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 Steelhead Trout
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. 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!
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 for the garlic butter sauce.
How To Roast Steelhead Trout
Preheat the oven to 425 ℉ (218 ℃). Peel and slice the onion. Slice 1.5 lemons, and save the other half to squeeze over the steelhead trout.
Add the sliced onions with olive oil to a baking dish or baking sheet. Lay the steelhead trout fillet on top skin side down. Squeeze fresh lemon juice (half of the lemon) on top of the steelhead trout.
Season trout with salt, black pepper, garlic granules, and dried Italian herbs. Lay the fresh lemon slices on top of the trout. Lemons keep the fish moist while it bakes.
Place trout on a middle oven rack for around 25 minutes or until cooked through. 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. Alternatively, use a garlic press or mince the garlic with a knife.
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.
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. You can also make roasted baby potatoes in a separate pan at the same time.
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.
Serve with a bright chopped salad like shirazi salad or vermicelli rice. A great appetizer is Italian fried calamari or steamed shrimp cocktail.
📋 Recipe
Baked Steelhead Trout with Garlic Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Steelhead Trout
- 1½ lbs steelhead trout fillet
- 1 onion
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 lemons
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tbs Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic granules
Garlic Lime Butter Sauce
- 4 tbs butter
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 lime
- salt to taste
Instructions
Steelhead Trout Recipe
- Heat oven to 425 ℉ (218 ℃).
- Peel and cut an onion into slices. Put some olive oil with onions in a baking dish.
- Place fish on top of the onions. Squeeze half a lemon over fish. Season with salt, pepper, and any other dry ingredient you fancy.
- Slice the rest of the lemons thinly. Place the thinly sliced lemons over the top of fish.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (depends on the thickness and size of fish).
- Roast some veggies in a second pan if you like- it's about the same cooking time.
Garlic Lime Butter
- Mash 6 large cloves of garlic with some salt using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, mince the garlic finely.
- Add butter to the pan (roughly 4 tablespoons).
- Add the mashed garlic to the butter and cook on medium-high until garlic starts to turn golden.
- Squeeze the juice from 1 whole lime to the sauce. Stir, take off the heat.
- Spoon the sauce over the steelhead trout once the fish is out of the oven.
Notes
- Sometimes I peel and slice a potato to go under the fish. If adding potato, put the onion and potato in the oven without the fish for about 10 minutes. Then, continue with baking the fish.
- Storage: Store trout in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. Leftover steelhead trout is great atop a bed of greens or vermicelli rice.
Brenda says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. The trout turned out sooo moist and delicious. Yummy! I did add some pats of butter under some of the lemon slices because, why not. 😊
Lily Guidry says
Oh yes, Brenda, I'm on board with those pats of butter. So glad this recipe turned out for you!