Smoking Trout The Right Way {Old Family Recipe}

Name: Smoking Trout The Right Way {Old Family Recipe}
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 855 min
Ingredients: 1 Whole trout ( gutted and gilled); 1/2 cup maple syrup (for basting (optional)); 3 sprigs fresh rosemary; 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (per 1 cup of water); 1 cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut amino acids); 3 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Published: Nov 15, 2022 by Jana Dziak · This post may contain affiliate links · Published under: Posted Under: BBQ, Seafood, Wild Game

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This is my old family way of making smoked fish which I have adapted for this simple smoked trout recipe that uses a simple brine. It is absolute perfection. If you want to know how to smoke trout on a pellet grill smoker, this recipe for Traeger smoked trout will show you how — but you don't need a Traeger or pellet smoker. The instructions and temperatures are the same no matter what smoker you have. Note: these instructions are for whole smoked trout but you can obviously use it to make smoked trout fillets or smoke other fish too, the results will be delicious.

Smoked trout with spices on a stone tray.

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Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
What's New At The Homestead
How To Eat Smoked Trout
Storage
Top tip
Recipe
Food safety
Comments

Every summer we go to our secret fishing spot and catch the most amazing trophy speckled, lake, and sometimes rainbow trout from pristine waters surrounded by unspoiled Canadian wilderness teeming with moose and the occasional bear that comes into camp.

We fill the freezers with trout and then I smoke it throughout the year — my favorite way to eat trout.

This recipe is adapted from my secret family recipe for smoked eel and fish caught in the Neretva river and Adriatic sea, and I think it makes for the best whole smoked trout.

If you love smoked foods, BBQ, and wild game as much as I do, check out my recipes for smoked salmon jerky, smoked grouse, and dry-brined and smoked turkey.

I love smoked side dishes like tomatoes, bone marrow, and caramelized onions as well as smoked pork 'nduja pasta. I even make smoked salt.

And if you're curious about how long smoked fish lasts and proper storage, check out that article.

Ingredients

Ingredients are pretty basic and straightforward and the results are perfectly smoked whole trout.

whole trout (or fillets)
kosher salt
brown sugar
fresh sprigs of rosemary
bay leaves
soy sauce (or amino acids)
black pepper
choice of wood for smoking (I like hickory but a fruit wood gives great smoke flavors)

See the recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

You will need a smoker.

Depending on how many trout you're smoking, you will need a vessel large enough for the brining portion — btw, emptying out your refrigerator drawers and using them to brine is what I do all the time. You may have a refrigerator that can fit a bucket if you're smoking a lot of fish too.

smoked whole trout on tray with coleslaw

Instructions

This is how you properly brine and smoke whole trout. This method works for fillets as well, but you have to adjust the time spent on the smoker. This smoked trout recipe takes a bit of time to come together, but the majority of that is hands-off. The results are a delicious salty, smoky fish that is better than anything you can buy from the store.

Brine Your Whole Trout

The process of soaking the fish (or any meat) in salted water for a period of time causes the flesh to absorb some of the salty water through osmosis. This makes the meat moister when cooked, gives it a better consistency, and better flavor too.

To prepare your trout for smoking for BEST results, you will need to brine them first. 8-10 hours will suffice, but I think 12 hours is best.

And yes, it seems like a TON of salt.

Remember — the trout are not going to be absorbing the VAST majority of the brine.

Regardless, you still need to use the correct amount for the science of osmosis to take place — 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 1 cup of water.

Take your whole trout or fillets and place them in a glass or plastic dish, bowl, or pan.

Remember, the fish have to be able to be fully submerged in the brine solution so choose your vessel accordingly — as stated, you can use the deep drawers in your refrigerator too.

Pour 1 full measuring cup full of water over the fish, and repeat until they are fully covered and submerged in water.

Did you keep track in your head of how many full cups of water you used? Good. Remember that number. Discard the water, you will be starting with fresh water later.

Smoking

Here are the instructions for the wet brine and smoking which will be repeated in the recipe card below (the recipe card has a print option too.)

