Smoked Trout (Naked & Glazed)

Smoked salmon gets all the praise but if you really like fish, smoked trout is the way to go. Nice light fish flavor with a smooth smoky touch really makes this trout stand out. Fire up that smoker, let's roll some smoke.

Jump to:

• Video - Step by Step
• Getting the trout
• How to Make Smoked Trout
• Testing for when done
• Serving Suggestions
• FAQ
• Old pro tips
• Try smoking these
• Smoked Trout Recipe

Video - Step by Step

Getting the trout

Alright folks, let's get some of that great tasting trout to smoke. You can smoke anything from fresh water to salt water trout. I'm smoking some steelhead trout that I actually bought from Sam's Club, (they have great fish).

You can of course catch your own. When fishing in Colorado, we only catch and release. When I fish in Texas for salt water speckled trout, we definitely keep those bad boys.

They have a very mild flavor and white skin compared to the stronger flavor and red color of freshwater trout. Rainbow trout is another great fish to use when making this smoked trout recipe.

Point being, let's smoke whatever you can get your hands on. If you catch it yourself, fillet the fish leaving the skin on.

How to Make Smoked Trout

Now that you have your fresh trout, let's get straight into brining, drying, seasoning, and smoking this great tasting smoked trout recipe.

Brining the fish

The first step when smoking trout is to brine it in a salt mixture. This will help draw moisture out of the fish, help preserve the fish after drying, and give it some flavor as well.

There are a couple ways to brine the fish, either using a wet brine or dry brine. I will show you how to use both methods here. Both work very well, the dry brine a little faster than the wet brine.

Wet brine

Our wet brine consists of 3 ingredients; water, kosher salt, and brown sugar. It's very simple and easy to put together. Simply mix ingredients in 9x13 baking dish with a whisk until salt and sugar has dissolved, no need to heat the mixture when mixing.

Place the trout filets into the mixture skin side up and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and brine 8 hour to over night.

Dry Brine

A dry brine is just as simple as a wet brine. Mix the kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, and dry mustard in a dish. Lay the trout fillet in a baking pan skin side down and sprinkle the mixture all over the meat of the fish.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3-5 hours. Liquid will come out of the fish so make sure it's in a baking sheet and not just on a cutting board with no side walls.

Rinse & dry

Once the fish has finished brining, you must rinse the fish with cold freshwater removing the brine mixture. If you do not do this, the finished smoked trout will be overly salty.

After rinsing, pat dry the fish with paper towels. Make sure to dry it as much as possible, it will make a difference when trying to form a pellicle.

Pellicle

A pellicle is a thin film that needs to form on the meat of the fish before the smoking process. This pellicle will help the smoke adhere to the fish as well as slow down the cooking process.

There are two ways to create a pellicle.

• Place the fish filet in front of a fan in a cool room for 3-5 hours.
• Place the fish filet on a cooling rack uncovered in the fridge for 6-8 hours.

Both of these ways will create a pellicle, It just depends on how much time you have. I like using the fan because it's faster.

When a pellicle is formed on the fish, a shiny sheen or film can be seen. Once this has formed, it's time to smoke the fish.

Smoking trout

Smoking on low is the best way to smoke trout. I'm using a pellet smoker, but a traditional offset smoker works great as well. Bring the temperature to 180°F and lay the fish directly on the rack skin side down.

Use a mild wood for smoked trout, fruit woods like cherry or apple work great. If using a pellet smoker, a competition blend pellets can be used as they tend to be a mix of mild wood that will give the smoked fish great smoke flavors.

Glaze

Smoke for 1 hour and if you want a glaze, this is when to start brushing it on. Otherwise you can smoke it as is leaving the fish naked.

Just like my smoked salmon, my favorite trout recipe glaze is equal parts honey and maple syrup. Simply brush it on with a marinade brush every 20-30 minutes until the trout is finished smoking.

Testing for when done

Smoked trout is finished when the internal temperature reaches 145°F. The best way to test this is by using an instant read thermometer. Simply insert at the thickest part of the fish and when it reads 145°F, remove the fish from the smoker and allow to cool.

Smoking will vary on different smokers, but expect around 2 hours of total smoking time for the fish to be finished.

Serving Suggestions

There are many different ways to eat smoked trout. One of my favorites is eaten right after pulling off the smoker on a bed of rice. Other popular ways include eating on toast with cream cheese or made into a trout dip.

Fish dips normally have a base of cream cheese and taste AMAZING! This smoked trout recipe makes a fantastic dip, so give it a try!

FAQ

Old pro tips

• Use wild caught trout for a more rich flavor
• This recipe works great for salmon as well
• A mild wood like cherry or apple works best

Try smoking these