Rainbow Trout Recipe (Maple Balsamic Glazed, 20 Min)
“This has become a family favourite – quick and deliciuos. So good I also serve it to guests“ Kathleen
This moist, flaky, flavorful rainbow trout recipe with a maple-balsamic glaze is ready in 20 minutes with just 6 ingredients. Easy and delicious.
The sweet-tangy glaze of maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and lemon pairs beautifully with mild, tender trout. An easy weeknight dinner that’s still special enough for guests.
What to expect
- Fast weeknight dinner: With simple sides, this rainbow trout recipe is ready in about 20–30 minutes start to finish.
- Easy cleanup: Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment, and when you’re done, just lift and toss. Put the pan right back in the cupboard!
- Balanced flavour: The maple-balsamic glaze is sweet, tangy and slightly caramelized, without overpowering the trout’s mild, delicate texture.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Trout: Buy fresh rainbow trout fillets with bones removed. Typically, there will be skin on one side, which helps keep the fish moist while baking.
- Glaze: Maple syrup, balsamic vinegar (a good quality one will give the best results), lemon juice, and a little cornstarch to thicken the glaze.
Substitutions
- Trout: Try a different type of fish like Arctic Char, Bluefish, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Steelhead Trout, or Salmon.
- Lemon: Use lime juice instead and add some zest when serving for extra zing.
- Maple syrup: Swap with honey instead.
Variations
- Heat: Turn up the heat with sriracha or red pepper flakes.
- Glaze: Add a couple of teaspoons of grainy mustard for a deeper tang.
- Garnish: with fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or chives) before serving.
Step by step instructions
Tip for buying trout
Buy the fresh trout you can find. It should have a mild scent and moist flesh (a slippery, slimy feel is a sign of freshness). Wild trout is great if you can find it, but high-quality farm-raised trout is perfectly fine.
Shortcuts
- Line the pan for zero cleanup: Use parchment or foil so you can lift and toss everything after cooking.
- Make it a one-pan meal: Add quick-roasting vegetables to the same sheet pan such as asparagus, broccolini, bok choy, or cauliflower florets (cut into small pieces). Start firmer veggies 10-15 minutes before adding the trout.
Recipe FAQs
Rainbow trout has a mild, delicate, slightly sweet flavor. The pale-orange-pink flesh is moist, soft and tender when cooked.
Yes. Trout skin is edible. Many cooks leave the skin on during baking to help keep the fish moist, then either eat it or peel it off after cooking. It won’t get crisp, though, with this baked recipe.
Figure 6–8 oz (170–225 g) of raw trout per person. I actually buy a bit extra because the skin (which I remove after cooking) has a lot of extra weight. Portion size also depends on how hearty your side dishes are. For lighter eaters or when serving several sides, 4–6 oz (115–170 g) is usually enough.
Yes. According to Healthline, rainbow trout is among the top 12 healthiest fish. Similar to salmon, it’s packed with protein, niacin, vitamin B12, and omega 3.
The general rule of thumb for cooking fish is 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) 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. Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F / 63°C.
What to serve with this trout recipe
This rainbow trout fillet recipe pairs well with these sides: 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, go bright and citrusy with moist whole orange cake or a gluten-free orange polenta cake. Or, finish with one of our easy sweet snacks with quick prep.
Other easy fish recipes (30 min or less)
- lemon herb baked trout
- Canadian maple cedar plank salmon
- baked fish fillets with cherry tomato sauce (20 minutes)
- crispy baked fish (20 minutes)
- easy maple glazed salmon recipe
Please leave a 5-star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe. Thank you so much!
Maple-Balsamic Rainbow Trout
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds rainbow trout fillets, Note 1 (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 honey or brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or lime 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 for a slightly thicker glaze) I do this.
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 2. 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.
Recipe Notes
- Trout notes and options: Buy fresh trout with a mild smell (slimy, slippery flesh is a sign of freshness). You can swap the trout with Arctic Char, Bluefish, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Steelhead Trout, or Salmon.
