My steelhead trout recipe, with lightly seasoned trout grilled until flaky and tender, topped with a compound butter of rosemary, lime, and chili flake. Easy to make and delicious.
Grilled Steelhead Trout with Chili-Lime Butter
If you love steelhead trout, you're going to love my new recipe - Grilled Steelhead Trout.
It's perfect on the grill, deliciously flavored with a buttery mix of fresh rosemary, zesty lime, and chili flakes for just a touch of spiciness.
If you've never enjoyed steelhead trout, it's very much like salmon, and I encourage you to try it.
Steelhead Trout Vs. Salmon
If you like salmon, you will probably enjoy steelhead trout. They're not the same fish, but they belong to the same family - Salmonidae - and both have the typical pinkish meat. It is quite similar to salmon.
Let's talk about how we make the recipe, shall we?
Grilled Steelhead Trout Ingredients
For the Compound Butter
- Butter.
- Chopped Rosemary.
- Lime Juice.
- Lime Zest.
- Dried Chili Pepper Flakes.
For the Steelhead Trout
- Steelhead Trout Fillets.
- Olive Oil.
- Garlic Powder.
- Salt and Pepper.
How to Make this Grilled Stealhead Trout - The Recipe Method
First, make the compound butter. For the compound butter, soften the butter so it is malleable but not melted. Add it to a mixing bowl.
Add rosemary, lime juice, lime zest and chili flakes. Mash to combine. Set butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form it into a log. Roll into the plastic and refrigerate to harden.
For the Steelhead Trout. Heat a grill to medium-high heat.
Rub the fish fillets with olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
Grill skin sides down about ten minutes, so the skins get nice and charred. You may need a bit more time, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
Flip and grill another few minutes to ensure the trout is cooked through. You can check with a fork in a thicker section of the fish.
Remove from heat and set onto serving plates.
Top with slices of your compound butter and serve with extra lime slices and chopped parsley. The butter will melt over the hot grilled trout, making it moist and flavorful.
Boom! That's it, my friends! I served mine over creamy, cheesy grits, but you can serve it with any of your favorite side dishes or vegetables.
Top it off with your own homemade Chili-Rosemary-Lime Butter and you're gold. You need to prepare the compound butter ahead, which is easy to do. Just some softening, mixing, rolling and cooling.
The butter melts down over the hot grilled fish, distributing all those chili flakes and rosemary herbs and lime juice. Tasty was the goal, and tasty was achieved. And then some. Keep it light by only using a bit of the butter. Or go crazy, like I did.
Boom! Done! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Chili Pepper Flakes. You can use your typical chili or red pepper flakes you find in stores, or grind up some hotter dried pepper pods to make your own homemade chili flakes. I like to dehydrate my own garden grown peppers to make special chili flakes blends.
- Seasonings. I kept my steelhead trout recipe simple with the seasonings, using only garlic powder, chili flakes and a bit of salt and pepper. However, feel free to bring your favorite seasoning blends like Old Bay Seasoning or Creole Seasonings.
- Baked Steelhead Trout. Instead of grilling the fish, you can bake your steelhead trout fillets in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes to cook the fish, or until it is cooked through.
- Quick Version. If you'd prefer to skip the compound butter to save some time, just top your cooked fish with melted butter, lemon juice, perhaps a bit of lemon zest and chili flakes, maybe some fresh herbs as well.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Grilled Steelhead Trout with Chili-Lime Butter in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate the dish promptly.
Patty's Perspective
It's crazy how something so simple can be so flavorful. Having the compound butter prepared ahead made this super fast to put together. Mike's version tasted MUCH different from Matt's because of the cedar plank, but I loved them both.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Szechuan Salmon with Chili-Basil Rice
- Szechuan Salmon Tacos
- Grilled Salmon with Honey-Sriracha Sauce
- Cajun Baked Salmon with Cajun Rice
- Blackened Salmon
- Chicken Piccata with Capers and Chilies
- Corn Bread-Cheddar Cheese Puffs
- One-Pan Baked Chicken with South Carolina BBQ Sauce
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Grilled Steelhead Trout Recipe with Chili-Lime Butter and Rosemary
Ingredients
For the Compound Butter
- 1 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- Lime zest from 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes
- 4 6-8 ounce steelhead trout fillets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the compound butter, soften the butter so it is malleable but not melted. Add it to a mixing bowl.
- Add rosemary, lime juice, lime zest and chili flakes. Mash to combine.
- Set butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form it into a log. Roll into the plastic and refrigerate to harden.
- Heat one side of the grill to medium-high heat, with a cooler side for gentler cooking.
- Rub the fish fillets with olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
- For Skin On Trout: Grill the trout skin side down directly on the grill grates for 4-5 minutes (or longer, as needed) to get crispy skin, then flip the trout and grill flesh side down on the cooler side for another 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.For Skinless Trout: Grill the trout 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked through to your preference.
- Remove from heat and set onto serving plates.
- Top with slices of your compound butter and serve with extra lime slices and chopped parsley. The butter will melt over the hot grilled trout, making it moist and flavorful.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Marnie says
WOW, this is amazing.
Thanks for the great assortment of recipes I visit your site all the time and use lots of them.
Cheers Marnie
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Marnie! I do appreciate it!
jana says
What is under the fish? Mashed and corn? It all looks wonderful.
Mike H. says
Thanks, Jana! I plated mine atop creamy, cheesy grits, though feel free to pair it with any side dishes or vegetables you love!