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What Does Trout Taste Like? All Secrets You Need To Know

What Does Trout Taste Like

Trout is a species of fish that can be safely eaten. It’s found all over the world and you will find species of different sizes and colors (and spot patterns for the spotted ones) depending on their country of origin.

If you’re curious as to how trout tastes like, let me tell you right now that it doesn’t taste like chicken. It tastes like fish, but it’s also referred to as the “chicken of the sea” because it generally carries a mild or bland flavor.

Don’t worry, this article is dedicated to describing the real taste of trout. I will also compare it with other types of fish to give you an idea as to its taste and texture.

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What Trout Tastes Like
Saltwater Vs. Freshwater Vs. Farmed
Freshwater Trout
Saltwater Trout
Farmed Trout
Factors that Affect Trout’s Taste
How to Prepare Trout for Cooking
6 Ways to Cook Trout
Method #1 – Bake
Method #2 – Grill
Method #3 – Fry
Method #4 – Smoke
Method # 5 – Steam
Method #6 – With Sauce
Why You Should Eat Trout
FAQs
Top 3 Trout Recipes
Recipe #1 – Smoked Trout
Recipe #2 – Baked Tr​​​​​out
Recipe #3 – Fried Trou​t
Trout Tastes Like Fish – So, It Must Be Good

What Trout Tastes Like

To compare the taste of trout with other types of fish, I want to present to you a grouping of fish according to their taste.

Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

Strong taste:

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    Salmon
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    Herring
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    Mackerel

Not as strong:

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    Cod​​
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    Tilapia
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    Bass
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    Tuna

Mild:

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    Perch
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    Trout
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    Halibut
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    Catfish
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    Flounder

Saltwater Vs. Freshwater Vs. Farmed

As you can see in the above grouping, trout belongs to the mild, bland tasting group. However, the flavor of trout will also depend on where they were sourced (or caught).

Freshwater Trout

From freshwater sources, freshwater trout have bland taste. The reason for this is that they live all their lives in an environment that’s low on salt (bland water). Their diet is likewise composed of organisms that live in the same environment.

Saltwater Trout

Saltwater trout live in waters with high concentrations of salt all their lives. Because of this, their meats are more flavorful when compared with freshwater trout. If the source of water is clean, you will harvest trout with flavorful meat (pleasant flavor). Still, some people find the taste of saltwater trout too strong and gamey (unpleasant for some).

Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

Farmed Trout

Farmed trout are kept in ponds. If the water system is protected from contaminants, the fish are clean and safe to eat (and pleasant-tasting). As with other types of farmed fish, however, the cleanliness of such a setup is not without controversies. In fact, some people refuse to eat farmed fish for the simple reason that they are confined in a limited space and are swimming in their own poop.

Note: Fish activities also play an important role in the ultimate taste of their flesh. With more movements (swimming), the fish will develop more muscles. Furthermore, their meat will be more oxygenated when compared to inactive fish. It is for this reason why wild types of fish are generally more flavorful than farmed fish (limited movement in confined spaces).

Factors that Affect Trout’s Taste

As you already know by now, the place of harvest (or source) is one of the main factors that affects a trout’s taste. However, listed below are some of the things you should know when it comes to the flavor of trout.

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    How a trout is prepared (before cooking) also affects its taste.
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    The method of cooking also affects a trout’s taste.
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    Fresh trout tastes better than frozen trout.
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    Rainbow trout (a variety of trout) is known for its (mildly) sweet taste.
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    Steelhead trout (a variety of trout) tastes somewhat like Salmon. It’s also mildly sweet-tasting.
Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

How to Prepare Trout for Cooking

While you can prepare trout like any other fish, consider the following points:

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    Trout are bony and their ribs are structured in such a way that they’re not that easy to eat.
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    To clean trout, gut and wash them well. You can leave their heads on if you’re going to cook them whole.
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    Because trout are bony, they’re best cooked whole. And if you’re going to cut them, cut in large slices.

6 Ways to Cook Trout

Method #1 – Bake

Here’s one way to bake trout:

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    Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
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    Brush trout with olive oil.
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    Bake for about 10 minutes or until done.
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    Remove from oven and serve.

Method #2 – Grill

Follow these steps if you want to grill trout:

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    Rub the trout with a mixture of lemon, salt, and pepper (inside and out). Another option would be to brush the fish with a mixture of olive oil and lemon.​

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    Grill each side of the fish until cooked.
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    Remove from the grill and serve.

Note: As much as possible, don’t flip the trout too much. Remember that its meat is very delicate and the whole fish can fall apart with constant flipping.

Method #3 – Fry

To fry trout, follow these steps:

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    Season the trout with salt and pepper.

