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Baked Trout Recipe – Parmesan Panko Crusted Trout Fillets in the Oven

This baked trout recipe is crispy on the outside with a tender center that is seasoned with Dijon mustard and light mayonnaise.

Parmesan cheese and Panko breadcrumbs make these rainbow trout fillets a hit at dinner!

Keep reading to learn how to make this tasty recipe.
Trout recipes - oven baked trout fillets coated in Parmesan cheese and Panko bread crumbs on a red plate with lemons and cutlery.

I used to fish a lot when I was younger. Catching lake trout and cooking them for dinner was a real treat of mine.

I recently found some trout fillets at my local grocery store. Since trout has long been one of my favorite types of fish, I was delighted to try this Panko crusted fish recipe for dinner.

However, when I opened the package, I discovered that the fillets were very thin which meant they were likely to come apart in a frying pan if I tried to pan fry them. What to do I asked?

I recently wrote a post about cooking fresh fish and read over it to get some ideas.

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Looking for something light for dinner tonight? Try this baked trout recipe. Lite mayo, and Dijon mustard get added to Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan crusted rainbow trout for a delightful taste. Get the recipe at Recipes Just 4U.… Share on X

Seasoning the rainbow trout fillets

Normally, when I do a recipe for crusted trout, I use an egg and milk mixture to coat the fish before applying bread crumbs. Then I lightly pan fry them.

Today, I chose to give the trout fillets some extra flavor by coating them in a mixture of light mayonnaise, lemon zest and Dijon mustard.Lemon zest, mayo, Dijon mustard and trout fillets

I decided to use my oven instead of oil in a pan on the stove to keep the calories lower and make the dish lighter in taste.

How to bake trout fillets

Start by seasoning the rainbow trout fillets with some pink sea salt and cracked black pepper.Rainbow trout on a plate with salt and pepper.

Next, combine some light mayonnaise, lemon zest, and minced garlic in a small bowl. The coating will give an extra boost of tangy flavor to the trout fillets and help to keep them moist and flaky.Light mayo, lemon zest and crushed garlic in a bowl with a grater and fork.

This tangy citrus mixture gets spread on both sides of the rainbow trout fillets to give the bread crumbs something to stick to.

I love adding fresh herbs to almost any recipe. The flavor of them is so much more intense than dried herbs.

Fresh thyme gets combined with the Panko bread crumbs and grated fresh Parmesan cheese to make the coating for the fish.Fresh Parmesan cheese, Panko bread crumbs and fresh thyme on a counter

Be sure to use fresh Parmesan cheese if you have it instead of the bottled kind. Not only is the flavor better but it also helps to crisp up the Panko as the fish cooks in the oven.

Coating the rainbow trout fillets

Spread the mayo and Dijon mustard mix on the fish and roll the seasoned rainbow trout in the Panko mixture to coat evenly.

Be sure that both sides of the fish are coated and spread with the mustard seasoning.Rainbow trout fillets rolled in Parmesan cheese. Panko breadcrumbs and fresh thyme.

Place the prepared trout fillets in an oven proof baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Then give the top of the fillets another spray of the cooking spray to help them crisp up in the oven.Parmesan and Panko crusted trout fillets, ready to bake

Rainbow trout baking time

Baking a trout does not take long, especially if the fillets are thin like these.

Place the prepared fillets in the preheated 425 º oven for 12-15 minutes or until fish begins to brown and flakes lightly.

Rainbow trout is quote shiny and translucent when you put it in the oven. When the fish is done, it will be opaque. The fish will easily flake with a fork when it’s finished cooking.

Panko crusted baked trout recipe in a baking dish.

Tasting this baked Panko trout recipe

Trout baked in the oven is deliciously flavored with loads of texture. The fish takes on the flavor of each of the ingredients beautifully.

Every bite of these delicious trout fillets is crispy and crunchy with a hint of tangy lemon and Dijon mustard. The fish flakes easily and is very tender and moist.Baked Parmesan and Panko crusted rainbow trout on a plate with a fork.

