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Grilled whole trout with lemon slices, side salad and a small dish of sauce on a white plate

Lemon Herb Whole Trout with Fresh Salad

Whole rainbow trout stuffed with lemon, garlic and herbs, cooked in a hot grill pan until charred and flaky, with a crunchy mixed salad. About 42 g of protein per serving.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 440
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Trout
  • 2 whole rainbow trout about 12 oz each, cleaned and scaled
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced, plus wedges to serve
  • 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 4 sprigs fresh herbs parsley, dill or thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika or sumac
  • salt and black pepper
Salad
  • 3 cups mixed lettuce
  • 1 cup broccoli florets raw or lightly steamed
  • 1 carrot julienned or grated
  • 1 tomato cut into wedges
  • 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for dressing
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method
 

  1. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until very hot. (Or preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high.)
  2. Pat the trout dry inside and out. Make 2–3 shallow diagonal cuts on each side of the skin.
  3. Rub the fish with the olive oil and season inside and out with salt, pepper and paprika. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, garlic and herbs.
  4. Lightly oil the grill pan. Lay the trout on it and cook for 5–6 minutes without moving it, until the skin releases on its own and has dark grill marks. Flip carefully with a wide spatula and cook for 5–6 minutes more, until the thickest part reaches 145°F (63°C) and the flesh flakes easily.
  5. Meanwhile, toss the salad vegetables with the olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
  6. Serve the trout with the salad and lemon wedges. To eat, run a knife along the backbone and lift off the fillets.

Notes

Grill pan or grill: both give the charred grill marks in the photo. A cast-iron grill pan keeps it a one-pan dinner you can make indoors.
Oven option: bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 425°F (220°C) for 15–18 minutes. The skin gets crispy, but there are no grill marks.
Fillets: use two 6-oz trout fillets and grill for 3–4 minutes per side, or bake for 10–12 minutes.
Nutrition includes the salad with dressing.