What Does Trout Taste Like?

Trout is popular and for a good reason!

It always pairs so well with light seasoning and is never heavy on the stomach.

Trout has found its way into a large variety of dishes at gourmet restaurants and homes alike.

Whether you like to have it pan-seared, roasted whole, smoked, as part of a dip, or baked, you just can’t go wrong with this fish.

As trout belongs to the same family of fish as salmon, people often confuse the two.

Even though trout has a somewhat similar taste to salmon, it has its own flavor as well.

So, what does trout taste like?

Read on to find out!

Table of Contents

What Is Trout?

Trout is a species of fish that comes in various sizes and colors. It’s a part of the Salmonidae family of fish. Even though trout is touted as an oily fish, much like salmon, it’s readily available on the menus of most seafood restaurants.

There are two types of trout – freshwater and saltwater trout.

Other than this classification, trout has a lot of different species, 12 of which are recognized variations including rainbow trout, brown trout, and steelhead trout.

It’s an incredibly popular game fish in the US, specifically in New York, where rainbow trout spawns in spring.

Is Trout the Same as Salmon?

Trout is a fish that has species that reside in both fresh and saltwater. Even though salmon is quite similar to trout and belongs to the same family of fish, most types of salmon spend the bulk of their lives in saltwater.

Both of these fish are classified as oily fish, but differ a little in taste.

Trout tastes more game-like and its taste varies depending on whether it’s a fresh or a saltwater fish.

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What Does Trout Taste Like?

Since trout has a lot of different varieties, it doesn’t have a signature taste. However, the flavor profile of trout is somewhat similar to salmon.

Overall, the trout flavor is lighter and finer, which makes it more delicate and nuanced. It’s also often compared to the taste of chicken.

Saltwater trout is more flavorful than freshwater trout and is more savory, while freshwater trout has a milder flavor and can be bland.

Since trout has a lot of different varieties, it doesn’t have a signature taste. However, the flavor profile of trout is somewhat similar to salmon.

Overall, the trout flavor is lighter and finer, which makes it more delicate and nuanced. It’s also often compared to the taste of chicken.

Saltwater trout is more flavorful than freshwater trout and is more savory, while freshwater trout has a milder flavor and can be bland.

Tips on Cooking Trout

Check out these great tips that you can use when cooking trout:

When cooking with whole trout, make sure to clean it first by scaling and gutting it. Click here to find out how to clean a fish!
Trout is best cooked when the dish is kept as simple as possible. A complex blend of flavors overwhelms the natural flavor of trout. So, when preparing trout, make sure to serve it with simple seasonings such as lemon, dill, and oil.
The best way to cook trout is grilling or pan-frying it with some olive oil. It brings the natural flavors in trout to the forefront.
You can make a light crust of flour and salt and then pan-fry the fish in olive oil.
Pair the trout with fresh green veggies or sautéed veggies such as asparagus and a bed of rice pilaf.
You can also season trout fillets with pepper, salt, and lemon, and then bake it for 8 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
For wild trout, don’t mask the flavor with a heavy blend of herbs and keep things simple. However, when it comes to farm-raised trout you can experiment a little with the flavors and use dried herbs such as basil and thyme.
When the prepared trout appears to be white and wet, it means that it’s done perfectly and you should turn the flame off. Otherwise, it will overcook and turn dry.
You can debone the fish before cooking it or after cooking it.

How to Clean and Break Down a Whole Fish at Home

Tips on Storing Trout

Here are some tips on storing trout:

If you don’t plan on eating the fish right away, store it in your fridge for a day.
Make sure to eat the trout within a day. If you don’t plan on eating it within a day, then freeze it.
Before you store the trout in your fridge, take it out of its packaging, rinse it under cold water,and dry it with paper towels.
When storing it in the fridge, make sure to keep it on ice to prevent rot.
The best way to store trout in the fridge is by using a cooling rack. Put the rack inside a shallow container and fill the container with crushed ice.
Carefully put the fish on the rack so that it doesn’t overlap. Make sure that the fish doesn’t touch the ice.
Don’t forget to seal the rack and container with aluminum foil as tightly as possible and store it in the fridge.
For storing trout in the freezer, rinse and dry the fish and then put it in heavy-duty freezer bags. Label the bags and make sure to devour the fish within 2 weeks.
Before using the frozen trout, make sure to thaw it in the coldest region of your fridge.

The Bottom Line

I hope you enjoyed reading his guide on “what does trout taste like?”. Make sure to follow the tips that I’ve mentioned above to cook and store trout in the right way.

Cook it with a light seasoning to ensure that the flavor of the fish shines through the dish.