Make the brine solution: In a large enough saucepan on medium heat, add your brown sugar and allow it to melt and bubble until dark brown. Immediately add 2-3 cups of water to stop the caramelization process and prevent the sugar from burning. WARNING: This can cause the sugar mixture to splatter, please do this with care, or remove the sugar from the heat and add water once cooled down.
Add the kosher salt, soy/tamari/coconut aminos (if using) and bay leaves.
Heat the water and stir until all of the sugar and salt are completely melted. Add more cups of water if necessary, but always remember how many cups you are adding.
Remove the solution from heat, pour it into the vessel you will be using to brine your trout, and then add the rest of the water as you previously measured. Allow this to come to room temperature completely — IMPORTANT — do not use warm or hot brine on your trout, it will cook the fish which you do not want.
When the brine solution has cooled down, fully submerge your trout in it and add a few teaspoons of whole black peppercorns.
Place your whole trout (or trout fillets) in the refrigerator to brine for anywhere from 8 to 12 hours.
After the trout is brined, remove them from the brine and discard the liquid.
Rinse your trout with cold water to remove the brine from the surface. Failing to do so will result in an overly-salty fish.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels or tea towels.
Using 2-3 toothpicks per trout, stick them inside the fish cavity to keep it propped open while drying and smoking. Add a small sprig of rosemary into the cavity too
Place the trout on a rack to dry for 1-4 hours with a baking sheet underneath to catch the moisture. This step is crucial in developing the sticky pellicle which helps smoke adhere to the flesh. I usually go for 2 hours at cool room temperature, but the refrigerator is probably best.
Preheat your Traeger on the 'Smoke' setting for 5 minutes. Or whatever pellet smoker or other type of smoker you're using.
Baste the trout inside and out with maple syrup using a pastry brush and place them, with their chest cavities propped open, directly on the grill grates.
Set your timer for 1 hour and every hour baste the trout with more maple syrup and check to see if the flesh is flaky.
Depending on the size, the smoking will take anywhere from 1.5 hours to 4.
Do NOT surpass 4 hours until you are looking to make trout jerky. (I have a recipe for smoked salmon jerky which is delicious).
Do NOT let the temperate get above 200/220 Fahrenheit, and if it does place a bowl of ice water inside the smoker to regulate it.

What's New At The Homestead

Just one example of the incredible trout we catch in this remote system of lakes. Some are stocked, and some are wild. No, I cannot tell you where this is, but follow me on Instagram for more.

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A post shared by The Peasant’s Daughter (@thepeasantsdaughter)

How To Eat Smoked Trout

And what to eat with it.

I think the best way to serve whole smoked trout is with slices of lemon and crusty rustic sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil and potato salad or a simple cucumber and tomato salad dressed in a sharp vinegar.

Another great option is smoked trout with eggs, avocado, crème fraîche, and/or hollandaise sauce.

Or with cream cheese on a bagel — just like you would make with smoked salmon.

Smoked trout dip: combine 1 cup cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon of (rinsed) capers, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs like parsley and dill, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with the zest of lemon. Combine these ingredients very well first and then add ½ to 1 whole smoked trout fillet with the skin removed. Mash the trout in with a fork.

Serve this dip alongside a cream cheese board or butter board.

Smoked trout salad: think tuna salad (or chicken salad) but with smoked trout instead — much tastier. I like to chop into very, very, very small pieces: carrot, celery, dill pickle, and then add mayo and some olive oil until creamy. Spices like mustard powder (or just mustard), sweet or hot paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste work perfectly. You can even add chopped apples or raisins here for a hint of sweetness. Serve on buttered rustic sourdough bread.

hand holding a speckled or brook trout above water

Storage

If you're wondering about proper storage, vacuum sealing, freezing, etc. I have a whole article that covers how long smoked fish lasts that covers all that in depth.

Basically, you'll want to either store your smoked trout wrapped in plastic wrap and then inside an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Or you'll want to freeze it if smoking a large quantity, a vacuum sealer helps.

Top tip

You can keep it easy with a simple brine of just salt if you prefer. I do not recommend a dry brine for this method, but that's just me.

Recipe