Description
This delicious recipe features fresh oysters grilled to perfection with a flavorful garlic butter sauce infused with lemon juice, chili pepper flakes, and fresh parsley. Perfect as an elegant appetizer or a savory treat, the oysters are either shucked before grilling or briefly grilled to open before adding the sauce and finishing on the grill for a smoky, buttery delight.
Ingredients
Scale
Oysters
- 16 whole live oysters
Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or substitute with dashes of Tabasco)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add the olive oil and butter. Add the finely minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then stir in lemon juice, chili pepper flakes, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and parsley. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Shuck and prepare oysters (if shucking before grilling): Carefully shuck the oysters by opening the shells and detaching the oysters while keeping them on the half shell. Spoon a small amount of the prepared sauce onto each oyster.
- Grill oysters (if pre-shucked): Place sauced oysters directly on a very hot, preheated grill. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the oyster edges curl slightly.
- Grill oysters (if not shucked initially): Arrange oysters cup side up on the very hot grill. Cover and grill for 1 minute until they begin to slightly open. Remove oysters from the grill promptly.
- Shuck oysters after partial grilling (if not shucked initially): Holding the oyster with an oven mitt, use a shucking knife or clean screwdriver to carefully pry open each oyster. Spoon the prepared sauce into each oyster shell.
- Finish grilling: Return the sauced oysters to the grill, cover, and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the oysters are cooked through and sauce bubbly.
Notes
- Be sure to use very hot, preheated grill for the best smoky flavor and proper cooking.
- If you are not comfortable shucking oysters, partially grilling them unopened makes shucking easier.
- Use fresh live oysters for optimal flavor and safety.
- You can adjust the heat level by varying the amount of chili flakes or Tabasco.
- Wear protective gloves or use an oven mitt when shucking to avoid injury.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Seafood, American
Keywords: grilled oysters, garlic butter oysters, seafood appetizer, oyster recipe, grilled shellfish
