How to Grill Oysters

Oysters can be easily cooked on a barbeque grill to make a quick, summer dish to enjoy with family and friends. Prepare the oysters first by washing the shells and checking to make sure that they are fresh. Then you can choose to either grill the oysters in the whole shell, or to shuck them first and then grill them on a half shell. Once the oysters are ready, serve them with lemon juice or your favorite dipping sauces, and eat them either with a fork or with your hands.

Ingredients

Grilling Whole Oysters

  • 24 oysters

Makes 4 servings

Grilling Oysters on the Half Shell

  • 24 oysters
  • 1 cup (227 g) of butter
  • 3 cloves of fresh, minced garlic
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Makes 4 servings

Serving the Oysters

  • 1 lemon
  • Sauces for dipping
  • 1 loaf of white French bread

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Washing and Checking the Oysters for Freshness

  1. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 1
    1
    Scrub the oyster shells under cool, running water. Use a scrubbing brush to clean the outside of the shells, and remove any dirt or debris. Dry each shell with a paper tower or tea towel.[1]
  2. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 2
    2
    Preheat the grill to high. Turn the grill on, and set the temperature to the high setting. The grill needs to get hot enough to be able to pop the shells of the oysters if they are grilled in the whole shell.[2]
    • For a gas grill, connect the grill to the propane tank before turning on the gas and pressing the ignite switch.
    • For a charcoal grill, fill the chimney with briquettes, add the fire starter to the bottom of the chimney and then light the chimney. Set out the layer of charcoal, and the charcoal grill will be ready to use.
  3. 3
    Tap each oyster on a surface to make sure it closes. Keep the oysters that close their shells when tapped. Discard any oysters that remain open, as this means that aren't alive.[3]
    • This indicates that the oysters are fresh. Oysters cannot be consumed if they aren’t fresh.

Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Grilling Whole Oysters

  1. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 4
    1
    Arrange the oysters on the grate of the grill. Place each oyster on the grate with the deep shell resting on the bottom. This will keep the juices contained.[4]
    • The deep shell of the oyster is called the cup side.[5]
  2. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 5
    2
    Remove the oysters from the grill after 5-8 minutes. Take the oysters off the heat as soon as the shell pops open. Remove each oyster from the grill even if the shell only pops slightly open.[6]
    • Use tongs to remove the oysters from the grill.[7]
    • Make sure that you remove the oysters straight away, as otherwise, they can quickly become overcooked and chewy.[8]
  3. 3
    Shuck the oysters using an oyster knife. Hold the oyster with the cup side in your palm. Insert the knife into the hinge, and twist the knife gently to separate the shells. Continue this motion along the rest of the hinge to separate the 2 shells.[9]
    • Keep the oven mitts on while you do this to protect your hands from the sharp shell.[10]
    • You can also use a paring knife if you don’t have an oyster knife.
  4. 4
    Take the oyster off the top shell and dump out the juices. Use the oyster knife or paring knife to cut underneath the oyster. Pull it away from the top shell, and drain any remaining juices out of the top shell.[11]
    • Removing the oyster from the top shell means that it can be easily eaten.
  5. 5
    Put each oyster back into the shell. Place each back oyster into the top shell, and arrange the oysters on a serving platter. The oysters can be enjoyed immediately.[12]

Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Grilling Oysters on the Half Shell

  1. 1
    Use an oyster knife to shuck the oysters. Wear an oven mitt to protect your hand from the sharp shell, and hold the oyster with the larger cup side in your palm. Slip the knife into the hinge and twist it slightly to begin separating the shell into halves.
    • Work your way around the shell with the oyster knife until you can pry the 2 shells apart.[13]
    • Alternatively, use a paring knife if you don’t have an oyster knife.
  2. 2
    Discard the flat top shell. Keep the oyster in the deep, cup side of the shell. This will hold all of the oyster juices around the oyster as it grills.[14]
  3. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 11
    3
    Place a dollop of compound butter on each oyster. Use a spoon or a knife to add an almond-size piece of butter onto the centre of each oyster. This will melt over the meat as it grills.[15]
    • Compound butter is a mixture of butter and supplementary ingredients, and it is used to bring out the flavor of the oysters. Garlic compound butter is a popular choice to match with oysters. To make garlic compound butter, simply beat together 1 cup (227 g) of butter with 3 cloves of fresh, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. 4
    Cook the oysters for approximately 3 minutes on the grill. Let the oysters cook until the butter melts and the meat puffs up slightly. Remove the oysters from the heat when they are done.[16]
    • Use tongs to place the oysters on the grill and to remove them, to protect your hands from the heat.
    • The oysters can be served and enjoyed immediately!
    • Don’t worry if some of the compound butter seeps over the edges of the shell. This will just give the oysters a rich, slightly smokey flavor.[17]

Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Serving the Oysters

  1. 1
    Squeeze lemon juice over the oysters and dip them in your favorite sauces. Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze it generously over the oyster halves. Dip the oysters as you eat them into your preferred sauces such as BBQ, salsa, horseradish, or cocktail.[18]
    • Lemon juice is especially good when it's squeezed over oysters that have been grilled in the full shell and haven’t been cooked in compound butter.
    • Experiment with different flavors and sauces to find how you prefer to eat your oysters. Some people enjoy them best when they are plain, while others opt for trying out a variety of dipping sauces.
  2. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 14
    2
    Pair oysters with crisp white wines or summer beers. Oysters go best with dry sparkling wine and Champagne, as these provide a contrast to the velvety texture of the oysters. Lager or pilsner are ideal beer options to pair with oysters.[19]
  3. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 15
    3
    Eat the oysters with soft, white French bread for a rich summer meal. Place the oysters directly on a slice of the bread with your preferred sauces. Alternatively, if the oysters have been grilled in compound butter, use the bread to mop up the butter and juices.[20]
  4. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 16
    4
    Slurp the oyster if it’s an informal occasion. Hold the oyster by the hinge, and slurp the meat and juices from the edge of the shell. Chew the oyster before you swallow it to enjoy its full range of flavors.[21]
    • If the oyster meat is still stuck slightly to the shell, use a fork to separate it first.
  5. Image titled Grill Oysters Step 17
    5
    Eat the oysters with a fork if you are at a formal event. Use a shellfish fork to spear the oyster, and dip it into the sauce. Chew the oyster a few times to make the most of its rich, velvety flavor.[22]
    • Alternatively, you can use your fork to take a small dollop of sauce and place it onto the oyster.

Things You'll Need

Grilling Whole Oysters

  • Scrubbing brush
  • Paper towels or tea towel
  • Grill
  • Tongs
  • Oven mitts
  • Oyster knife or paring knife
  • Serving platter

Grilling Oysters on the Half Shell

  • Scrubbing brush
  • Paper towels or tea towel
  • Grill
  • Oyster knife or paring knife
  • Oven mitts
  • Spoon or knife
  • Tongs

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References

  1. ↑ https://whatscookingamerica.net/GrilledOysters.htm
  2. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  3. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  4. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  5. ↑ https://whatscookingamerica.net/GrilledOysters.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  7. ↑ https://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2016/03/how_to_grill_oysters_perfectly.html
  8. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/19935-12-classic-and-wily-ways-to-top-off-grilled-oysters
  9. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-shuck-oyster
  1. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  2. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  3. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  4. ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-shuck-oyster
  5. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/19935-12-classic-and-wily-ways-to-top-off-grilled-oysters
  6. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/19935-12-classic-and-wily-ways-to-top-off-grilled-oysters
  7. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/19935-12-classic-and-wily-ways-to-top-off-grilled-oysters
  8. ↑ https://food52.com/blog/19935-12-classic-and-wily-ways-to-top-off-grilled-oysters
  9. ↑ https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/how-to-grill-oysters-366813
  10. ↑ https://www.plated.com/morsel/how-to-eat-oysters/
  11. ↑ https://www.nola.com/healthy-eating/2016/11/oysters_are_good_and_good_for.html
  12. ↑ https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/oyster-guide-how-to-order-and-eat-oysters-like-an-expert#
  13. ↑ https://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table_manners/dinner_etiquette/seafood/oysters.html
  14. ↑ https://whatscookingamerica.net/GrilledOysters.htm

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wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: March 19, 2020
Views: 2,539
Categories: Fish and Seafood