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    Get a pan and put olive oil in it.​
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    Cook fish in the oil until done.
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    Remove from heat and serve.
Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

Method #4 – Smoke

Here are the steps to smoking trout:

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    Season trout with herbs and spices.

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    Set the smoker to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
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    Position the trout in the smoker
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    Smoke and cook for about 3 hours (or until done).
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    Remove from smoker and serve.

Method # 5 – Steam

To steam trout, follow these steps:

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    Cut up some ginger and onion to garnish the trout.
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    Position the fish in the steamer.
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    Steam for about 15 minutes or until done.
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    Remove from the steamer and serve.

Method #6 – With Sauce

You can cook trout using recipes with sauces. For this method, you can choose to cook it in the oven or over the stove.

Oven:

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    Place the fish in a baking dish.

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    Cover the fish with the mixture sauce.
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    Bake until done.

Stove:

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    Fry the trout and set aside.​

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    Prepare sauce.
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    Place the fish in the sauce and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

Here are some of the sauces that you can use for trout:

  • Tomato sauce
  • Garlic and lemon sauce
  • Lemon cream
  • Butter sauce

Note: There are recipes that coat the fish in a flour mixture. This procedure results in a crunchy crust and makes the fish crispy outside.

Why You Should Eat Trout

Here are some of the reasons why you should eat trout:

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    Trout is a healthy type of fish (rich in protein and fatty acids).
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    It’s a quick-cooking fish (tender meat).
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    It (generally) tastes good.

FAQs

Trout Recipe

Trout Recipe

Q: What does freshwater trout taste like?

A: In general, freshwater trout are bland in taste.

Q: How would you describe a trout’s taste and texture?

A: Depending on the type of trout, where they’re sourced, and how they’re prepared, their flesh can taste anywhere from bland to gamey. As for the texture of the meat, it’s very delicate and will easily fall apart while cooking.

Q: Does trout taste like salmon?

A: There are varieties of trout that somehow resemble the taste of salmon – that’s why you can sometimes use trout in salmon recipes. In general, however, salmon has a stronger, sweeter taste. So, if you’re looking for a salmon-tasting trout, go for the Rainbow and Steelhead varieties as they’re known to be the sweetest types of trout (though not as sweet as salmon).

Q: What’s the flavor profile of trout?

A: Trout falls under the category of mild-tasting fish.

Q: How does trout’s taste compare to tilapia?

A: Trout has a milder flavor compared to tilapia. Trout is also more nutritious than tilapia.

Q: What does steelhead trout taste like?

A: A steelhead trout’s taste can be compared to the taste of salmon, but it’s milder. Like the Rainbow trout, it can also be used in salmon recipes.

Top 3 Trout Recipes

If you really want to try eating trout, I have 3 simple recipes for you.

Recipe #1 – Smoked Trout

This is a very simple recipe, it basically involves stuffing the trout with a mixture of:

  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Butter
  • Lemon juice

You then need to wrap the fish up in a foil before putting it on the grill. Cook it at low heat (around 200 degrees) and it will be done in about 15 minutes.

FULL RECIPE HERE

Recipe #2 – Baked Tr​​​​​out

You can bake trout using a very simple recipe and end up with a delicious dish. In this particular recipe, all you need to do is stuff the trout with the following:

  • Lemon slices
  • Herbs (sage, thyme, oregano, etc.)

You also need to season the fish with salt and pepper. And after that quick preparation, simply put the fish in the oven (350 degrees) and cook the trout for about 20 minutes.

FULL RECIPE HERE

Recipe #3 – Fried Trou​t

For a really simple cooking technique, you can cook trout in a frying pan (Amazon). The steps to doing this are as follows:

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    Clean the fish. If the trout is too big to fit in the pan, you can cut it into pieces (big pieces).
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    Heat some olive oil in a pan. Fry the trout (about 3 minutes per side).
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    Before it finishes cooking, add some butter on top of the fish.

Note: Add the butter when the fish is almost done (to avoid burning the butter).

FULL RECIPE HERE

Trout Tastes Like Fish – So, It Must Be Good

So, what does trout taste like? I’d say it tastes like fish – but with its own flavors (like other types of fish). Keep in mind that the trout’s final taste will depend on its source, the way it was cooked, and the ingredients used.

Fish lovers should really try trout – so, if you are one (a fish lover), go for it. I think you would like it. Look for the Rainbow or Steelhead trout as they’re the most popular.

Let me know how it goes (leave your message in the comment section below). And if you found this article useful, do share it with others.

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About Lita Watson

Lita Watson is a home mom blogger who loves dogs and flowers. I have one daughter and one son, both of whom she adores. I started my blog Quick Easy Cook to share recipes that are quick and easy for moms like herself.

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