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smoked trout on a tray
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Easy Smoked Trout Fillets

Smoked trout fillets dry brined overnight then gently seasoned and slow smoked to perfection.
These can be smoked on a gas grill like a Weber, a pellet grill like a Traeger or Pit Boss, or even an electric Masterbuilt smoker.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Brining Time 10 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 550kcal
Author Mads Martigan
Cost $25

Equipment

  • Gas Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker
  • Wood pellets, chunks, or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips
  • Cutting Board and Knife
  • Paper Towels
  • Baking Dish
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Wire Rack
  • Baking Sheet
  • Instant Read Thermometer
  • Grill Mat (optional)

Ingredients

  • 6 4-6 oz Trout Fillets skin on

Overnight Dry Brine

  • 3 Cups Dark brown sugar
  • 1 Cup Kosher Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh black pepper

Salt Free BBQ Rub for Brined Fish

  • 2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
  • ½ tablespoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ tablespoon Onion Powder
  • ½ tablespoon Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional for heat

Instructions

Rinse and Dry the Trout

  • Rinse the trout fillets under cold running water.
    rinsing salmon after brining before putting on smoker
  • Place them on your cutting board and pat very dry with paper towels
    a raw trout fillet on a paper towel
  • Once dry, run your fingers along the trout checking for any bones that were not removed previously.
    pulling pin bones out of a trout fillet
  • If you feel any, remove them with some tweezers and discard.

Dry Brine the Trout Overnight

  • Mix the brine mixture ingredients together well and place some in the bottom of the baking dish.
    mixing honey smoked salmon brine ingredients together
  • Place the trout fillets on top of the mixture, skin side UP, then spread more of the brine mixture over the fillets, trying to cover every exposed surface of the fish.
    trout in a brine mixture before smoking
  • Continue to layer your fillets like this, depending on how much fish you have, packing the brine mixture around them, and then cover the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.
  • Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours overnight.
    trout fillets in a brine mixture in the refrigerator

Rinse and Dry the Trout

  • After the trout is finished brining, take the fillets out of the brining liquid and rinse them off really well under cold running water.
    rinsing brined trout fillets
  • Pat dry with paper towels, and place them on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet to air dry.
    brined trout fillets drying on a wire rack
  • Keep them on the wire rack for about 1-2 hours while you start to get your grill or smoker ready.
  • You can optionally season them lightly with the Salt Free BBQ Rub for Brined Fish if you want extra savory flavor.

Set up your Grill or Smoker

  • Light or turn on your smoker, grill or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 225°F. If using a grill, only light a small amount of charcoal or light a single burner on one side for indirect cooking
    setting the traeger pellet grill to 225 degrees F
  • Brush the grill grates with oil to keep the trout from sticking. Ideally use a grill mat.
  • Add your wood chunks directly to the firebox of a smoker, or use chips in a smoker box, or pellets in a tube smoker or pellet grill.
  • Once smoke is being produced and the grill or smoker is at 225°F, put your trout on the cool side of the grill with the skin side DOWN.

Smoking the Trout

  • Smoke the trout for about 2 hours until the internal temperature reaches 145°F using an instant read thermometer.
    trout fillets smoking in a smoker
  • Remove the smoked trout from the smoker and serve immediately.
    smoked trout on a cutting board

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcal