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This simple fried trout recipe is savory, flavorful, and satisfying. It’s one of my most cherished family recipes! Seasoned, breaded, and fried to perfection, this trout will have you counting down the days to your next fishing trip.
It’s finally time for me to share one of my family’s favorite recipes with you!
My husband and our boys love to go trout fishing together. They go several times a year.
It’s a treat for the whole family when they do, because we can make this mouthwatering fried trout.
We’ve cooked their freshly-caught trout in a variety of ways, and this one always takes the cake for most delicious.
It’s a family favorite for every camping trip, and we look forward to each time they go fishing!
Whether you are a fisher, know a fisher, or purchased trout at a local market, you are going to love this tasty fried trout recipe.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Crispy perfection: This fried trout is coated with a well-seasoned breading and fried until it’s beautifully golden and crispy. It’s so good.
Easy to make: Cooking fish can be intimidating if you’ve never done it. This recipe keeps it simple and turns out perfectly every time.
Customizable: While I am quite partial to this combination of seasonings and breading, you can change it up to suit your preferences. Feel free to get creative with the spices!
Ingredients
- Cornmeal: Gives the breading a nice texture and crunch.
- All-purpose flour: This helps the cornmeal stick to the fish and completes the texture of the breading.
- Seasoning: A combination of salt, paprika, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper is the perfect seasoning for fried trout!
- Trout filets: Purchase filets or fish for them yourself! Depending on your preference, you can leave the skin on or remove it.
- Oil: You can use any neutral oil that you like for frying.
How to Make Fried Trout
Step 1. Begin by combining the flours and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Step 2. Lay the fillet skin side down, and split it down the middle with a sharp knife (Photo 1 above).
Step 3. Rotate the fillet and cut it up into small nugget-sized pieces. Repeat for the remaining fillets (Photo 2).
Step 4. Add the pieces of trout to the bowl of breading and toss to coat.
Step 5. Heat oil in a 10″ skillet to 325-350°F (about medium heat). Fry the trout nuggets for 2 minutes undisturbed, then turn them over and fry for another 2 minutes. After that, I like to cook them for a couple more minutes to get them nice and crispy, flipping them every minute.
Step 6. Transfer the trout to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly before enjoying it!
Tips for Frying Trout
- If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can purchase pre-made breading mix. I have done that for camping trips when I don’t want to make it from scratch, and it turns out great.
- If you’re not a fan of the fishy flavor of trout, I’ve heard that removing the skin can help with that. I like the flavor of trout with the skin, so I’ve never tried it myself, but it may help if you don’t like the fishiness.
- Give your fried trout the perfect side dish with some homemade French fries! It’s a match made in heaven.
- Fried trout is delicious on its own, but I really like it with a dipping sauce. You can use ketchup, tartar sauce, or any creamy dipping sauce. I made one with mayonnaise, diced pickles, and lemon juice, almost like a homemade tartar sauce.
Recipe FAQs
I always prefer it breaded and fried! This brings out the best flavors in the trout and gives it a deliciously crispy crust.
Nope! This can actually negatively affect the flavor and texture. All you need to do before frying trout is cut it and toss it in a seasoned breading mixture.
You can save leftover fried trout in an airtight container in the fridge. The breading will get a little soggy, so I recommend reheating it in a skillet, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Related Recipes You’ll Love
- Pan-Seared Dry Brine Salmon
- Lemon Pepper Boiled Scallops
- Cast Iron Shrimp Recipe
- Creamy Garlic Tuscan Scallops
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
If you tried this Fried Trout Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Fried Trout
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper if you are sensitive to spicy foods, you may want to leave this out
- 6-8 trout filets with or without the skin
- 4 tbsp of oil for frying
Instructions
- Begin by combining the flours and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Lay the fillet skin side down, and split it down the middle with a sharp knife (refer to photos in the post above).
- Rotate the fillet and cut it up into small nugget-sized pieces. Repeat for the remaining fillets (see photo 2 in the post above).
- Add the pieces of trout to the bowl of breading and toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a 10″ skillet to 325-350°F (about medium heat). Fry the trout nuggets for 2 minutes undisturbed, then turn them over and fry for another 2 minutes. After that, I like to cook them for a couple more minutes to get them nice and crispy, flipping them every minute.
- Transfer the trout to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly before enjoying it!
Notes
- If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can purchase pre-made breading mix. I have done that for camping trips when I don’t want to make it from scratch, and it turns out great.
- If you’re not a fan of the fishy flavor of trout, I’ve heard that removing the skin can help with that. I like the flavor of trout with the skin, so I’ve never tried it myself, but it may help if you don’t like the fishiness.
- Give your fried trout the perfect side dish with some homemade French fries! It’s a match made in heaven.
- Fried trout is delicious on its own, but I really like it with a dipping sauce. You can use ketchup, tartar sauce, or any creamy dipping sauce. I made one with mayonnaise, diced pickles, and lemon juice, almost like a homemade tartar sauce.
This is the best trout recipe yet! I love the simple, homemade breading. Once you fry it, even with the skin, I don’t think the fishy taste is at all overpowering.
Thanks so much for the comment! I am glad to hear you liked it.