Baked Steelhead Trout with Garlic Butter Sauce

This baked steelhead trout fillet with garlic butter sauce is a tender, flaky fish recipe that can be whipped up in about 30 minutes.

If you like wild salmon, you are going to love steelhead trout! Steelhead trout is similar in taste to salmon but better. Steelhead trout is not the same as rainbow trout, just FYI.

Baked fish is a healthy meal and a good source of omega-3. For some more delicious seafood recipes, check out this Italian fried calamari, steamed lobster tails, and homemade shrimp cocktail!

Why This is Great

Oh my god, the garlic lime butter sauce! Whenever I have dinner guests and very little time, I make this garlic butter steelhead trout recipe because it is quick, easy, and delicious. Also, this easy dish is perfect for busy weeknights.

This is the best baked steelhead trout recipe, and my dinner guests would agree! I have never had a guest who didn't want to know how to make this recipe, it's that good.

Ingredient Notes

• Steelhead trout: Buy fresh if possible with previously frozen as a second option. Additionally, I choose fish that's wild-caught instead of farm-raised. That's a personal choice, however, either type will work just fine. Steelhead trout looks like salmon and tastes very similar to salmon. You can substitute salmon for this recipe if you like. Also, I recommend buying fish fillets instead of whole trout. This cuts down on cooking time and makes eating it easier!

• Onion: This recipe uses a whole large onion. The onion will be sliced and added to the bottom of the baking dish with some olive oil. I recommend using brown, sweet, white, or red onions.
• Lemons: The thinly sliced lemons are the key to keeping the fish juicy and flavorful. I squeeze lemon juice on top of the fish, then lay thinly sliced lemons across the top of the fish prior to baking.
• Salt, pepper, and dried herbs: Add salt and pepper to taste. You can mix any of the following dried herbs as you like for the fish: thyme, rosemary, oregano, and basil. I usually use Italian herb seasoning with some dried garlic granules.
• Butter: Use butter! My favorite butter is Kerrygold butter, but use whatever high-quality butter you have available.
• Mashed garlic: Fresh garlic takes on a different profile depending on how it's prepared. If you finely chop the garlic versus mashing the garlic, you will get different results. I prefer mashed garlic but minced garlic works too.
• Lime: It might seem weird to use lemons on the fish, and yet use lime for the garlic lime butter sauce. I know! Trust me on this, you CAN use lemon, but the lime is far superior. There's a reason why guacamole is made with lime instead of lemons. It's kind of hard to explain.

How To Roast Steelhead Trout

While the fish is baking in the oven, prepare the garlic lime butter sauce.

How To Make Garlic Lime Butter Sauce

Peel the garlic cloves. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt.

Cut the limes in half and juice using a lemon/lime squeezer. Melt butter on medium heat, then add the mashed garlic (or fresh minced garlic). Cook garlic until it gets golden brown while continuously stirring.

At the very end before taking the sauce off the stovetop, add the lime juice. Once the steelhead trout is finished baking spoon the lime garlic butter sauce on top.

Tips and Tricks

Don't skip the garlic lime butter sauce. I've made this delicious fish at least 50 or 60 times (it's that good), and the most important part is the garlic lime butter sauce.

Use parchment paper or aluminum foil for a quick cleanup.

Add sliced lemons on top of the fish. The lemons keep the steelhead trout moist while roasting in the oven. If you don't have lemons on hand, you can make this trout bake in a foil packet. Just lay a large piece of aluminum foil on a sheet pan or baking dish. Place the onions and fish on top and make a closed packet.

Keep or remove the fish skin as you like. I bake this recipe with the fish skin intact, then remove it when eating.

Substitutions and Variations

My first preference for the fish used in this recipe is, of course, steelhead trout. If steelhead trout is not available, substitute salmon.

Add some sliced potatoes (or sweet potatoes) to the bottom of the pan for this to be a one-pan dinner. If using potatoes in this recipe, cook the onions and potatoes (without the fish) for about 10 minutes in the oven. The potatoes take a little longer to cook than the fish.

Make a lemon garlic butter sauce instead of a lime garlic butter sauce. Also, add some fresh herbs to the garlic butter sauce, like rosemary, oregano, or thyme.

Wondering how to roast a whole fish? Check out this roasted whole red snapper recipe.

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