Crispy Skinned Trout Rice Bowls with Sweet Chili Cucumber Slaw

This recipe delivers perfectly crispy-skinned trout fillets paired with a vibrant sweet chili cucumber slaw and fragrant lime-cilantro jasmine rice. The contrast of textures-crispy skin, crunchy slaw, tender fish and toasted peanuts-makes every bite exciting.

Inspired by Southeast Asian street food flavors, this bowl is a complete meal that comes together in under 40 minutes. The key is drying the fish skin thoroughly and cooking it skin-side down without moving it until it’s golden and crackling.

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Ingredients

1 unit Baby LettuceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon Rice Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce Sweet Thai Chili SauceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Steelhead TroutView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Mini CucumberView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce Coleslaw MixView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.75 cup Jasmine RiceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon SrirachaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 ounce PeanutsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings) and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, place peanuts in a medium dry, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until golden brown and fragrant, 2-4 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out pan. Once peanuts are cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
3. Zest and quarter lime. Trim and discard root end from lettuce; halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise into bite-size pieces. Trim cucumber; using a peeler, shave lengthwise into ribbons (discard any ribbons that are solely cucumber skin). Roughly chop cilantro.
4. Pat trout dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. TIP: Dry the fish thoroughly to achieve crispy skin! Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for peanuts over medium-high heat. Add trout to pan, skin sides down and press down with the back of a spatula for 10 seconds. Cook, undisturbed, until mostly cooked through, 5-7 minutes; flip and cook until opaque and cooked through, 1-2 minutes more. (For 4 servings, use a larger pan or work in batches if necessary.) Turn off heat. Transfer to a plate, skin sides up. Reserve pan.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together chili sauce, vinegar, a large drizzle of olive oil, juice from one lime wedge (two large drizzles of olive oil and juice from two lime wedges for 4 servings) and as much Sriracha as you like. Add coleslaw mix, lettuce, cucumber ribbons, peanuts, half the cilantro, salt and pepper to bowl. Toss until combined.
6. Once trout is cool enough to handle, use a butter knife to gently separate skin from trout (start at one end, shimmying the knife between the flesh and the skin until skin is removed). Gently scrape off any large pieces of trout stuck to skin (some small bits are OK). Heat pan used for trout over medium heat; add trout skin, cut sides down. Cook, pressing down with a spatula on any spots that still need crisping, 20-30 seconds per side. (TIP: It’s OK if the skin doesn’t appear fully crispy yet; it’ll crisp as it cools!) Transfer crispy trout skin to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pat both sides with paper towels until completely dry.
7. Fluff rice with a fork; stir in lime zest and remaining cilantro. Taste and season with salt if desired. Divide rice between shallow bowls. Top with trout (cut sides down) and as much slaw as you like. Spoon any remaining dressing over rice. Garnish with crispy trout skin and serve with remaining lime wedges.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use salmon instead of trout?

Yes, salmon works perfectly as a substitute. Just adjust cooking time as needed based on thickness.

How do I make the slaw less spicy?

Reduce or omit the Sriracha. The sweet chili sauce is mild, so you can adjust the heat to your preference.

Can I prepare the rice ahead of time?

Yes, cook the rice up to 2 days in advance and reheat gently before serving. Stir in lime zest and cilantro just before serving.