Grilled Oysters with Crispy Chile Butter

Enjoy grilled oysters like never before! This recipe includes an earthy chile butter and crispy topping. A perfect balance for fresh oysters.

What is an oyster?

An oyster is a type of seafood that lives in salt water. It’s a mollusk, meaning that it lives in a hinged shell like a clam or mussel. The meat inside the shellfish is a delicacy all across the world.

When I visit New Orleans, I enjoy them raw with a squeeze of lemon juice, dash of Louisiana hot sauce and a cold beer. The taste is briny like salt water, but the texture is definitely slimy.

For those who aren’t into slurping raw oyster shots, you may enjoy oysters baked or grilled.

With this grilled oysters recipe, we’re going to top the meat with chile garlic butter and crispy chile breadcrumbs. The chile flavor gives it a nice earthiness to balance out the saltiness.

Get Recipe Ingredients

• Shuck Oysters: See the post below for instructions.

• Rehydrate Chile: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the chile to the water. Remove it from the heat and steep for 10-15 minutes. Once rehydrated, remove it from the pot. Discard the seed and stems. Scrape the meat from the skin.

• Make Chile Butter: In a small bowl, combine half of the chile with 1/4 cup butter and minced garlic.

• Make Topping: In another bowl, combine the other half of the chile with 1/4 cup butter, panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

• Top: Place the oysters in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Scoop the chile butter on top of the oysters. Add a spoonful of breadcrumbs. Press gently to cover the surface of the oyster. Chill until ready to cook.

• Heat Grill: Heat your grill to 375-400F degrees with an indirect heat zone.

• Grill: Place the oysters on the grill over indirect heat. Close the grill lid. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the meat reaches 145F degrees.

• Garnish: Remove from the grill and squeeze with fresh lemon or lime juice. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 209mgPotassium: 30mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 660IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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What you’ll need

• Fresh Oysters: Look for fresh oysters. I can usually find them at Asian markets. As with all living mollusks, you want the shells to be closed tight. This is a sign that they’re still alive.
• Something to open the oysters: You can get a fancy oyster shucker or oyster knife, but I tend to just use a pairing knife and spoon.
• Dried Chile: Any kind is fine. I usually have ancho or guajillo chiles on hand.
• Butter: You can use salted butter or unsalted butter. You do want it to be softened.
• Fresh Garlic
• Panko Breadcrumbs
• Parmesan Cheese

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to shuck oysters

Rinse the oysters under cold water to remove any debris.

Place the oyster on a dish towel or paper towel to keep it from sliding. Wearing a pair of gloves or using a towel, hold the oyster with your non-dominant hand.

Carefully slide a knife, spoon or shucker in between the gap of the two shells. Work it down toward the hinge, twisting as you go to widen the gap.

Once you can twist the knife and pop the shell open, run your knife along the top of the half shell to separate the meat. Then, remove the top shell.

PRO TIP: If you're eating raw oysters, you'll want to enjoy the oyster liquor inside. Since we're grilling these, I like to give them another rinse under cold water. 

Step 1: Prepare the Crispy Chile Butter

Place a dried chile in a pot of boiling water. Turn off the heat and let it steep for 10-15 minutes to soften. Remove the stem and scrape the meat of the pepper from the skin. Set out two small bowls.

Divide the chile into each bowl. Add half of the softened butter to each bowl. Add the garlic to one bowl and the Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs to the other bowl. Mix well.

Step 2: Add butter and breadcrumbs

Once the shells are all open, place oysters upright in a large cast iron skillet. Then, add a spoonful of chile butter. Next, layer on the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate until ready to grill.

PRO TIP: If your oysters are too wobbly, you can add a layer of rock salt, kosher salt or rice to the skillet to help balance them. 

Step 3: Prep your grill

Heat your grill up with an indirect cooking zone. It’s best to cook these in a grill that has a lid. Adjust your grill temperature to 375-400F degrees. You can also bake these in a 375F degree oven.

Step 4: Grill the oysters

Place the oysters in the pan on the grill and close the lid. Grill for about 10-15 minutes.

PRO TIP: It's best to cook these in a skillet or on a rimmed baking sheet so the butter doesn't melt onto the open flames. 

Step 5: When are oysters ready?

The oysters are cooked through when they reach an internal temperature of 145F degrees. The butter will also be nice a bubbly and the chile breadcrumbs will be golden brown.

How to serve grilled oysters

Once the grilled oysters are done cooking, transfer them to the table or buffet counter. Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro and serve with some lemon wedges.

Grilled oysters make for a delicious appetizer or unique entree.

Storage

Store leftover grilled oysters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. You can either store them in the shells or remove the meat and transfer it to a separate container.

While you can reheat them in the microwave, if you want them to be crispy, reheat under a broiler or in an air fryer.