Serve the oven roasted trout fillet with lemon slices. A bit of tartar sauce to add a some extra citrus flavor to the finished recipe and makes them very light and bright in flavor.Baked trout recipe with tartar sauce on a red plate with lemons and thyme.

This recipe works well for any thin fish fillet. If you can’t find trout, try Mahi Mahi, flounder, or cod. (my husband’s favorite.)

Baked trout recipe nutrition information

You will get two generous servings of this baked trout recipe, each with 488 calories. The fish is very high in protein with almost 57 grams in each serving!

Best of all? This delicious recipe for baked trout is ready in less than 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for any busy week night.

Try it soon. This oven roasted trout recipe will become one of your favorite ways to cook very thin fish. Your family will love it.

Other ideas for cooking thin fish fillets

Have you noticed that if you buy fish at the grocery store in larger packages that they are usually very thin?

One of the good things about thin fillets is that they cook quickly. However, it also makes a normal pan sear almost impossible.

Here are a few ways to enjoy the taste and have the fish hold together well.Rainbow trout fillets on a cutting board with lemon and herbs and a knife.

  • Spread the fish with a moist mixture and coat in Panko and bake. I used mayo and mustard, but there are lots of other possibilities. Yogurt makes a good tangy base. Hummus adds some fiber. Think outside the box about how to season the fish before adding the Panko breadcrumbs.
  • Do a fish fry. Beer batter and other fried fish batter will hold the fish well without it falling apart.
  • Lay the fish on parchment paper with some lemon, butter and vegetables and fold the paper papillote style to encase the fish and keep it moist and tender.
  • Be creative when it comes to coating the fish if you plan to oven bake or pan fry it. I used Panko today, but seasoned Italian bread crumbs, ground nuts and coconut also works well.
  • Instead of trying to pan fry thin fish, use the broiler in your oven. Try broiling it using a flat pan, not a rack. It will cook through without having to turn the fish which can break thin fish apart.
  • Poached fish gives a lovely flavor to thin fillets. Use hot milk with fine chopped spices. It cooks in just a few minutes on the stove top!

More easy fish recipes to try

If you enjoyed this rainbow trout baked recipe be sure to try these, as well:

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Pin this image to one of your fish recipe boards on Pinterest.Baked trout recipe photos on a red background and text reading Panko Parmesan Baked Trout.Admin note: This baked trout recipe first appeared on the blog in July of 2018. I have updated the post to add a recipe card with nutritional information, more tips for baking thin fish, and a video for you to enjoy

Yield: 2

Oven Baked Trout Recipe with Parmesan and Panko

This oven baked rainbow trout recipe is crispy and crunchy on the outside and very tender and flaky in the center. It's ready in less than 30 minutes!

This oven baked trout recipe features fillets that turn out crispy on the outside with a tender white flesh interior that is very flaky.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • sea salt and cracked black pepper to season
  • 1 lb. rainbow trout fillets
  • 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 3 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 tsp of fresh thyme
  • To serve: Tartar sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Season the fish with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
  3. Combine the light mayo, lemon zest, Dijon mustard and minced garlic in a small bowl.
  4. Mix together the Panko bread crumbs, thyme and Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl.
  5. Spread mayonnaise mixture on both sides of the trout.
  6. Roll the trout in the Panko mixture to coat evenly.
  7. Transfer the fillets to a baking sheet.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 min or until fish begins to flake lightly.
  9. Serve immediately with tartar sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

Half of the recipe

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488.7Total Fat: 20.7gSaturated Fat: 5.6gUnsaturated Fat: 12.8gCholesterol: 172.3mgSodium: 517mgCarbohydrates: 14.5gFiber: 0.6gSugar: 1.2gProtein: 56.7g

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Ecowtent

Saturday 16th of March 2024

DH and I loved this recipe. Easy to follow and tasted great. Thank you!

Carol

Monday 18th of March 2024

Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

Laurie in Virginia

Sunday 17th of December 2023

This recipe is just what I was looking for! But where do I find reviews? I see this: "4.4 Stars (77 Reviews)" but cannot find any reviews to read! I often benefit from what others have said about a recipe, so I am disappointed not to see that here.

Carol

Wednesday 20th of December 2023

People often just rate a recipe but don't also write a review.

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