Follow these easy steps to turn freshly caught lake trout into the most delicious Smoked Trout you will ever taste. Enjoy the smoked fish on its own as a snack or appetizer or add it to salads, dips, and pastas.
Want a sneak a peek into my family’s recipe box? It truly is a treasure trove of delicious home cooking and I love sharing these special recipes with you. Check out grandma’s Pickled Garlic Dill Carrots and Strawberry Rhubarb Fluff (my favourite dessert).
PS. I hope she doesn’t mind that I altered her Creamed Garden Peas and Bread and Butter Pickles recipes!
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Brined Smoked Trout
This post was so difficult to write without drooling all over my keyboard. Believe me, the flavour of this smoked trout is something you will never forget. The day we smoked this fish, our boys came over and promptly demolished two of the filets as soon as they came out of the smoker!
Unlike west coast style candied smoked salmon, this smoked trout sits in a wet brine of equal parts salt to sugar, so it isn’t overly sweet. The meat is moist and slight chewy – the perfect textural balance in my opinion. If you prefer a softer texture, either use the lowest recommended brining time or less salt/sugar in the brine.
Smoking trout filets is easier (and quicker) than smoking whole trout. However, since they have more exposed surface area, they can dry out during the smoking process if you aren’t careful. Today I’m sharing some preventative tips and tricks along with this favourite family recipe.
A Cherished Family Smoked Trout Recipe
This smoked trout recipe fits into the category of our family’s cherished recipes. Smoking, pickling, and canning fish are all preservation techniques we use to preserve our catch. In fact, these methods are a way of life and have been for decades.
Of the three techniques, I always got incredibly excited when grandpa was smoking fish. Back in the day, he made his own smoking chamber out of wood and chicken wire, and he would cold smoke the fish for days. Lake trout was and still is the best fish for smoking, although sometimes there was rainbow trout too, depending on the catch.
These days my dad smokes his trout fillets in a chest style pellet smoker. It’s much easier to control the temperature and smoke level with this set up. However, I developed this smoked trout recipe using a barrel style charcoal smoker. Any style smoker will do, if it will achieve a low enough temperature.
Top Tips and Tricks for this Recipe
- Start with firm, fresh trout fillets of similar sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Pick your brine strength. Use a stronger brine or longer brining period for a chewy texture and a lighter brine or shorter brining period for a light flaky texture.
- Choose light flavoured wood chips (or pellets) like apple or even cherry. Fish flesh has a delicate flavour that may become overpowered by strong smoking woods like hickory or Mesquite.
- Add some humidity. This is especially important with a barrel smoker. A water pan (or the drip tray of a chest smoker) of cold water helps control the cook temperature and prevents the fish from drying out.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or Aluminium foil in between the fish and the grill. This helps keep the fish moist and prevents sticking.
- Smoke the fish at a low, steady temperature until it reaches 145 degrees F when measured with a thermometer.
How to Make Brined Smoked Trout
Brine the Trout
To make the wet brine, place kosher salt, brown sugar, water, and pickling spices in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook and stir for a few minutes until salt and sugar have dissolved. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
Next, inspect the fresh trout filets and remove any remaining bones with fish tweezers then place them in a large freezer bag or suitable container.
Pour the room temperature brine over the trout until they are submerged. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing it. Alternatively, place a plate or other food safe object over the fish to keep it submerged.
Place brining fish in the fridge and allow to brine for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight and no longer than 24 hours.
Smoke the Trout
Prepare the smoker by placing cold water in the drip pan then pre heat the smoker to 200 F.
Next, remove fish from the brine and pat dry with paper towel, removing most of the pickling spices.
To smoke trout, place filets skin side down on the grill (or use parchment paper/Aluminium foil). Add preferred hard wood chips and allow fish to smoke for 60 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how thick the filets are.
Keep the temperature between 175 F and 200 F and do not allow the temperature to rise above 225 F or the fish will dry out quickly.
When the fish turns slightly opaque and begins to flake, check internal temperature of the fish with a meat thermometer. The fish is done cooking when it reaches 145 F. Enjoy smoked fish warm or cold.
To store smoked trout, wrap it tightly in paper towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to one week. To store in the freezer, seal the fish in vacuum-sealed bags and freeze for up to one year. Remove and thaw as needed.
How to Serve Smoked Trout
There are so many ways to enjoy this smoked treat. Firstly, you must eat smoked trout warm right out of the smoker like my boys do. It’s so good! Warm smoked trout is amazing in a creamy pasta dish, in a quiche or fish chowder. You can serve it warm or cold as a cream cheese smoked trout dip on crackers.
Cold smoked trout is intriguing on a charcuterie board while combining it with capers and mayonnaise makes a mouthwatering sandwich filling. Try replacing canned tuna with smoked trout in Niçoise Salad or using it in place of the traditional ham in Eggs Benedict.
Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I’ve been the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen for the past eleven years. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.
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Brined Smoked Trout
Follow these easy steps to turn your freshly caught lake trout into the most delicious Smoked Trout you will ever taste. Enjoy smoked fish on its own as a snack or appetizer or add it to salads and pastas. *Additional time includes up to 8 hours brine time and two hours drying time and may be adjusted. **Recipe is easy to scale according to quantity of fish.
Ingredients
- 2-6 Fresh Lake Trout filets (1-3 fish)
- 1/2 cup Kosher Salt*
- 1/2 Brown Sugar
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 cup Pickling Spice
Instructions
BRINE THE TROUT
- Place brine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer and stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Allow the brine to cool.
- Inspect trout filets and remove any remaining bones with fish tweezers then place them in a large freezer bag or suitable container.
- Pour the room temperature brine over the trout until they are submerged. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing it. Alternatively, place a plate or other food safe object over the fish to keep it submerged.
- Place brining fish in the fridge and allow to brine for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight and no longer than 24 hours.
- Remove fish from the brine and pat dry with paper towel, removing most of the pickling spices.
SMOKE THE TROUT
- Bring the smoker up to 200 F. Remove fish from the fridge and place the trout filets skin side down on the grill**.
- Add preferred hard wood chips*** and allow to smoke between 175 F and 200 F. Do not allow temperature to rise above 225 F or the fish will dry out quickly.
- Smoke the trout for 60 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how thick the filets are. When the fish turns slightly opaque and begins to flake, it is done smoking. Check internal temperature of the fish with a meat thermometer to be sure it has reached 145 F.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
*Amount of Kosher salt and brown sugar can be reduced to 1/4 cup (per 8 cups/half gallon of water) if desired. Always keep the 1:1 ratio of salt to sugar.
**If desired, place filets on their own little 'boat' of parchment paper or Aluminum foil. This decreases moisture loss and helps keep the fish moist.
***Lighter, fruit woods are best for smoked trout as strong flavours like hickory will overwhelm the delicate flavour. Use alder or willow for a more traditional flavour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 3048mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
This recipe looks great! I have a batch of frozen lake trout. Can those be thawed and smoked? Thanks in advance!
Yes, my parents do this all the time. However, it is always best from fresh. The texture does change a bit when the fish is frozen.
Hi Bernice,
I have never used a smoker before, but after reading your post I am so much interested in getting one. All your tips and tricks of smoking have made it seem to me like a simple and enjoyable process. And I want to try my hands on it. I am sure it is much much more better in flavour and taste than the store bought smoked salmon from Costco. Thanks for your informative post and for sharing your recipe.
Hi Fouzia, yes it’s a little bit different than the usual smoked salmon you can buy. It’s well worth buying a smoker… we have a very inexpensive barrel style charcoal smoker. It’s a good way to try smoking without investing a lot.
I don’t own a smoker but my wonderful neighbor does! We decided to give this a try over the weekend and it was delicious. What a great recipe to make and enjoy in the backyard.
That sounds like such a fun weekend. We love cooking with our neighbours too. Thank you for sharing this recipe with your neighbour.
I like how versatile this recipe is and the way in which this trout can be used in a variety of different recipes. I also appreciate the helpful tips and tricks you provided for this recipe as well.
That’s why I always like to do a big batch of smoked fish at a time, there are so many ways to use it! And of course, the kids make it disappear quickly too.
Smoked fish is always so tender, flavorful, and delicious and smoked trout sounds like it’s right up my alley! I will definitely be keeping my eye out for some trout so that I can give it a try soon.
Mmmm, it’s so good, I know you’ll love it LaKita. Thanks for stopping by.
i love this delicious recipe on how to smoke trout. I never knew how but your tips makes it so much easier! I always learn something new on your blog!
Awww thanks so much Nancy, I really love sharing new and interesting dishes. I want everyone to be able to cook my recipes!
My son loves smoked fish! I don’t know why I never thought of trying it. Your recipe makes it looks so easy! So I’ll have to try it. (by the way, it says “1/2 brown sugar”)
It really is an easy recipe as long as you have a smoker. I know he’ll be thrilled with the result, my kids loved it!
This brined smoked trout sounds simply amazing . I can’t wait to try this the next time we have a bounty of fish .
I hope you give it a try. Happy fishing!
We loved this smoked trout recipe. I enjoyed making it, had never tried making smoked fish before. We had it with my asparagus soup and it was terrific. Thanks so much for posting the recipe!
That’s a great idea! I also think it would be amazing in a leek and potato soup or potato soup instead of bacon.
So good and so easy! This was my fist time having trout and I loved it. I’ll be making it again soon 🙂
I’m so thrilled you gave this smoked trout a try. Thanks for letting me know Kathryn!
There’s a fish market conveniently close by. Will keep this recipe for when I get a smoker.
Excellent! You are lucky to have your pick of fresh fish!
I just love smoked trout- especially when it is mixed into a creamy dip! 🙂 I have never tried smoking it myself before. Going to have to change that soon.
If you love the flavour, you should definitely give it a try. It’s so satisfying smoking your own fish.
I have smoked salmon before but I have never considered trout. Consider me hooked and my family loved it.
Excellent to hear Sean! Thanks for trying this smoked fish recipe.
I need to go back to Canada and fish some trout this summer! I absolutely love this simple, yet delightful way of making it. So glad my brother got a smoker!
Lucky him! Now he can smoke you some trout when you come back for a visit!
Amazing! I smoked it in my green egg and served it with some warm potato salad and the whole family was in heaven. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh man, I LOVE smoked potato salad. That must have been an amazing meal Lily, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
I have never attempted to brine fish. Sounds like a fun experiment. I will have to get hubby lighting up the smoker and give this a try.
Gloria, you HAVE to try this recipe. I know you’ll love it and you can use the fish in so many different recipes.