Pan-Seared Trout with Lemon Butter and Herb Sauce
Delicate trout fillets pan-seared to a golden brown, topped with a bright lemon butter herb sauce inspired by Colorado river trout dishes. This American-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 22 minutes, pairs trout fillets, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (about 6 oz each) trout fillets
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp, chopped fresh dill
- 2 cloves, minced garlic
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 trout fillets (about 6 oz each) and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Place the trout fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes without moving until the skin turns crisp and golden.
- Step 4: Flip the fillets carefully and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cooked through and opaque.
- Step 5: Remove the fillets from the pan and keep warm on a plate.
- Step 6: Reduce heat to medium and add 3 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Step 7: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill; cook for 30 seconds until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Step 8: Spoon the lemon herb butter sauce over the trout fillets and serve immediately.







