This trout meunière recipe is our take on the classic French dish. Rainbow trout fillets paired with a delicious brown butter sauce flavored with shallots, fresh lemon, and parsley create a dish elegant enough for a special occasion yet fast and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
A serving plate of trout meunière topped with lemon, parsley, and minced shallot butter, garnished with lemon wedges and parsley. A serving fork and linen napkin surround the plate.

Trout fillets are quick-cooking, delicately flavored and perfectly suited to being prepared meunière style. While it may sound fancy, the word meunière is French for “miller’s wife” and refers to a cooking method that’s actually quite simple. A meunière-style preparation includes dusting the food, in this case, fish, with seasoned flour, sautéing it in butter, then finishing it in a brown butter sauce flavored with parsley and fresh lemon. We’ve added some minced shallots for extra flavor.

Notes From the MGC Kitchen

This recipe is one of our favorite ways to prepare delicate fish fillets like trout, sole, and flounder. It’s deliciously buttery with a bright pop of lemon, and the simplicity of it really does the fish justice by enhancing both the flavor and the delicate texture. When you see meunière recipes, they’re generally for fish, but the cooking method could be adapted for chicken easily enough. Tenderloins pounded to a thickness of about a 1/4 inch are a perfect substitute.

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make trout meunière including rainbow trout fillets, flour, butter, olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, parsley, seasonings, and lemon wedges.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.

  • RAINBOW TROUT FILLETS: Rainbow trout is a delicately flavored fish that is a perfect choice for the quick preparation and simple ingredient pairings of this dish. Other options for meunière include sole, flounder, and even tilapia (look for fillets that are not too thick).
  • SEASONINGS: We use a simple blend of salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika (primarily for a little color) to season the flour for dredging the fish.
  • BUTTER: We always use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, cut the salt in the flour back by about 1/4 teaspoon.
  • SHALLOTS: Not all meunière recipes use minced shallot, but we like the mild onion flavor it adds to the brown butter sauce.
  • LEMON JUICE: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for this dish. If you’d like a little extra lemon flavor, add a little fresh zest.
  • PARSLEY: Parsley is the finishing touch for meunière, adding fresh, herbaceous flavor and a pop of color.

Tips for Buying Trout Fillets

We call for rainbow trout fillets in our recipe because it’s the most commonly farmed species of trout and, therefore, the easiest type to find. The fillets, generally sold with the skin on, weigh about 4 to 6 ounces each and have a pinkish hue.

Fresh trout fillets should appear moist, have a clean, mild smell, and feel firm to the touch. They should be stored tightly wrapped in the coldest part of your refrigerator and used within 2 days.

If buying frozen trout fillets, be sure they are tightly vacuum-sealed with no visible ice crystals or freezer burn. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and use within a day.

How to Make Trout Meunière

This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup).

DREDGE THE FISH IN SEASONED FLOUR: In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder and a few grinds of black pepper. Dredge the fillets in the flour mixture, one at a time and shake off the excess.

COOK THE FISH FILLETS: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, add 2 trout fillets, skin side up and cook until golden on the first side, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip them over carefully, finish cooking, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes longer, then transfer them to a serving platter.

KEEP THE FISH WARM: Transfer the fish to the prepared baking sheet, repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets, then put them in the oven to keep warm while you make the brown butter.

SAUTÉ THE SHALLOTS: Reduce the heat on the pan to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 1-1/2 minutes.

MAKE THE BROWN BUTTER: Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and stir gently as soon as it begins to foam. Watch carefully as the milk solids sink to the bottom and start to change color. When the milk solids develop a light golden brown color and toasted aroma, remove the pan from the heat immediately, whisk in the lemon juice, and add the parsley.

FINISH THE DISH: To serve, plate individual fish fillets, drizzle them with brown butter and garnish with lemon wedges.

Tips for Success

A perfect brown butter sauce is the key to delicious meunière. Here are some tips for success that you can apply to this and other recipes.

