Easy Oven Baked Trout
- PREP 5min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 20min
This is the best way to cook trout! I love baking whole trout in packets in the oven (see tips for doing this on the grill). The fish turns out succulent and flavorful. While the trout bakes, juices form at the bottom of the packet, which are delicious when spooned over the cooked trout. Other ingredients to consider adding to the middle of the fish are thinly sliced garlic, onion, or greens (like spinach). If you have larger varieties of fish like steelhead trout or even salmon, you can still use our method, but the bake time will be longer.
You Will Need
2 small rainbow trout, cleaned and butterflied (opened up with the halves still attached), about 1 pound
Olive oil
1 lemon, sliced
Fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, tarragon, and thyme
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut two sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil larger than your fish, or use parchment paper.
Place the trout, skin side down, on each piece of foil. Drizzle both sides with olive oil, then season both sides, inside and out, with salt and pepper.
Place two parsley (or dill) sprigs and two lemon slices down the middle of each fish.
Fold the foil by grabbing at the edges and crimping it together to make a packet.
Place the packets of fish onto the baking sheet.
Bake, checking one packet after 10 minutes. Depending on the size of your fish, it will take 15 to 25 minutes. When ready to come out of the oven, the flesh will be opaque and flake easily with a fork.
Place each packet on a plate. Carefully open the foil packets, taking care not to let the steam burn you.
Slide the fish away from the packet and onto the plate, pouring the juices over it. Serve with more fresh herbs and lemon slices.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Parchment paper: If you do not have heavy-duty foil, use two sheets of regular foil to make each packet.
- How to make grilled trout: Follow the directions in the recipe above to make each packet. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the packets over indirect heat. Grill for 10 minutes, check one packet for doneness, and then continue to cook until it is cooked through.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.