Baked Ocean Trout with Quinoa Salad is packed with flavor and perfect for when you want an easy weeknight meal of fish and quinoa ready in just 30 minutes.
As a wild game chef and full-time recipe developer, I’m always looking for ways to make wild-caught ingredients weeknight-friendly. That’s exactly what this baked ocean trout recipe delivers. It’s a fast, flavorful, and healthy dinner that feels a little fancy but won’t derail your evening. Whether you’re wrangling kids, working late, or just hungry and impatient, this fish and quinoa combo saves the day.
Ocean trout has a rich, buttery flavor, similar to salmon but slightly milder. It bakes quickly and pairs wonderfully with the bright, fresh ingredients in the quinoa salad. If you’re new to cooking ocean trout, don’t worry - I’ll walk you through every step. And if you can’t find ocean trout where you live, you can easily substitute Brook Trout, Brown Trout, or Rainbow Trout. Rainbow Trout is commonly found in grocery stores all across the United States and Canada.
Why You'll Love This Baked Ocean Trout Recipe
- Quick – With both prep and cook time, everything comes together in just 30 minutes.
- Nutritious and Gluten-Free – Loaded with protein and healthy fats. I used quinoa to make this fish recipe gluten-free for a few of you who have been requesting gluten-free recipes from me.
- Versatile – Great hot, cold, or room temp. Leftovers make an excellent lunch to take to work the next day.
- Beautiful – Those roasted trout with lemon slices? Instagram-worthy.
Even better, this recipe leans on simple ingredients like quinoa, garlic powder, and dried oregano. You might already have everything you need, saving a trip to the store.
Tips For Cooking Ocean Trout
Ocean trout is delicate but forgiving. A hot oven helps crisp the skin while keeping the flesh moist and flaky. For this baked ocean trout recipe, I go with a high heat - 475 degrees F - which might sound aggressive, but it locks in moisture and finishes the fish in just 15 minutes. Don’t walk away! Stay close to keep an eye on the fish in the oven while you make the quinoa salad. Just don’t wander off and start cleaning the garage.
When cooking ocean trout, use an instant-read thermometer. You're aiming for 135 degrees F to 140 degrees F in the thickest part. Pull it out, let it rest, and boom - perfect every time.
How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa can be temperamental. Undercooked and it’s crunchy. Overcooked and it’s mush. The sweet spot? Somewhere in between.
Here’s a foolproof method:
1. Rinse your quinoa under cold water. This removes the bitter outer coating called saponin. Even if the package says “pre-rinsed,” I say rinse again.
2. Use a 2:1 water-to-quinoa ratio. We're using 1 cup of uncooked quinoa for this recipe, so use two cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover.
3. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Let it rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. You should end up with 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Follow these helpful directions and you'll end up with light, fluffy quinoa every time - perfect for soaking up the olive oil and lemon juice in this salad.
Fish and Quinoa Flavors
We’re working with two main components here: the fish and the quinoa salad.
When cooking ocean trout, a quick rub of olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano adds great flavor using things most people have in their kitchen cupboard. Inside the fish? Slices of lemon for brightness and moisture. The result is subtly smoky, citrusy, and downright delicious.
The quinoa salad is a supporting actor with main character energy. It brings crunch from bell pepper and onion, savory brine from olives, and fresh herb flavors from parsley and thyme. A drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil ties everything together. It’s a little Greek, and a whole lotta yum!
Tips for Success
- Go Fresh: Use fresh herbs and lemon juice. It really makes a difference.
- Don’t Crowd the Pan: If your trout are large, give them space to roast evenly.
- Mix it Up: Add cherry tomatoes, feta, or cucumbers to the quinoa salad if you’ve got them.
- Leftovers are Delicious: The quinoa salad tastes even better the next day.
How To Make this Ocean Trout Recipe
1. Catch some ocean trout, but watch out for the teeth! (Or buy some Rainbow Trout at the store - no shame in that.)
2. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F.
3. Rinse the inside and outside of each trout under cold water. Pat them dry with paper towels.
4. Rub trout with olive oil, then season inside and out with salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano.
5. Stuff each trout with lemon slices. Place them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until the thickest part of the trout hits 135 to 140 degrees F using an instant read meat thermometer.
7. While the fish bakes, rinse the quinoa and cook it with 2 cups of water. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with diced onion, bell pepper, minced garlic, olives, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, and olive oil.
9. Remove the trout from the oven. Let it rest for 5 minutes before moving to a serving platter.
10. Serve the baked ocean trout alongside generous spoonfuls of the quinoa salad, with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Tested And Approved Trout Recipe
This Baked Ocean Trout with Quinoa Salad Recipe, just like all of the recipes you'll find on this food blog, was tested and approved by my wife and our 9-year-old daughter. That way, you can be assured they are family friendly.
If you are looking for another great recipe for a fish you can catch along the Gulf coast, be sure and check out these other family favorites:
- Baked Redfish on the Halfshell
- Speckled Trout Fish Piccata
- Easy Pan Seared Redfish
- Butter Poached Puffer Fish
Or find all of our fish recipes here.
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Baked Ocean Trout with Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Baked Trout
- 2 large trout or 4 small trout, gutted and gilled and scaled
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lemon, sliced
Quinoa Salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup pitted olives
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Catch some ocean trout but watch out for the teeth!
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- Rinse the outside and inside of the gutted and gilled and scaled trout under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Coat trout in olive oil, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano. Stuff with lemon slices. Set them out on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place trout in the preheated oven and bake until thickest part of trout registers 135 to 140 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions, about 15 minutes. (1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield 3 cups cooked). Remove cooked quinoa from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
- Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, diced onion, diced bell pepper, minced garlic, olives, parsley, thyme, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Remove trout from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving platter.
- Serve baked ocean trout with quinoa salad and lemon wedges.
Don Rank says
Amazing dish. We had it with Walleye. I can’t wait to try it trout.
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Don! Glad to hear the recipe works just as well with walleye!