Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout
Pan-Seared Steelhead Trout cooked in a spicy and flavorful Lemon Adobo Sauce! Crispy skin, flaky fish, and rich sauce make this recipe mouth-watering. It's an easy 30-Minute meal that is sure to please!
Salmon’s Fraternal Twin!
Lately fish and seafood have been my go-to choices for dinner lately. They are light and full of great vitamins and nutrients. But, you never want to compromise on flavor! This week I had some fish that many would call salmon at first glance. This week, we’re eating Steelhead Trout!
My Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout Recipe is sure to have your mouth watering! This recipe was honestly a mixture of ingredients I was about to get rid of. But, I’m sure glad I used them! These fillets were tender, flaky, and basted in this smoky and spicy lemon butter sauce. I couldn’t get enough!
Fish Cooking 101
Let’s talk about cooking fish for a minute. Fish is delicate and should be cooked as such. Our steelhead trout fillets can be cooked in many different ways; however, the final product should always be tender and flaky.
When cooking steelhead trout, or any fish, make sure to dry it of any remaining moisture. If you want a good golden brown sear, excess moisture has to go. Excess moisture will cause the fish to steam. Steam will cook the salmon; but, for this recipe, we want a slight crust on the fillets.
Steelhead Trout, and other fish, should be cooked to a max internal temp of 145 degrees. Anything higher will dry out the fish. You will also be left with a rubbery taste. The lighter the fish, the easier it is to overcook.
Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout Ingredients:
The ingredients are pretty simple in this recipe; but, let’s still walk through them to understand them.
This recipe is probably one of the quickest you’ll ever make! The ingredients have a lot of different flavors that work great together!
Steelhead Trout Fillets: If you’ve never had Steelhead Trout before, I definitely suggest it! It looks just like salmon with its pinkish-orange flesh and has a similar taste. It is a great substitute when you can’t find salmon. It tends to get drier faster than salmon so be mindful of how long you cook it.
EVOO: You’ll need a small amount of EVOO or similar cooking oil for drizzling and sauteing the fillets. Do not go overboard with the oil though. Like salmon, steelhead trout is an oilier type of fish.
Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper: Kosher salt and ground black pepper are going to be your friends in this recipe. They will bring out the flavors of the fish and sauce very well.
Chili Powder: The chili powder that I added to the fillets added just the right amount of heat and smokiness. Do not go crazy with this either. You don’t want to over-spice the fish.
Onion & Garlic Powder: I put onion and garlic powder in pretty much all of my recipes and seasoning mixes. They both add so much flavor to anything that you put them in.
Butter: I typically use salted butter when making butter sauces. It makes seasoning at the end easier. Plus, it keeps me from overseasoning. But, you can definitely use unsalted butter.
Minced Garlic: Butter sauces are not complete to me without a little minced garlic! It adds some additional flavor to the sauce. Plus, garlic, lemon juice, and butter play great together in recipes.
Lemon: I used about 1 lemon for this recipe. I used both the zest and juice in this recipe. Lemon juice and browned butter are the easiest sauce! The acid and fat help to balance one another beautifully.
Adobo Sauce: I have come to love chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. They are both rich and packed with flavors! The smokiness of the sauce worked great with the fish without overpowering it.
Honey: To balance the heat, smokiness, and acid in the sauce, I added about 1 tbsp or so of honey. It didn’t make the sauce sweet at all. It helped to mellow out the rest of the ingredients.
Parsley: To garnish, I used about 1 tbsp of minced parsley. It is totally optional, but it adds a little pop of contrasting color on top of the fish.
How to make Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout
Now that we understand what goes into the recipe, let’s get started! The fact that I can make this recipe in 30 minutes or less, makes me want to make it even more!
This recipe is perfect for those nights that you do not want to do a lot of cooking or cleaning! The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.
STEP 1: Prep the Trout Fillets. Pat-dry the trout fillets with a paper towel. Drizzle a small amount of EVOO on both sides of each fillet.
STEP 2: Season the Fillets. Season each fillet on both sides with kosher salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Make sure to gently press the seasoning into each fillet.
STEP 3: Sear the Fillets on Both Sides. In a large cast-iron skillet or saute pan, heat 2 tbsp of EVOO on medium-high heat. When the oil is fully heated, sear the trout fillets on both sides until golden brown (about 2 - 4 minutes on each side).
STEP 4: Make the Pan Sauce. Turn the heat down to medium. Add in the butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, adobo sauce, and honey to the pan. As the butter melts and the sauce begins to form, baste the fillets in the sauce until they reach 145°F internally (about 2 minutes).
STEP 5: Taste & Season the Sauce. Lower the heat and taste the sauce. Season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper if necessary.
STEP 6: Garnish, Serve, and Enjoy! Garnish the fillets with minced parsley and serve with your favorite sides. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here are some simple Tips & Tricks to make this recipe taste even better:
Leave the Skin On! Try leaving the skin of your fillets on when cooking. When seared correctly, the skin becomes very crispy and golden brown. It’s very delicious!
Use a Cooking Thermometer. Fish cooks very fast and tends to get dry very fast. Use a cooking thermometer to check the internal temp of the fish. 145°F is the golden number!
Use Fresh Fillets! Frozen fillets tend to be soggy especially when not thawed correctly. Make sure to use fresh fillets and properly store them in the refrigerator completely covered.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout:
These Steelhead Trout Fillets are just what you need this week! It’s deliciously easy to make and even better to eat!
Here are some of my favorite Side Dishes to Serve with these Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout Fillets:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Sauteed Green Beans
Roasted Herb Sweet Potatoes
I’d love to hear your feedback about this EASY Lemon & Adobo Steelhead Trout Recipe. Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!
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