  • USE A LIGHT-COLORED PAN: It’s much easier to monitor the color of the butter as it browns in a light-colored pan.
  • START WITH COLD BUTTER: Starting with cold butter that’s been cut into evenly sized pieces helps it to melt evenly and reduces the risk of burning.
  • WATCH CAREFULLY: Brown butter goes through several stages of cooking and it’s important not to leave it unattended. First, it starts to foam. Then, the water in the butter begins to evaporate, and the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and begin to develop color. Stirring occasionally or swirling the pan during this time ensures even cooking.
  • STOP COOKING AT THE RIGHT TIME: Remove the pan from the heat immediately when the milk solids reach a light, golden-brown color and develop a toasted aroma. Brown butter can go from perfect to burned in a matter of seconds, so it’s important to stay attentive.
A close up of rainbow trout meunière showing a drizzle of lemon-parsley butter. Lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley garnish the plate.

Serving Suggestions

Trout meunière is a delicately flavored dish that goes best with simple side dishes. Our favorite sides are mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus with lemon, but oven-roasted potatoes are a nice accompaniment, too. Or, for a super easy weeknight dinner, heat a package of pre-prepared mashed potatoes from the store, then steam some fresh green beans and toss them with butter, a dab of honey, and a squeeze of lemon.

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A serving plate of trout meunière topped with lemon, parsley, and minced shallot butter, garnished with lemon wedges and parsley. A serving fork and linen napkin surround the plate.
4.44 from 16 votes

Easy Trout Meunière

This trout meunière recipe is our take on the classic French dish. Rainbow trout fillets paired with a delicious brown butter sauce flavored with shallots, fresh lemon, and parsley create a dish elegant enough for a special occasion yet fast and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 rainbow trout fillets, about 6 ounces each
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 4 lemon wedges
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Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 200°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup).
  • In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder and a few grinds of black pepper. Dredge the fillets in the flour mixture, one at a time and shake off the excess.
  • Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter.
  • As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, add 2 trout fillets, skin side up and cook until golden on the first side, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip them over carefully, finish cooking, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes longer, then transfer them to a serving platter.
  • Transfer the fish to the prepared baking sheet, repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets, then put them in the oven to keep warm while you make the brown butter.
  • Reduce the heat on the pan to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 1-1/2 minutes.
  • Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the pan and stir gently as soon as it begins to foam. Watch carefully as the milk solids sink to the bottom and start to change color.
  • When the milk solids develop a light golden brown color and toasted aroma, remove the pan from the heat immediately, whisk in the lemon juice, and add the parsley.
  • To serve, plate individual fish fillets, drizzle them with brown butter and garnish with lemon wedges.

Notes

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips for making a perfect brown butter sauce.
  • USE A LIGHT-COLORED PAN: It’s much easier to monitor the color of the butter as it browns in a light-colored pan.
  • START WITH COLD BUTTER: Starting the process with cold butter that’s been cut into evenly sized pieces helps it to melt evenly and reduces the risk of burning.
  • WATCH CAREFULLY: Brown butter goes through several stages of cooking and it’s important not to leave it unattended. First, it starts to foam. Then, the water in the butter begins to evaporate, and the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and begin to develop color. Stirring occasionally or swirling the pan during this time ensures even cooking.
  • STOP COOKING AT THE RIGHT TIME: Remove the pan from the heat immediately when the milk solids reach a light, golden-brown color and develop a toasted aroma. Brown butter can go from perfect to burned in a matter of seconds, so it’s important to stay attentive.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 139mg, Sodium: 769mg, Potassium: 853mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1089IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 127mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Lynne Webb and Erika Pitera, creators of MyGourmetConnection in the kitchen, working on a soup recipe for the website.

About Us

We’re Lynne and Erika, a mother-daughter duo passionate about creating recipes that bring flavor and variety to your kitchen in a simple, approachable way.

4.44 from 16 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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13 Comments

    1. Hi Valeta,
      So glad to hear you like the trout recipe. It is easy and a nice way to serve such a delicately-flavored fish.

    1. Hi Sue,
      Since the canned trout is already cooked you could make the sauce and warm the fillets in it. I think it would even work with smoked fillets.

    1. Hi Sue,
      Glad you liked this classic trout recipe. It’s such a simple concept – perfect for a mild, delicate fish like trout.

  1. This recipe really dresses up plain fish. I am not a big fish lover but with the Meuniere sauce on it -it is really super delish!!5 stars