Trout with Parsley and Lemon Butter
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Russian and Ukrainian people LOVE their fish. I don’t believe the concept of “catch and release” exists in Ukraine. It’s so ingrained in me that I still mumble my objections when my hubby turns on a fishing show and they release their dinner back into the sea. There’s nothing fresher than catching your own trout and making it sizzle that same evening.
Nowadays, if my dad isn’t sleeping or working, he’s tied up with building our church building. There’s little time for fishing, so my parents opted to purchase 100 pounds of trout and sent two beautiful fish my way. So, what to do with two giant fish? Well, first I learned to fillet the trout.
Click here to view the tutorial.The lemon and parsley butter is so perfect for trout; and probably salmon too!
Ingredients for Trout with Herb Butter:
1 large trout (“elbow to fingertips” – sorry we forgot to weigh it!)
4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground pepper
How to Make Trout with Parsley and Lemon Butter
1.Start by filleting your trout. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.
2. Combine 4 Tbsp of butter with 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 3 Tbsp chopped parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash it all together with the fork.
3. Sprinkle both sides of the fish fillet with salt & pepper.
4. Drizzle the flesh side with olive oil & cut each fillet in half.
5. Preheat non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Once its hot, add 3 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook trout with the skin side down first for 3-4 min until browned and crisp. Carefully turn each fillet over and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 3 more minutes.
6. Remove finished trout from the skillet & top each hot fillet with 1 tablespoon of the Lemon-Parsley Butter. Please don’t mind the partially squeezed lemon in the background. It was the only one we had.
The herbed butter was adapted from SavoringTimeInTheKitchen.
I dare ask… Do you catch and release?
Trout with Parsley and Lemon Butter

Ingredients
- 1 large trout
- 4-6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and ground pepper
Instructions
- Start by filleting your trout.
- Combine 4 Tbsp of butter with 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 3 Tbsp chopped parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash it all together with the fork.
- Sprinkle both sides of the fish fillet with salt & pepper.
- Drizzle the flesh side with olive oil & cut each fillet in half.
- Preheat non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Once its hot, add 3 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook trout with the skin side down first for 3-4 min until browned and crisp. Carefully turn each fillet over and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 3 more minutes.
- Remove finished trout from the skillet & top each hot fillet with 1 Tbsp of the Lemon-Parsley Butter.
So simple and delicious. Made exactly as recipe said.
Thank you for your perfect rating, Marjorie!
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Thank you for the kind comment, I’m glad that you could get some inspiration from my blog!
Can I bake instead of fry this fish. If so, what would be the directions?
Started following your blog recently and have been trying the recipes; the Lasagna has been my favourite so far!
I haven’t tried baking this to advise but I imagine that should work too. Thanks and I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Natasha having a problem with the parsley mixture dinner ended up to be delicious along with the avocado salad thank you! Will definitely make it again
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing hat feedback with us, Marsha!
Hello all organized to make the trout, the parsley, butter and lemon will NOT combine WHY???
Hi Marsha, if there’s too much lemon juice, it doesn’t always blend in well. I would just drizzle the remaining lemon juice over the trout before baking and it will work great.
Compound butters like this simple one go good on almost any protein! I actually am commenting on your opinion on catch and release. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT! I grew up very poor near the SF Bay and my dad and grandpa caught, canned, froze, and came up with a million ways to make sturgeon (or whatever they got) different every day of the week!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe Dee! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Love this recipe. Followed the directions. Hubby was impressed. ty
You’re so welcome!! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I used this recipe with tuna steaks, and it was unbelievable. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thanks for this delicious recipe! It was a big hit for my family! iI added some garlic to the lemon parsley butter, but otherwise followed your instructions.
You’re welcome Nancy! I’m glad to hear your family loves the recipe as much as mine does! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
The recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, but it only seems to use 1, in the butter. Can you please clarify where to use the other Tbsp of lemon juice? Thanks!
Oh gosh, sorry. It’s supposed to be 2 in the butter. I updated the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out! 😉
Yes I have Natasha, and I love it! Made it a couple times already, so wanted to try something new 🙂
Awesome, I’m glad you love the recipe Luba :).
How would this taste if I used regular salmon and baked it with the Herbed butter? Ever tried it that way?
I bet that would be really good. P.S. Have you tried the salmon recipe that I have posted?
What kind of trout is it?? Looks like stealhead (red fish, family of salmon) wonder if ocean trout will work (white meat)
I believe it was a stealhead trout. Any trout would work well with this recipe. Hope you love it!
I absolutely love trout! I haven’t had it in a while, so I think I may have some tonight! Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome 🙂 Enjoy it!
This post made me look for Fresh cough fish… My mouth was watering for several days and today I made some. I didn’t make it with same marinade, I fried it but goodness Natasha… you made me so hungry. I have one more fish to go so hopefully I will make this recipe
Thanks Natasha. I know you’ll love it! 🙂 It’s really easy too!
“Elbow to fingertips,” love your measurement! haha 🙂 can’t wait to try this! Here in Erie, PA, we’re right on the lake so we are huge fish people, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Ha! It was the best I could come up with 😉 Oh my sister is in Erie finishing up her CRNA schooling right now. Hope you love the recipe!
You’ve awakened my salivary glands! Yum! I don’t think there’s a better way to prepare fish.
What brand is your frying pan? The recipe looks delicious!
Circulon Infinite Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-Inch & 12-Inch Open Skillets
Thanks for sharing the recipie!!!
do you have a recipie for tushenaya kartoshka???
I don’t have one posted yet, but it’s on my to-do list. 🙂 Thanks for the reminder!
Wow, this is gorgeous! I’ve never cooked fish before, but I’m thinking I will soon!
Also…I’m sorry to say, but I catch and release.. That was the was I was taught to fish. But I catch mostly bullheads, and I don’t know if you can eat those..?
I guess there was a time when we caught and released a fish that wasn’t edible. We used to go fishing on the Puget Sound in Washington and the pesky sharks kept getting caught on our lines. Some of them were quite large!! They were the worst; they’d circle under the boat and tangle everyone’s lines together!!
Where did you buy this lovely filet?
It was someone who sells fish from Twin Falls, Idaho. I’m not sure exactly where it is though. It’s really only worthwhile if you buy way too much of it!! I think they paid $1.60 per pound.
Glad you liked the herbed butter, Natasha! There is nothing better than freshly caught fish prepared the same day. My parents used to own a small cottage on a fishing lake years ago and I miss having those fresh fish dinners.
Susan, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I loved how simple it was but also has such a pop of flavor! A small cottage on a fishing lake; wow that sounds like my parent’s (and hubby’s) dream! I have to admit a cottage and fresh fish dinners does sound pretty dreamy. 🙂
Yummy, looks delicious. (trout, salmon and basa my favorite fish)
Hi Natasha, I love salmon and Bass too! Looks like we have the same taste (and name!);-)
I know, right! 😉 im happy I found your blog, so many great recipes! Keep up the good work, and may God bless your family!!!
Thank you Natasha! Welcome to the site and may God bless you as well!