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This Trout Meuniere recipe is lightly fried, seasoned with love, and covered in a brown butter lemony sauce in minutes. It's perfect for lunch or weeknight dinners on hot days.
Here are some yummy sides to serve with this recipe: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Baked Sweet Potatoes, 20-minute Creole Jambalaya, Jasmine Vegetable Rice, and Dirty Rice.
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Trout meunière is an old-Creole classic that's been around probably as long as the French has been in the city of New Orleans. Outside of the city, more people are familiar with the classic sole meunière recipe, but speckled trout are found in abundance in the Gulf of Mexico.
Speckled trout are available year-round, but they begin to bite in the spring and fall when the waters warm up. It is one of the best fish you could eat during the hot summer.
I was first taught this recipe in culinary school, and the only thing I've done differently was adding a bit more Worcestershire sauce because I love the flavor it provides to the final butter sauce.
Let me show you how to make this easy recipe that takes only about 5 minutes to cook.
Key Ingredients
Before you start whipping up this trout and buttery meuniere sauce, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Speckled Trout
The amazing thing about trout is the variety of ways you can cook them in a matter of minutes. You can find them at Costco with the heads on. If that freaks you out, ask someone to clean it to fillets for you.
Cajun Seasoning
Sure, you can use kosher salt and ground black pepper, but why when you can use an all-in-one Cajun seasoning? My go-to is the low-sodium Savory Cajun Seasoning.
Evaporated Milk
This is a New Orleans thing; it adds great flavor to the fish, but use whatever milk you have at home.
All-purpose Flour
You'll need some to lightly dredge the fillets.
Unsalted Butter
I like using some to cook the fish in to add flavor. Then you'll need more for the delicious browned butter sauce.
Lemon Juice
Always use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. Plus, you'll need some lemon wedges for garnish.
Worcestershire Sauce
This is the backbone of a meuniere sauce.
Parsley
Fresh Italian parsley flavor is superior to curly leaf parsley.
How To Make Trout Meuniere
I want my trout meunière recipe to be fun, tasty, and fast.
Trout
Heat a cast iron skillet or large skillet over medium heat, and add oil and butter; once the butter melts, it'll be ready to pan-fry fish. Season milk and flour with 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning.
Season each fish evenly on both sides with the remaining seasoning.
Dredge fish fillets in milk, drain any excess, lightly cover with flour, and shake off any excess flour. Repeat with remaining fillets.
Pan-fry fish in batches for 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate, keep warm in the oven. Clean the skillet out after frying the fish.
Meuniere Sauce
Add 6 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet, and cook until it turns brown and smells nutty. Add chopped parsley, and cook for 10 seconds; add lemon juice and worcestershire sauce, stir, then cut the heat off and stir in the remaining butter.
Place trout on a plate and serve immediately with a generous amount of menuiere sauce, garnish with chopped parsley, green onions, and lemon wedges.
How To Store Trout Meuniere
Trout menuière is best eaten immediately, but they will remain fresh for 3 days in the fridge.
Menuiere sauce is best used immediately after making it.
To reheat trout, place in a 350°F oven or air-fryer for 5 minutes or until hot.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few substitution notes to remember while cooking your fish.
- Rainbow trout, white fish, or solè is an excellent substitute if speckled trout is unavailable in your region.
- You can find speckled trout at Costco with the heads on. You'll need to remove the fillets.
- Feel free to use any milk you have on hand instead of evaporated milk.
- You can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning in place of Cajun seasoning. Here's a link to my Homemade Creole Seasoning blend.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour.
- Fresh lemon juice is best, but if you have some in a bottle, use what you have.
- You can use half the Worcestershire sauce and still have great flavor.
- My go-to oil is avocado, but vegetable oil will do the job. I wouldn't recommend using olive oil because you'll cook the fish over medium-high heat.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about making trout meunière at home.
What is Meuniere sauce made of?
Meuniere sauce is a quick pan sauce made with browned butter, chopped parsley, fresh lemon juice, and worcestershire sauce.
What is the meaning of fish menuiere?
Fish meunière is a classic French dish, and meunière translates to "miller's wife" because the fish is dredged in flour, similar to a miller who works with flour.
Why is trout a la Meuniere given its name?
The dish gets its name from the French term for "miller's wife." It is prepared by dusting the fish with seasoned flour and then sautéd in a lemon butter sauce. Classic sole meunière is made with clarified butter to remove the milk solids and make a cleaner-tasting sauce.
What is the difference between almondine and Meuniere?
The main difference between almondine and meuniere lies mainly in one ingredient, almonds. Occasionally you'll find some almondine recipes, including capers too.
What is the difference between piccata and menuiere?
Piccata is an Italian sauce made with lemon, butter, and capers; served over veal or chicken but can also be fish. On the other hand, meuniere is a French sauce primarily served with fish and browned butter, lemon, and parsley sauce.
How do you pronounce meuniere?
Meuniere is pronounce “Men-yer.”
What time of year is best for speckled trout?
You can catch speckled trout year-round, but their availability increases as the water temperature rises from spring to fall.
More Cajun Recipes
Here are a few more Cajun seafood recipes to add to your recipe rotation.
- Cajun Fish and Grits
- Southern Fried Fish
- Grilled Cajun Salmon
- NOLA Barbecue Shrimp and Grits
- Blackened Salmon Pasta
Before You Begin
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 200°F before pulling the ingredients out.
Step 2: Measure everything out.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best trout meuniere recipes you've ever enjoyed.
I hope you enjoy making and eating this light and finger-licking trout meunière as much as I do. It celebrates the simplicity and elegance of French cuisine. Don't forget to leave a comment below and let me know how your dish turned out.
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📖 Recipe
Trout Meuniere
Ingredients
Trout:
- 6 speckled trout filets cut in half if filets are large
- 4 tablespoons Savory Cajun Seasoning divided
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Meuniere Sauce:
- 1 stick unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium lemon cut in wedges
Instructions
Trout
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat a cast iron skillet or large skillet over medium heat, and add oil and butter; once the butter melts, it'll be ready to pan-fry fish.
- Season milk and flour with 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. Season each fish evenly on both sides with the remaining seasoning. Dredge fish fillets in milk, drain any excess, lightly cover with flour, and shake off any excess flour. Repeat with remaining fillets.
- Pan-fry fish flesh side down in batches for 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet or plate, keep warm in the oven. Clean the skillet out after frying the fish.
Meuniere Sauce
- Add 6 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet, and cook until it turns brown and smells nutty. Add chopped parsley, and cook for 10 seconds; add lemon juice and worcestershire sauce, stir, then cut the heat off and stir in the remaining butter.
- Place trout on a plate and serve immediately with a generous amount of menuiere sauce, garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
- Rainbow trout, white fish, or solè is an excellent substitute if speckled trout is unavailable in your region.
- You can find speckled trout at Costco with the heads on. You'll need to remove the fillets.
- Feel free to use any milk you have on hand instead of evaporated milk.
- You can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning in place of Cajun seasoning. Here's a link to my Homemade Creole Seasoning blend.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour.
- Fresh lemon juice is best, but if you have some in a bottle, use what you have.
- You can use half the Worcestershire sauce and still have great flavor.
- My go-to oil is avocado, but vegetable oil will do the job. I wouldn't recommend using olive oil because you'll cook the fish over medium-high heat.
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