- How to tell if trout is cooked: The general rule of thumb for fish is 10 minutes per 1 inch (2.5 cm) of thickness. Start checking a minute or two earlier. Peek in the center. If just turning opaque, it’s done. It should be moist and warm pink, not dry, pale and flaky.
- Variations:
- Glaze: Add a couple of teaspoons of grainy mustard for a deeper tang.
- Garnish: with fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or chives) before serving.
- 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.
- Leftovers can be stored for 2-3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on 50% power in microwave for ~ 2 minutes.
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.
A delicious combination of flavors! Trout isn’t my favorite fish, but the flavors in this quick and easy recipe have me adding this dish to our regular dinner rotation. The one teaspoon of cornstarch was a bit much and turned the glaze into more of a jelly/jam consistency. Next time I will either halve the cornstarch or leave it out to get the consistency to our liking. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked it Courtney. Thanks for leaving a comment. The thickness of the glaze is certainly a matter of preference, so you can cut it back or leave it out as you suggested. Or, add a splash of water to thin it out.
Amazing recipe. The glaze is perfect with the fish. The whole family loved it. Served it with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes.
Great to hear. Thanks for the lovely comment ?
I loved this recipe! Can’t wait to have the leftovers! Thanks for posting this awesome recipe!
You’re very welcome Jan. Glad it was a hit.
Made this last night as I’d got some rainbow trout extremely cheaply and glancing through recipes I had come across this one and had most of the ingredients in the cupboard except sriracha (used a touch of cayenne pepper instead). I can honestly say this is one of the best fish recipes we’ve had. The ingredients balanced each other perfectly and it was so easy to make. I served it with couscous and green beans. It really was delicious and will be keeping all the stuff in for this to become a regular dish. I’ve some octopus in the freezer and I’m going to try it with that!
Thank you Tristan! So glad you liked the trout recipe. Let me know if you try the glaze with octopus and how it turns out!
Turned out amazing ! Thank you for this wonderful recipe ?
So glad you liked it Linda!
Was looking for a different way to cook trout, and this popped up. Love the simplicity, the flavours and the ease of making a nice dinner on a weeknight. Family approved, will be making this again! ?
So glad you enjoyed the trout recipe Karen. And thanks for leaving a comment.
We are so eager to make this, but have a question: The cauliflower look like a great accompaniment? Is there are recipe for that as well?
Yes. It’s Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower https://twokooksinthekitchen.com/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower/ Hope you enjoy both!
Today was the first day of Trout Season, I caught my limit of 5, so tonight was fresh trout dinner. We were tired of the way we always cooked it, so tonight we looked for a new recipe. This was the recipe we found. It was the best trout we ever had, easy to make and it came out great. We used a maple balsamic vinegar and truffle infused olive oil plus the maple syrup and the lemon.
Try it, you’ll love it!
Lucky you John – freshly caught trout! I’m honored you chose our recipe and liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hey John, glad you were succesful fishing today!! I too decided to look for a new recipe, for my own fresh caught trout today, and its ready to go in to the oven…. can’t wait..Im using Speckled trout… what did you catch today?
Also, thankful to the two kooks for posting this recipe!!!!
You are very welcome 🙂 🙂
Too funny – a blog conversation! Hope you like the trout recipe with your freshly caught trout. Yum!
Add a bit of sesamie oil for extra amazing!
Good tip. Thanks!
I made this fir my large family and loved it! However I think the sauce in the double batch wasn’t very thick so I will make it again and add a tablespoon of corn starch for a single batch and 2 tablespoons for a double , I have never made fish with the skin on and was a bit sceptical of it but was pleased it turned out ! I will make it again and experiment with it a bit . Thanks
Glad it worked out well Tami. Thickness of the sauce is a personal preference and it sounds like you’ve found the right formula for you and your family.