Looking for a healthy and easy dinner option? Try this Air Fryer Trout! With just a few simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes of cooking time, you can enjoy a crispy and delicious meal that's high in omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, cooking trout in an air fryer is a healthier option compared to traditional frying methods.
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You may know by now that I am obsessed with my air fryer! From caramelised bananas to chicken skewers & crispy pork belly, there are so many air fryer recipes you can make, including this air fryer trout.
Cooking trout in the air fryer is an easy & tasty way to cook it. The air fryer seals in the moisture, leaving the inside flaky & juicy.
If you are usually a lover of salmon fillets, try this trout instead for a healthy, light dinner as trout has a similar taste and texture that is equally as delicious!
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Healthier Option - Air fryers use hot air to cook food, eliminating the need for excessive amounts of oil. This makes air fryer fish a healthier option compared to traditional fried fish.
- Faster Cooking Time - Air fryers are known for their quick cooking times, and this is no different with air fryer trout. This recipe cooks in less than 10 minutes, which makes air frying trout ideal for those with busy schedules.
- Even Cooking - The hot air circulation in an air fryer ensures that the trout fillets are cooked evenly on all sides. This means no more burnt or undercooked spots, which can be a common issue when cooking fish in a traditional oven or pan.
- Easy Clean-up - Air fryers are also known for their easy clean-up. The basket and tray can be easily removed and washed in the sink or dishwasher. This is a convenient option for those who want a delicious meal without the hassle of cleaning up a mess afterwards.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
✋ Be sure to double check all packaging for allergens. ✋
- Trout: Rainbow trout or steelhead trout fillets are good options. These are available in most major supermarkets or from your fishmonger. Trout is packed full of brain-boosting omega 3’s, as well as vitamin B12 & D.
- Spices: A mixture of garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper are blended together to make the dry rub seasoning for the trout.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon is sliced and placed on top of the trout fillets before cooking for an extra zing.
🤔 How Long To Cook Trout In The Air Fryer?
I have cooked my trout in my trusted Instant Pot Vortex Plus Clear Cook Air Fryer so the timings in this recipe are based on cooking the trout in this particular brand of air fryer.
I preheated the air fryer to 200˚C / 400˚ F and then once preheated I cooked the trout fillets for 8 minutes.
A couple of different things can affect the timings of cooking your trout, which I have outlined below.
Brand Of Air Fryer - Different brands of air fryers may cook at a different rate than others so timings may vary a little. I would advise you to check your fish every couple of minutes after the first 5 minutes to see if it is ready.
Temperature: If you don’t preheat the air fryer you will need to add on a few more minutes of cooking time. If you decide to cook the trout fillets at a lower temperature than 200˚C they will take longer.
Thickness Of Trout Fillet: Thicker fillets may take a little bit longer and thinner fillets will not take as long.
✏️ How To Make Air Fryer Trout
⬇️ For the full printable recipe, along with ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post ⬇️
To prepare your air fryer trout fillets, start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). This will ensure that the air fryer is hot enough to properly cook the fish.
Next, in a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Cut a fresh lemon into slices and pat dry the trout fillets with a kitchen towel. Using a pastry brush, brush the trout fillets with the olive oil. This will help the spices to stick to the fillets.
With your hands, rub the spice mixture all over the trout fillets, ensuring that the spice blend is evenly coated on both sides. Place two slices of lemon on top of each fillet to give it a zesty tang.
Prepare the air fryer basket by lining it with baking parchment or an air fryer liner, and place the trout fillets in the basket, skin side down. This will help the skin to get crispy while the flesh cooks evenly.
Cook the trout fillets for 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C / 145˚F or the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the fish. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets and the power of your air fryer.
Once the trout fillets are fully cooked, serve them warm from the air fryer. Enjoy!
💡 Tips & Tricks
- As mentioned above, a number of different factors contribute to the actual cooking time needed. My best tip is to buy a meat thermometer to check when the fish is cooked. As soon as the internal temperature reaches 63˚C / 145˚F the fish is ready!
- Place the fish fillets skin side down in the air fryer - no need to flip!
- To minimise mess, line the air fryer with some baking parchment or an air fryer liner. (Don’t put this into the air fryer basket until the food is in there otherwise, the paper will blow around)
🥡 Storage
I would recommend eating the air-fried trout fresh and warm from the air fryer for the best results.
You can store the cooked fillets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days if you like, however, I wouldn’t recommend reheating as this will dry out the fish.
🔪 Equipment
- An air fryer. I have the Instant Pot Vortex Plus Clear Cook Air Fryer & can highly recommend it.
- Pastry Brush
- Sharp Knife
- Air Fryer Silicone Or Paper Liners or you can use baking parchment
- Chopping Board
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Air fryer trout tastes fabulous with some rice and roasted Mediterranean vegetables like courgette (zucchini), red onion and cherry tomatoes.
Or why not try it alongside these roasted carrots and green beans?
If you would like to eat the trout cold, flake the flesh with a fork and then mix it with some mayo for a great sandwich filler.
💬 FAQ
Always place the fish skin side down in the air fryer. The circulating air will still crisp up the skin.
Yes, air-fried trout is a healthy and low-fat way to enjoy this delicious fish. It's high in protein and nutrients, and cooking it in an air fryer means you don't need to add a lot of oil or butter to make it crispy.
Yes, it's recommended to use parchment paper or an air fryer liner like this when cooking trout in an air fryer. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the basket and make cleanup easier.
💫 Love this recipe? It would be great if you could leave a 5 ⭐ rating and comment below! Thanks x 💫
📖 More Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Trout
Equipment
- Air fryer liner or baking parchment
Ingredients
- 2 medium trout fillets
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic granules or 1 x fresh garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium lemon sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Cut 4 slices of lemon.
- Pat the trout fillets dry with kitchen towel.
- Brush the trout fillets with olive oil using a pastry brush.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the trout fillets with your hands, making sure to coat the sides.
- Place two slices of lemon on the top of each trout fillet.
- Place the fillets on some baking parchment or an air fryer liner in the air fryer basket, skin side down.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 63˚C / 145˚F or the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets and the power of your air fryer.) You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the fish.
- Serve the trout fillets warm from the air fryer.
Notes
- As mentioned above, a number of different factors contribute to the actual cooking time needed. My best tip is to buy a meat thermometer to check when the fish is cooked. As soon as the internal temperature reaches 63˚C / 145˚F the fish is ready!
- Place the fish fillets skin side down in the air fryer - no need to flip!
- To minimise mess, line the air fryer with some baking parchment or an air fryer liner. (Don’t put this into the air fryer basket until the food is in there otherwise, the paper will blow around)
Let me know what you think of this recipe!