Are you looking for a simple Traeger smoked trout recipe? Here, you learn how to add those delicious smoky flavors to your trout! This recipe is perfect for mastering smoking trout at home, perfect for your next cookout, weeknight dinner camping trip, or dinner party.
Traeger Smoked Trout
Not only is this smoked trout quick to make, but it is healthy and packed with an explosion of flavor with every bite!
If you love smoky foods, this smoked trout is the perfect combination of smoky and savory that you will try! This smoked fish is super versatile and can be paired and served in many different ways!
What You’ll Need
- Trout Fillets
- Water
- Salt
- Brown Sugar
- Black Pepper
- Soy Sauce
- Vegetable Oil
How To Make Traeger Smoked Trout
1: Make The Brine
Combine water, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and soy sauce in a large container large enough to hold your fillets. Whisk these ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.
2: Prep Your Trout
If you’re using a full trout, butterfly-cut each trout down the tail and then spread it out, as you want the fish to lie flat when being smoked on the grill.
If you’re using trout fillets, you can leave them as is.
3: Brine The Trout
Place the trout into the brine, positioning them in a way that covers them in the liquid completely. Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator. You’ll want to let the trout brine in the liquid for 60 minutes.
Make sure to turn the trout over halfway through the brining time.
4: Dry The Trout
After the hour of brining time, remove the fish from the container and pat dry with a paper towel. It helps if you dry both sides before putting them on the grill.
5: Smoke!
You can now fill your smoker with fresh wood pellets of your choice. After this, preheat your smoker to 225°F for 10-15 minutes with the lid closed.
Once preheated, brush vegetable oil over the grill grates with a brush which will help the fish skin to not stick to the grill. Place the dry trout onto the grill, with skin side down. Close the lid.
Smoke for approximately 1.5-2 hours until the fish starts to flake and turns opaque in color.
Thicker fillets will take longer than the thinner ones. Hence, you must keep check of each fillet’s doneness with an internal meat thermometer rather than setting a specific time.
6: Serve!
Cook the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 140°F- 145°F to ensure it is safe to eat. Remove the trout from the smoker once they reach that temperature.
Transfer them to a baking sheet. De-bone the fish if using whole trout, and drizzle some lemon juice on the fish.
Pair the fish with some delicious sides, and your dish will be ready to be served!
Smoking Vs Grilling Trout
When you smoke trout, you cook it over low temperatures for an hour. This allows more time for the natural wood smoke to flavor the finished product. Although the flesh of the trout may be dry to the touch, a salt curing process will lock in moisture, so the trout itself won’t have a dry texture when eaten.
On the other hand, grilling trout involves cooking it over high temperatures, such as 400-500°F, for 10- 15 minutes. This method doesn’t allow the fish to absorb a lot of smoke flavor and will keep it moist to the touch.
How To Store and Reheat
If you have leftovers, you’ll want to store your smoked trout wrapped in plastic and in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If smoking a large quantity, you can freeze after vacuum sealing the trout.
If you want to reheat leftovers, you should pop the fish into the air fryer or oven at a temperature of 350°F until the inside of the fish is warm.
What To Serve With It
As you can see, I paired my smoked trout with grilled bread, fresh creme, pickles, and red onion. The possibilities are endless for what to serve with trout. You can have it as a stand-alone meal, pair it with a homemade dip, or with a side to make a meal.
Try making a homemade dip by mixing sour cream, cream cheese, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper.
Alternatively, you may pair the smoked fish with smoked asparagus or fresh garlic couscous to make this fish into a healthy meal.
More Seafood Recipes
Traeger Smoked Trout
Equipment
- Traeger Grill
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs trout fillet
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Instructions
- Combine water, salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and soy sauce in a large container that will be able to fit your fillets.
- Whisk these ingredients together until the sugar dissolves.
- If you're using a full trout, you'll want to butterfly-cut each trout down the tail and then spread it out as you want the fish to lie flat when being smoked on the grill.
- If you're using trout fillets, you can leave them as is.
- Place the trout into the brine, positioning them in a way that covers them in the liquid completely.
- Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator. You'll want to let the trout brine in the liquid for 60 minutes.
- Make sure to turn the trout over halfway through the brining time.
- After the hour of brining time, remove the fish from the container and pat dry with a paper towel.
- It would help if you got both sides dry before putting them onto the grill.
- You can now fill your smoker with fresh wood pellets of your choice. After this, preheat your smoker to 225°F for 10-15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Once preheated, brush vegetable oil over the grill grates with a brush which will help the fish skin to not stick to the grill.
- Place the dry trout onto the grill, with skin side down. Close the lid.
- Smoke for approximately 1.5-2 hours until the fish starts to flake and turns opaque in color.
- Remove the trout from the smoker once they are done, transferring them to a baking sheet.
- De-bone the fish if using a whole trout and drizzle some lemon juice on the fish.
- Pair the fish with some delicious sides and your dish is ready to be served!
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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