18 of Our Favorite Oyster Recipes (2024)

These oyster recipes are destined to shine on your table throughout the year — not just in months ending in "r". Oysters are spectacular when served on the half-shell with a squeeze of citrus, but also make the meal when grilled, fried, stirred into soup like this Smoky Oyster Chowder with Bacon, Rosemary, and Fennel, or even dried then softened, as for these Lettuce Wraps with Dried Oysters. We've got loads of ways to cook and serve the briny delicacies; scroll on for more oyster recipes to celebrate the mollusk.

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Poached Oysters with Pickled Cucumber and Caviar

At The Sportsman in England, chef Stephen Harris celebrates the restaurant's close proximity to the beach and some of the best oyster beds in the country. Here he poaches the oysters in their own liquor before putting them back in the shells and topping with creamy beurre blanc, tangy pickled cucumber, and briny caviar.

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Oysters on the Half Shell with Rosé Mignonette

Great oysters are delicious "naked," as Island Creek founder Skip Bennett says, but sometimes chef Jeremy Sewall dresses them up with a mignonette (vinegar sauce) like this one, made with sparkling rosé.

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Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter

Chef Bobby Flay tops his oysters with a blend of butter, tarragon, and hot sauce, then returns them to the grill so the butter melts into little pools in the shells.

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Shrimp and Smoked Oyster Chowder

There are several tricks to this terrific chowder from chef Linton Hopkins of Holeman and Finch Public House in Asheville, North Carolina. He adds potato chunks to the broth for thickness, then pours in a little naturally low-fat buttermilk for creamy tanginess. And instead of fatty bacon, he uses smoked oysters to give the chowder a slightly woodsy flavor.

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Barbecued Oysters with Smoky Uni Butter

Briny uni and acidic lemon combined with smoky paprika and rich butter make an extraordinary flavored butter to top oysters before roasting. If shucking oysters isn't your thing, ask your fishmonger to do the job for you.

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06of 18

Oysters with Yuzu Kosho Mignonette

This simple chilled appetizer combines citrusy and slightly spicy yuzu kosho with briny oysters on the half shell. Yuzu kosho is an intensely flavored fermented Japanese condiment that’s made with yuzu, chiles, and salt. When mixed with mild rice vinegar and shallot, it’s transformed into a mignonette-style condiment that complements both East and West Coast oysters.

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Oysters Rockefeller

First created at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans in 1899, this famous baked oyster dish was named for the Rockefeller family because of its incredibly rich sauce. Try making it at home with star chef Emeril Lagasse's expert recipe.

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Oyster Casserole with Cracker Crumbs

In this quick, simple recipe from Marion Cunningham's iconic The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, tender and juicy oysters are drizzled with a bit of cream and hot sauce, then baked under a sumptuous, buttery crumb mixture for a bit of crunch. Serve this dish as an appetizer for a dinner party, or as a side dish with ham or turkey. For individual servings, the mixture can be divided among four ramekins instead of a large baking dish.

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09of 18

Andouille, Crab, and Oyster Gumbo

This sensational seafood-packed gumbo comes from TV personality and F&W contributor Andrew Zimmern. It's terrific in its simplicity, with a foolproof roux (the mix of fat and flour that is the basis for all gumbos) that requires just 15 minutes of stirring instead of the usual hour.

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Grilled Oysters with Chorizo Butter

No shucking necessary: Once the oysters open on the grill, simply top them with chef David Kinch's smoky, tangy butter.

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Oyster Tartare Sauce with Potato Chips

This ingenious, briny sauce couldn't be simpler: Chef René Redzepi purees raw oysters with a little of their liquor, plus rice vinegar and oil. He adds diced blanched vegetables for texture, then serves the dip with potato chips.

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Taiwanese Oyster Omelet

Chef Ruth Reichl discovered that this wonderful combination of flavors tastes even better made with small, freshly shucked oysters. If you want to save a little time, pick up some sweet chile sauce from your local Asian market. Or, follow her recipe, which makes more than what you need for these omelets and keeps for months in the refrigerator.

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Clam and Oyster Pan Roast

This brothy, aromatic seafood dish from chef Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina, weaves steamed clams with traditional New Orleans creamed oysters. It's hearty but not heavy, and the winter greens make it a full meal. Crusty bread is a must for sopping up the coveted broth.

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Lettuce Wraps with Dried Oysters

"The Chinese love to play on the sound of the words, and the sound of the word 'oyster' is similar to the term 'good business,'" says cookbook author Kei Lum Chan. "So an oyster dish is popular to start Chinese New Year."

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Steak Tartare with Smoked Oyster Aïoli

For her steak tartare, 2018 F&W Best New Chef Kate Williams uses tender beef scraps rescued from butchering rib eyes. Dark green leek tops, often discarded, become the base of her punchy gremolata. The smoked oyster aïoli adds muscle and brightness, and it’s easy to make (it takes about a minute in a blender).

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Smoky Oyster Chowder with Bacon, Rosemary, and Fennel

This velvety chowder from chef Dylan Fultineer is thickened with a classic flour and butter roux. He packs it with plump oysters and tender fingerling potatoes and adds a kick of heat from dried red chiles. For extra flavor, he uses bacon from Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams in Tennessee, which is famous for its intense smokiness.

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Fried Oysters with Remoulade

These crunchy fried oysters are an elegant, fun appetizer. They're served with a creamy remoulade made with mayonnaise, horseradish, capers, hot sauce, and Creole mustard — the perfect dipper for the crispy oysters.

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Montauk Scallop and Oyster Pan Roast

Scallops and oysters are an ideal briny, oceanic duo, and this recipe marries them perfectly."In larger portions, it's a meal-in-a-bowl dinner that your whole family will love. For parties, I make a large batch and serve it out of coffee mugs," says chef Andrew Zimmern.

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