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piece of lemon herb baked trout on plate
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5 from 14 votes

Baked Trout With Lemon, Butter & Herbs

I love this lemon butter herb baked trout made with just a few simple fresh ingredients in less than 20 minutes. Succulent, melt-in-your-mouth and delish.
Prep Time8 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Servings (change as needed): 4
Author: Cheryl Avrich
US Measures - Metric

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh trout fillets (preferably 2-3 larger size fillets)
  • 1 cup finely chopped herbs Note 1 I use fresh parsley and dill mixed with green onions
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon 2 tbsp lemon juice plus zest of whole lemon
  • salt and black pepper
US Measures - Metric

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN TO 400F/204C. Line a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with oil for easy clean up.
  • PREPARE TROUT FILLETS: Place trout on pan, flesh side of the fish up. Microwave butter and oil for 20-30 seconds until butter is melted. Using a sharp knife, cut slits horizontally every 2 inches/5 cm on each fillet (about 3-4 slits per fillet). Stuff half of mixed herbs into slits. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Drizzle HALF of butter oil mixture (about 2 tbsp) and the lemon juice over trout .
  • BAKE TROUT in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillets, or until cooked. Ideally, trout will be moist and warm pink - not dry, pale and flaky.
  • FINISH AND SERVE: Sprinkle remaining herbs and lemon zest over top of fish fillets. Drizzle on remaining 2 tablespoons of butter (or butter-oil mixture). Sprinkle lightly with sea salt or kosher salt.
    Serve: To serve without fish skin, slip spatula between flesh and skin, then lift up. I cut trout into portions first (just down to the skin) to make this easier. Garnish with slices of lemon if you like. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Herbs: I suggest using fresh herbs for this dish (well green onion isn't a herb but I always use it in my herb combination). Another option is green onion, one fresh herb and 1- 2 teaspoons of a dried herb such as basil or thyme. Or just use two herbs - whatever you like best.
  2. Make Ahead:
    • You can make this ahead if you serve the trout at room temperature for a buffet or brunch.
    • Otherwise, I suggest stuffing the fillets with chopped herbs several hours or even a day ahead. Then add the butter, oil, salt and pepper and bake just before serving.
    • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 
Nutrition values are estimates based on 1/2 lb/227g of trout per portion which is considered a large portion.  
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1574IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 5mg