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Grilling

Garlic Herb Butter Grilled Oysters

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These Grilled Oysters are just about the perfect little bite, each wonderful oyster floating in an amazing garlic herb butter.

There really is nothing like a perfectly grilled oyster! Some people say they are an acquired taste, but I think perhaps this is a recipe that everyone is going to love!

Grilled oysters on a white platter with a half a lemon on a white wooden table

I have a love affair with seafood, all types of seafood, and oysters are no exception. Whether I shuck them and eat them raw with a little hot sauce or mignonette sauce, or like this, grilled with melted butter, oyster on the half shell are one of the best ways to enjoy them!

Ingredients

  • Oysters
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Fresh parsley
  • Chives
  • Lemon juice
  • Fresh black pepper
  • Kosher salt
  • Hot sauce

HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.

Morton Salt Kosher Salt, 3 lbs, Pack of 2

Corelle Livingware 12-1/4-Inch Serving Platter

Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel

Grilled oyster on a white plate with garlic butter sauce and hot sauce on them

How long does it take to grill oysters?

grilled oysters on a white platter with lemon slice, parsley and 2 forks around the plate

Quite honestly, it takes very little time to grill your oysters; most of the time spent is in the preparation. You have to shuck the oysters prior to putting them on the grill.

You can place the oysters directly on the grill unopened and they will open from the heat. But when you do this you run the risk of overcooking them if you then add the butter mixture and keep them on the grill.

Plus, only some kinds of oysters open when grilled. You would have to know if the ones you bought will open with heat.

The butter sauce is quick to mix together. In a small bowl combine the butter, garlic, parsley, chives, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. That is it; you are on to the next step…the shucking.

In order to shuck the oysters, you are going to need a good quality oyster knife. Holding the oyster in a folded tea towel, work the knife between the top and bottom shell of the oyster.

Once the knife penetrates the oyster, twist, and the shell will open. It does take a good amount of force to open one, but with a little practice, it does get easier. Two things to keep in mind, slide your knife under the oyster to release it from the shell. Second, remove any bits of shell from the oyster.

Move the shucked oysters to a platter; try to retain as much of the liquid or “liquor” of the oyster that is in the shell. It really enhances the flavor after they are grilled.

Place about a teaspoon of the butter mixture on the top of each of the oysters. Have your grill heated; once you have a hot grill, place the oysters directly on the grill grates. Grilling the oysters is really quick, just a few minutes.

oysters grilling on the BBQ with smoke and steam rising over them

What do grilled oysters taste like?

Well frankly, I may be a little, OK, a lot biased, but I think that these grilled oysters taste absolutely fantastic! The soft creamy taste of the butter with the touch of garlic.

The parsley and chives bring a fresh flavor and the lemon adds the perfect amount of tartness. The oyster itself does not have a strong taste, but it melds perfectly with everything else!

Which oysters are best for grilling?

There are numerous varieties of oysters that we get in our area, mostly we see the Pacific oyster, and we also get a number of oyster varieties from the Atlantic or east coast. There are fewer varieties of Pacific oysters, but they may be sweeter and plumper than the east coast varieties.

You will have to try a few different ones to see which you prefer. My personal preferences are Malpeque from Prince Edward Island or Beausoleil from New Brunswick.

Obviously, the environment has a huge impact on the oysters. For example, it may take up to 4 years for an oyster to reach maturity in Nova Scotia. Further south, an oyster from Virginia might be mature in less than a year due to the temperature of the water.

Raw Vs. Cooked

Grilled oyster on a white plate with garlic butter sauce and hot sauce on them

I have eaten a great many oysters over the years, both cooked and raw. My first memory of oysters is eating smoked oysters out of a small tin when we were camping. Obviously, my taste has improved, but I can say that I did enjoy them.

Oysters are pretty versatile either cooked or raw, one of the most famous oyster dishes is Oysters Rockafeller, and they are baked or broiled. When oysters are served raw they are often served with hot sauce, grated horseradish, lemon, or a mignonette sauce. This sauce usually contains minced shallots, pepper, and vinegar.

persons hand holding a grilled oyster on the half shell with butter, garlic, chives, and drop of hot sauce

Any way you eat them is fine; make them any way you like. There aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to oysters. You just need to enjoy them!

Grilled oysters on a white plate with garlic, butter chives and hot sauce

Pin it HERE!!

Grilled oyster on the half shell with garlic, butter chives and hot sauce

Pin it HERE!!

Grilled oysters on the half shell on a white platter

Grilled Oysters

Ken Noland
These Grilled Oysters are just about the perfect little bite, each wonderful oyster is floating in amazing garlic herb butter.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Grilling
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Oysters
Calories 76 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 12 fresh oysters scrubbed
  • 4 tbsp butter softened
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • Dash of tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your grill to medium-high.
  • In a small bowl mix the butter, garlic, parsley, chive, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined
  • Shuck the oysters leaving as much of the liquid or "Liquor" in the shell as possible. Run your knife under the oyster to make sure that the meat is released from the shell. Remove any bits of shell that may be inside the shell or on the oyster.
  • Lay the oysters on a platter and add a tsp of the butter mixture to the top of each oyster.
  • Carefully place the oysters on the grill and close the lid.
  • Grill for 3-5 minutes or until the liquid in the oyster shell is just starting to bubble. Be careful not to overcook them as they will develop a rubbery texture.
  • Remove them from the grill and serve with tabasco sauce if you like.

Equipment

Char-Broil 463377319 Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Liquid Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Char-Broil 463377319 Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Liquid Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Corelle Livingware 12-1/4-Inch Serving Platter, Winter Frost White (Winter Frost White- 2-Pack)
Morton Salt Kosher Salt, 3 lbs, Pack of 2

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 192mg
Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


6 Comments

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Comments

  1. Alexis Dog says

    August 18, 2023 at 4:49 am

    I started craving for more with just a little bite of this!

    Reply

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I’m Ken thanks for stopping by BBQing with the Nolands! I was born and raised in Western Canada. I grew up on the great wide open farmlands that produce some of the worlds’ best livestock and grains.
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