Grilled Whole Trout with Fennel and Lemon

Name: Grilled Whole Trout with Fennel and Lemon
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 whole trout, about 350 g each, gutted and scaled; 1 fennel bulb, half thinly sliced, fronds saved; 2 lemons, one sliced, one cut into wedges; 15g fresh dill, roughly chopped; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 tsp flaked sea salt; 1 tsp black pepper

Whole trout stuffed with fennel, lemon and dill, grilled until the skin blisters and the flesh turns pearly and flakes.

Time35 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £4.00 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

391kcal
11.2gcarbs
6.1gof which sugars
29gfat
8gsaturates
23.5gprotein
1.9gfibre
3.4gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

2 servings

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

2whole troutabout 350 g each, gutted and scaled
1fennel bulbhalf thinly sliced, fronds saved
2lemonsone sliced, one cut into wedges
15 gfresh dillroughly chopped
3 tbspolive oil
2garlic clovesthinly sliced
1 tspflaked sea salt
1 tspblack pepper

Method

1
Pat the trout dry inside and out. Cut three diagonal slashes into each side, down to the bone. Rub with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then the salt and pepper, working some into the slashes.
2
Stuff each cavity with the sliced fennel, lemon slices, garlic, dill and the saved fronds. Close the fish and tie with kitchen string at two points if you wish.
3
Heat a barbecue to medium, with clean, well oiled bars, or heat a ridged grill pan until very hot. A hinged fish basket stops the skin sticking.
4
Cook the trout for 7 to 8 minutes without moving, until the skin releases easily from the bars and is crisp and blistered. Turn carefully and cook for 6 to 7 minutes more, until the flesh near the bone is opaque and flakes.
14 min
5
Cut the remaining fennel into thick wedges, brush with the last of the oil and grill alongside for 3 to 4 minutes a side until marked and tender.
6
Serve the trout with the fennel and lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.