A delicious way to enjoy rainbow trout, simply cooked with mini cherry tomatoes and just a few simple ingredients. Ready in just 15 minutes!
A while back I took part in a tour of the seafood department of a large, downtown Toronto grocery store. The seafood manager asked us what we thought their biggest seller was. We all, of course, immediately thought it would be salmon. Nope. It was rainbow trout!
Now I wasn’t totally surprised by that, as I love rainbow trout myself. What occurred to me after though, was how few rainbow trout recipes I see around. Maybe people are just enjoying it simple-ish. Or maybe they’re treating it like salmon and using salmon recipes. Enquiring minds want to know. What’s your favourite way to cook up rainbow trout?
Anyway, here’s my small contribution to the pool of Rainbow Trout recipes :) This flavourful dish is ready in just 15 minutes and needs just a few simple ingredients.
For this 15-Minute Rainbow Trout with Cherry Tomatoes, I’ve used a special type of cherry tomatoes, known as Tomberry™. Perhaps you’ve seen them at your grocery store! They are tiny, about the size of a cultivated blueberry, and often sold as a mix of colours. While they are small in size, they are big in tomato flavour!
These tiny Tomberry tomatoes are perfect for this dish as they’re wonderfully flavourful and super colourful. Don’t worry if you can’t find them though, as you can use any cherry or grape tomatoes here.
Ingredient Notes
Rainbow Trout: Look for the long, thin, skin-on rainbow trout fillets, as they cook nice and quickly in a pan on the stove-top. If you have a thicker piece of trout, be sure to extend the pan-frying time accordingly or pop into a 350F oven to finish cooking through after pan-searing.
Cherry Tomatoes: As noted above, I used the tiny Tomberry tomatoes here. I find these tomatoes regularly at Loblaws-affiliated stores here in Ontario. Sometimes they are labeled “Tomz” as well. They are being grown right here in Ontario, too!
You can use any cherry tomato though, if Tomberry tomatoes aren’t available. I think the smaller the cherry tomato the better though, just for ease of eating. You really don’t want to cut (halve) the cherry tomatoes though, as the liquid from the inside will cause the tomatoes to become a bit of a mushy mess. Keep them whole whichever kind you use!
Lemon, Garlic, Parsley and Basil: For best results, use fresh lemon juice, garlic, parsley and basil here.
Cook’s Notes
Be sure to season this dish well with salt and freshly ground pepper, starting with seasoning the rainbow trout well. Season the cherry tomatoes and they saute, as well.
Watch your cherry tomatoes carefully as they cook in the pan. You don’t want to cook them to the point where the skin cracks open and releases the tomato liquid. The cherry tomatoes should just be warmed through and the skin should just be starting to wilt.
Save adding the chopped fresh basil to the tomatoes until the tomatoes have cooled slightly, to avoid the basil turning black when it comes into contact with heat.
More Rainbow Trout Recipes You Might Like …
Fresh Summer Corn Chowder with Rainbow Trout
Rainbow Trout Cooked in Parchment
Get the Recipe: 15-Minute Rainbow Trout with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Butter:
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Rainbow Trout:
- 1 rainbow trout fillet
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Garlic Butter, above
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Cherry Tomatoes:
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup small cherry tomatoes, whole (I used Tomberry tomatoes here)
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Garlic Butter, above
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, sliced
To Serve:
- Additional fresh parsley, for garnish
- Fresh lemon wedges, for drizzling
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the Lemon Garlic Butter and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil over just a bit higher than medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the Lemon Garlic Butter to the pan. Once melted, add the whole cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook, swirling the pan to move the tomatoes around, until the skin on the tomatoes is just starting to wilt, but not cracking open, about 2-3 minutes. Remove cherry tomatoes to a bowl, loosely cover with aluminum foil (to keep them warm) and set aside.
- Your skillet should be dry-ish (at least without tomato liquid). If not, wipe clean. Return skillet to heat, just a touch over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and allow to heat.
- Pat rainbow trout fillet dry with a paper towel, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 Tbsp of the Lemon Garlic Butter mixture and allow to melt. Add rainbow trout fillet, skin side up and cook until starting to brown slightly, about 3 minutes. Flip trout over and cook an addition 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through and trout is flaky. *If you have any left-over Lemon Garlic Butter, go ahead and dot it on top of the trout while it finished cooking.
- Remove trout to a serving plate. Toss cherry tomatoes with fresh chopped basil, then spoon over/around trout. Garnish with some additional parsley and serve with lemon wedges, for drizzling.
SO good, SO quick and easy. Super impressed and will definitely add this to my regular menu!
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley :) Thanks so much!
I’ve seen those tomberries at my local Loblaws store too and was so tempted to pick them up and give them a try! Now I need to go back and get them. They go so perfectly with this trout!
This is the prettiest trout I ever did see!!!! Simple yet fresh and flavorful just how I like it!!! Plus you can’t beat that this is ready in 15 minutes!!! Where do I sign up? ;) Definitely adding this one to our dinner menu soon!!!
By the way, I definitely would have guessed salmon too!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :) Trout is such a nice change from salmon and it’s a bonus that it benefits from simple preparations!
So may be I am just being ignorant here, I never see rainbow trout in the seafood section. But am definitely going to give a better look next time. I love a simple seafood meal and this one is so perfect for summer.
I think it just looks so much like salmon that we don’t notice it :)
Wow – we haven’t had trout in years! We used to camp and fish in Tennessee and often ate campfire cooked trout for breakfast. I’ll have to check my local fish counter to see if I can pick up some fresh trout and give your recipe a try. It looks so fresh and perfectly cooked. Pinned :)
Thanks Tricia! Trout is a nice change from the usual salmon. I really enjoy it for a quick and easy meal :)
We love trout in our family and rainbows are plentiful around here, all I need to find are these super cute miniature tomberries:) Gorgeous summer dish and who wouldn’t want a dinner that takes 10 minutes?
Thanks Milena and yes, I’m loving these tiny tomatoes!
I would have thought salmon would have been the most popular too Jennifer. I’m loving the sherry tomato topping. Perfect on all kinds of fish for sure! Happy Friday!
THanks Mary Ann and yes, a simple way to dress up fish :)
Hmmm….favourite way? I like to keep things simple because the trout itself really stands out. You have a lovely pairing here with those fresh, cherry tomatoes! Such a light supper, perfect for Friday night with a glass of white wine :)
Thanks Dawn and yes, easy and delicious is always good :)