- How to tell if trout is cooked: The general rule of thumb for fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Start checking a minute or two earlier. Peek in the center. If the flesh is just turning opaque, it’s done. It should be moist and warm pink, not dry, pale and flaky.
- Variations:
- You can substitute the trout with a different type of fish like Arctic Char, Bluefish, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Steelhead Trout, or Salmon. Use lime juice instead of lemon juice and add some zest when serving.
- Substitute the maple syrup with honey.
- Vary the heat with as much sriracha (or red pepper flakes) as you like
- Make Ahead:
- The glaze/marinade can be made a couple of days ahead, but it’s best to cook the trout just before serving.
- Alternatively, make the trout the day before. Cool it completely, refrigerate, then serve it cold the next day.
Nutrition
This recipe, originally published in 2016, has been updated to increase the amount of sauce and thicken the glaze so that it stays on the fish better.
Can you make the maple balsamic trout on th BBQ instead of the oven & if so, how high should temp be set, lid opened or closed & cook for how long?
Thank you.
Yes you can make the trout on the BBQ. I would place it on aluminum foil, sprayed with oil, so that the skin doesn’t stick to the grill. You can poke holes in the foil or not. Heat the gas grill to medium (around 400F) and cook the fish with the lid closed for about 9-12 minutes (depending on the thickness) or until the fish loses its translucency and flakes easily. Try not to overcook it – you want to keep it moist. Reglaze with the sauce in the last minute or two or even when plating it. Good luck! I hope that works for you.
Can you do this recipe if you don’t have any lemon? That’s the only thing I’m missing but fear it will be totally wrong without it. I’ll experiment and cross fingers and toes!
About 3/4 of a tablespoon of white wine or white vinegar or the same amount of lime juice or orange juice would work fine too. Hope that helps.
This is my favorite rainbow trout recipe! During trout season, my husband and FIL come home with many trout for me to cook and this recipe is always a hit. Thank you!
Lucky you with fresh-caught trout! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Much appreciated.
Not enough “E”s in DEEEEEEEEEELISH to describe how it is! I also read below about a dash of sesame oil (which I love!) so I’ll be testing that, as well as the flavored balsamic vinegars! 😉
One question, though: I’ve done this recipe half a dozen times already, and only once did the glaze slip OFF the fish, and I was wondering what is the “X factor” regarding the slipping-off?
Hi David, Thanks for letting us know how much you liked the trout and the tweaks you will try. Much appreciated.
As for the glaze slipping off, good question. I find the cornstarch helps with that pretty well. I use that trick with sauces on chicken too. It might also be helpful to pat the fish dry before applying the glaze due to the natural slippery oils on the fish. And, after baking, I always find you have to reglaze the fish with the remaining glaze as some of it will undoubtedly slip off or get absorbed while baking. Hope that helps 🙂
…patting the fish, hunh? I do that already, since it’s ALWAYS oily… (!) Oh, I think I have a suspicion of why it slipped – that time it slipped, I think I didn’t have any green onions (that would have stuck to the surface of the meat), so that could explain the slipping… (that and the “mountainous surface” of that particular fillet)… 😉 I should have substituted with fresh cilantro or chives, maybe…?
Thanks again!!!