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Like salmon? You might like steelhead even more. Especially my Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce. It’s lemony, buttery, and so delicious! A restaurant-quality dish you can easily make at home.
Better than Salmon?
Having been born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, I naturally grew up eating a lot of salmon. I liked it then and I still do. Lately though, another variety of fish has replaced salmon as my favorite – steelhead.
Steelhead has a slightly milder flavor than salmon, a little less “fishy” if you will, and almost delicate.That’s a plus in my book because it means that the steelhead doesn’t overpower the other ingredients, creating a more balanced flavor profile.
That’s definitely the case with my Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce. The taste of the lemon, herbs, garlic, butter, and steelhead combine beautifully. I also like the fact that steelhead has a more tender texture than salmon.
For me, it adds up to a delicious fresh fish that tastes even better than salmon.
What is Steelhead Anyway?
If you’ve never heard of steelhead before, you might be wondering what the heck it is. Basically, steelhead is a big rainbow trout that acts like a salmon.
Most trout live their lives in freshwater. Steelhead migrate from river to ocean and then back to spawn, just like salmon. But unlike salmon, who die after spawning, steelhead might make that trip more than once.
Though the taste of steelhead is similar to trout, the fillets are thicker and more flavorful because steelhead get much bigger.
Now that you know what steelhead is, let’s get back to the recipe for Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce.
What Restaurant Chefs Don’t Want You to Know
Order a pan-seared fish preparation in your local restaurant and you can look forward to dinner that looks and tastes just gorgeous. And well it should! Because depending on the restaurant, that meal will cost you twenty, thirty, or even forty or more dollars.
But here’s the thing that restaurant chefs don’t want you to know. Preparing a delicious seared fish, such as steelhead, is very simple. And fast.
If you’ve got basic cooking skills, you can make my Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout in under fifteen minutes. And it’ll taste just as good as that $36 a plate restaurant version. The only difference is that your pan seared steelhead won’t come with strolling violinists (which actually might be a good thing).
Oh, and it’ll probably cost you about $30 less.
Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce
When I tell you that making my Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce is…well…easy, I’m not kidding. Once you’ve got the ingredients assembled, dinner will be served in about 10 minutes. Even so, I do have a few tips for making sure that your steelhead turns out perfectly.
Use a cast-iron skillet if you have one. If you don’t own any cast iron, you can use any good quality, heavy-bottomed skillet. It’ll still be terrific. But cast iron really put a nice sear on the fish, which makes it look and taste extra delish.
Real fresh squeezed lemon juice is preferable for this recipe. So is fresh chopped garlic and herbs. If you must substitute with bottled juice, jarred garlic, or dried herbs, so be it. The flavor will be good. But not quite as good as if you use all fresh ingredients.
When you think of searing, you probably think of high heat. But use medium to medium-high here so you don’t burn the garlic. This was the first dish I’ve made on my new stove and I’m still getting acquainted with the heat and flame levels. Consequently, my garlic got a little browner than I might have liked but it still tasted divine!
Your steelhead may have a few “pin bones”. Most of the time they’re so small that you can eat them and not know it. However, you may want to remove the largest ones before you cook the fillet.
The recipe gives an approximate cooking time but it will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet and the heat level of your stove. The fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Making sure food is cooked to a safe temperature is important, so I consider an instant-read thermometer a must-have kitchen tool. Here’s a model that’s very similar to mine. It works for fish, meat, poultry, or even deep-frying.
Let’s Make Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce!
Making Pan Seared Steelhead is incredibly easy and so delicious. The results will rival a meal in your favorite restaurant! (Strolling violinists and twenty percent tip not included.) The next time you want to make a delicious and impressive dinner in a hurry, give it a try!
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Easy Pan Seared Steelhead Trout with Lemon Butter Sauce
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- ½ pound fillet of fresh steelhead, skin on
- 1 T butter
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- ½ large fresh lemon (reserve 1 slice, cut in halves, for garnish)
- 1 T fresh chopped parsley (or dill)
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse fish filet and pat dry with paper towels. If desired, remove any large “pin bones” from the fish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium-high heat. Add garlic to butter and cook for approximately 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant.
- Place steelhead filet in pan with the flesh side down, skin side up. Cook for approximately 4 minutes. Flip filet over and cook for an additional 4 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- Remove filet from pan and put on plate. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fish and sprinkle parsley on top. Add lemon slices for garnish. Serve.
