Cajun Smoked Trout

We love this cajun smoked trout recipe, not only for its simplicity, but also how packed with flavor it is. The end result will make you smack your lips!

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What Makes This Trout Recipe Work

Here’s why this recipe is so great:

Nice variation from more traditional trout recipes, definitely takes it up a few notches if you like spicy
Easier to make than most smoked fishes and meats, no brine or overnight soaking
Easy to control how spicy, just moderate with the amount of spices to your own taste
Can readily turn this into a blackened cajun recipe, instead of smoking use the broiler setting in your over

Ingredients

There are only 3 ingredients in this recipe:

Trout fillets – other good fish for this recipe are whitefish, artic char, and other white flaky species.
Duck fat spray – while optional, provides an additional flavor that adds to the recipe. Otherwise, we like an olive oil spray, either way it serves the purpose of helping the spices adhere to the fish in addition to adding flavor. Believe it or not, only one company in the world makes this in spray form, Cornhusker Kitchen, but you easily can find it on Amazon at this link.
Cajun spices – There are many brands of course, we like Wellingham’s because it has been specifically been formulated for BBQ use and works well in a smoker. Also, it comes in a little on the milder size, so you can control the amount of flavor better, or put it on thicker for spicier.

Instructions

STEP 1 – fillet your trout, wash, and pat it dry on both sides. Keep the skin, but scrape off the scales so spices can penetrate both sides.

STEP 2 – spray the fillets with a light coating of duck fat spray (or alternative as discussed above)

STEP 3 – sprinkle the fillets (on both sides) with cajun spices, to taste. We prefer heavy spicing, but just a little cajun seasoning can go a long way if you prefer less, given how flavorful cajun spices can be.

STEP 4 – place the fully seasoned fillets into your smoker, ensuring that the fillets are not overlapping or touching.

STEP 5 – smoke until fully cured. We prefer a temperature of under 170 degrees F, so the fish cures and fully seasons without losing as much moisture instead of cooking which can dry out the fillets.

Some people prefer a hotter temperature, even into the upper 200 deg F, a temperature that will moreso cook the fillets so you’ll need to keep an eye on them and pull them out much more quickly before they get dried out or overcooked.

Video Demonstration

We like this demonstration by The Real Show BBQ, check out their approach to making cajun smoked trout:

By Mark Velicer

An avid fly fisher for over 40 years, Mark has lived and fly fished WA, MI, CA, PA and NY along with countless trips to other places. He can’t get enough of the water; white water kayaking, rafting, drift boating, and hiking to alpine lakes.

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