Trout are the perfect fish to hot smoke, thanks to their manageable size, texture and awesome flavour.
Not only that, but they’re a readily available food source and a lot of fun to catch. If you can’t go out on a Saturday morning and reel in a few yourself, then you’re sure to find some at your local grocery store.
You can serve smoked trout as an appetizer, a hearty meal or to add flavour to soups and dips! However you decide to use your fish, we guarantee you’ll love this smoked trout recipe.
Perfect Smoked Trout Recipe
The preparation and smoking method are relatively simple and the finished product will melt in your mouth. It’s darn near perfect.
You can smoke smaller trout whole. Thanks to the low and slow cooking process, the bones will separate themselves from the meat, and it will be easy to remove the meat from the bones, if you decide not to fillet out your fish. Either way, keep the skin on the fish.
Ingredients
For 2-3 kg (5-7 lb) of trout. ProTip: The average 33 cm (13 in.) trout weights .45 kg (1 lb).
The Brine
- 2 Liters (1/2 Gallon) Water
- 120 mL (1/2 Cup) Sugar
- 120 mL (1/2 Cup) Brown Sugar
- 120 mL (1/2 Cup) Salt
- 30 mL (2 Tbsp) Garlic Powder
- 30 mL (2 Tbsp) Chili Powder
- 45 mL (3 Tbsp) Lemon Juice
- Place trout in a glass cooking dish and pour in brine. Make sure all surfaces of the fish come in contact with the brine.
- Refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Remove trout from dish and rinse in cold water.
- Pat dry and lay out on smoker rack for one hour. Try to place the fish on the smoker rack so that smoke can reach the insides of the fish. For fillets, place the fish with the skin side down.
Directions
Smoking Method
Preheat your Bradley smoker to 107°C (225°F). We recommend Alder Bisquettes for smoke.
Smoke trout for up to 4 hours, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t dry out. Smaller trout can be fully smoked in as little as 1.5 hours but can be left in longer for a stronger smoke flavour.
When the fish is done, you can eat them fresh out of the smoker, as an appetizer or as an ingredient in another dish – that is, if you can resist eating it all before then!
Refrigerate leftovers for days or freeze for months. If you decide to throw them in the freezer, don’t forget to remove the meat from the bones first.
This is an easy, great-tasting recipe for smoked trout that anyone can do. Give it a try and you’ll see why we call it the perfect smoked trout recipe. The semi-sweet and salty flavour combined with fresh trout will be irresistible to your guests!
