Campfire Whole Trout with Lemon-Dill Butter and Coal-Roasted Potatoes
Burn a hardwood fire down to medium coals, then roast foil-wrapped baby potatoes at the edge for about 35 minutes. Stuff whole trout with lemon, garlic and dill butter, then grill them 6 to 7 minutes per side over medium coals until the thickest part hits 145°F. Total time is about 1 hour after the coals are ready.
Whole trout is about the best thing you can do with a fire. The skin crisps, the meat stays moist, and the lemon and herb butter melts into the fish as it cooks. It works with fish you caught or fish you bought in town.
The potatoes go in first so they finish when the fish does. Keep the fish cold until it hits the grate. Use a hinged grill basket if you have one, because it makes flipping easy.
Campfire Whole Trout with Lemon-Dill Butter and Coal-Roasted Potatoes
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Heat
- Medium coals
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- No stove
- Low water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- Fire grate or hinged fish grill basket
- Heavy-duty foil
- Long tongs
- Wide fish spatula
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cutting board and knife
- Small mixing bowl
- Heat-proof gloves
- Sealable bag for bones and scraps
Steps
-
Burn down the coals
Build a hardwood fire and let it burn 30 to 40 minutes until you have glowing, ash-covered coals. Rake them into a hotter side and a cooler side, and set the grate over the fire.
-
Wrap the potatoes
Toss the potatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper. Seal them in a double layer of heavy foil and set the packet at the edge of the coals.
-
Cook the potatoes
Turn the packet every 10 minutes for 35 to 40 minutes. They are done when a fork slides in easily. Move the packet to the cool side to keep warm.
-
Mix the herb butter
Stir the butter with the garlic, chopped dill, lemon zest and paprika. Wash your hands after handling the raw fish, and use a clean spoon for the butter.
-
Stuff the trout
Pat the fish dry. Rub the outsides with the remaining 2 tbsp oil and season inside and out with 1 tsp salt and the remaining pepper. Spread herb butter inside each cavity and add lemon slices and dill sprigs.
-
Grill the first side
Oil the grate or fish basket well. Lay the trout on the grate over medium coals, not over flames. Cook 6 to 7 minutes without moving them so the skin releases.
-
Flip and finish
Flip gently with a wide spatula or turn the basket. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more. Check the thickest part near the backbone with a thermometer. It should read 145°F, and the flesh should be opaque and flake easily.
-
Rest and serve
Let the fish rest 3 minutes. Serve with the potatoes and lemon wedges, and spoon any melted butter from the cavities over the top. Pull the meat off the bones in large pieces.
Trail Notes
Mix the herb butter at home and freeze it in a small container. It keeps the fish cold for the first day and is ready to spread. Pack raw fish in a sealed bag on ice, below the food you eat raw.
Keep fish at 40°F or colder until it hits the fire. Cook fish you bought within 1 to 2 days, or the same day you catch it if you have no ice. Use a separate board and plate for raw fish, and cook it to 145°F.
No whole fish? Use four 6 oz trout or salmon fillets. Cook them skin-side down in a greased cast-iron skillet over medium coals for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until they reach 145°F.
Don't toss fish bones, skin or guts in the fire ring or the water. Bag them and pack them out, or dispose of them as local rules say. Keep the bag bear-safe, and drown your coals completely before you leave.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastCampfire Bell Pepper Ring Eggs with Black Beans
LunchCampfire Beer-Simmered Brats in Cast Iron
Snack or treatCampfire Chili-Lime Sweet Potato Wedge Foil PacketsMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
How do you know when whole trout is done over a campfire?
The thickest part near the backbone should read 145°F. The flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
How do you keep trout from sticking to the grate?
Get the grate hot, scrape it clean and oil it well. Oil the fish skin too, and don't flip until the skin releases on its own, or use a hinged basket.
Can you cook a freshly caught trout without a cooler?
Yes, if you clean it right away and cook it within a few hours. Keep it in the shade, wrapped, and as cool as you can until it goes on the fire.
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