If you love seafood and haven't tried Deep Fried Oysters yet what are you waiting for. These crispy gems of the sea are pure heaven and once you make them at home you will know just how easy they are to prepare yourself.
For these crispy fried oysters you will want a few dipping sauces and a creamy spicy remoulade has to be my favorite.
Why I love Fried Oysters and You will Too!
Growing up in Maryland near the Chesapeake bay, oysters are a way of life and deep fried oysters are the most perfect crispy golden nuggets from the sea!
This recipe is perfect for someone who is frying oysters for the first time.
For some oysters are an acquired taste but for me fried oysters are a great way to enjoy these southern fried oysters if you are a newbie.
Mix it up by adding some deep fried shrimp into the mix with the Best Crispy Deep Fried Shrimp recipe!
Deep Fried Oysters are my Favorite
Deep Fried Oysters are my favorite way to enjoy oyster with on the half shell being a close second. Dipped in a creamy remoulade sauce will take this recipe and knock it right out of the park.
Need more Seafood Inspiration? Check out Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Crispy Skin, Air Fried Crab Cake Egg Rolls, and Beer Braised Shrimp w/ Sriracha Cocktail Sauce.
Ingredients for Deep Fried Oysters
- Oysters. To make deep fried oysters, you will need freshly shucked oysters. Marylanders, this is easy for you. For everyone else, you might need to call around and check your local fish market.
- Dry Ingredients. Make the batter with all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and seafood seasoning.
- Wet Ingredients. Milk and hot sauce.
- For Cooking. Deep fry your oysters in peanut oil/canola oil.
Ingredients For Remoulade Sauce
Don’t get intimidated! Remoulade is easy to prepare and is my go-to dipping sauce with any seafood. Sauce for deep fried oysters is a must!
The creamy tangy sauce is the perfect balance of creamy, acidic, spicy, and tangy. Here is a list of everything you’ll need to make Remoulade at home:
- Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Dijon
- Tabasco Sauce
- Lemon Juice
- Capers
- Cornichons
- Shallots
- Worcestershire
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Dill
How to Make Deep Fried Oysters
- Drain oysters. Remove shucked oysters from the jar or container and drain them in a colander with a medium bowl underneath.
- Prep the oysters. Once you have drained the oysters, place them in a prep bowl, preferably one with a lid, and add milk, hot sauce, and seafood seasoning
- Combine and refrigerate. Gently fold the ingredients together then place in the fridge with a lid for a minimum of 30 minutes and no longer than 8-10 hours.
- Prep the dredge. Prepare the dredge by combining all ingredients into a wide shallow container and setting aside.
- Heat Oil. Heat up your frying oil to a high temperature around 350 degrees F. Try to maintain this temperature as close as possible. It is important to remember that the temperature will lower as you add the oysters. Keep a deep-fry thermometer around to check the oil temperature.
- Coat the oysters. While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up and come up to temperature, begin tossing the oysters into the dredge in small batches. Make sure to completely coat the oysters in the flour mixture and shake off any excess flour.
- Fry. Carefully drop the oysters into the oil making sure not to overcrowd the pot and make sure the oysters don’t stick together. Total fry time should be about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir while waiting. Make sure to occasionally stir the oysters gently with a strainer to keep them separated. The oysters are fully cooked as soon as they begin to float.
- Scoop and serve. Scoop fully cooked oysters out of the oil with a strainer onto a tray lined with paper towels and immediately season with seafood seasoning. Serve with lemon, fresh parsley, and a cocktail or remoulade sauce.
Deep Fried Oysters 101
The secret is to not overcrowd the oil. Drop the oysters into the oil one at a time in different areas and make sure you don’t fill the pot up. Below are some other tips and tricks:
- Too many oysters frying at once will lower the oil temperature and you’ll end up with greasy bread.
- Overfilling can also cause the oil to bubble over due to the high moisture content of the oysters.
- Fresh oysters don’t need long to cook so as soon as you’re happy with the crispy texture on the outside, they are finished.
- If the cooking oil is brand new the oysters may not be as golden as you want but don’t overcook them just for the sake of color.
- The first batch may have a blonde color but the second and third will develop a beautiful golden color.
- As soon as the deep-fried oysters are fully cooked, immediately transfer them to a baking sheet with a cooling rack lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease.
- Season them while they are still hot so the flavor will resolve right into the bread. go easy on the seasoning to not overpower the flavor of the oyster.
Outdoor Setup for Deep Frying Oysters
If you have ever deep fried anything, you know it makes a mess! In order to minimize the mess, I prefer to deep fry my oysters outside using a turkey fryer burner setup.
Make sure to have cardboard underneath the burner to absorb any grease and have all of your equipment nearby.
Another great tip, if you are planning on frying outside before I start, I like to set up a folding table a few feet away from the fryer so everything I need is within reach.
Equipment for Deep Fried Oysters
- Fire Extinguisher
- Outdoor Burner (if cooking outside)
- Large Metal Pot or Dutch Oven
- Thermometer
- Spider or Strainer
- Paper Towels
- Tongs (GOOD ONES)
Other Methods for Fried Oysters
- Though it’s hard to beat the crispy texture of deep-fried oysters, I know it’s not always the healthiest or most convenient.
- If you want to use less oil and fry oysters on the stove you can use a cast-iron skillet to pan-fry the oysters in peanut oil or canola oil.
- Fill the skillet up with about 1 inch of oil and cook the oysters for about 1-2 minutes per side until crispy.
- If you want a healthier version that won’t stink up the kitchen with the smell of fried food you can make air-fried oysters.
- You’ll want to replace the flour and cornstarch with Italian or Panko Breadcrumbs. After you dredge the oysters, place them in an air fryer and spray with cooking oil.
- Cook at 375 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes then flip and continue cooking until golden brown.
FAQ
Deep fried oysters have a slightly chewy, crispy texture and a mild seafood flavor.
Some varieties may be slightly salty or spicy, depending on the dipping sauces that are served alongside them.
Overall, deep fried oysters can be enjoyed for their savory yet mild flavor that is perfect for pairing with other foods like breads, fries, and other seafood.
I drain the oysters before soaking them in milk and hot sauce, but I don’t rinse them. I want the milk to help tenderize the oysters and add flavor but I don’t want to wash away the natural flavor of the oyster.
If you don’t have milk you can just use cold water and drain them with a slotted spoon.
The classic fried oyster plater at most restaurants is served with a side of coleslaw, French fries, cocktail, tartar, and lemon wedges.
Other items you may want to include are creole seasoning, saltine crackers and even green onions to add a little color.
I fancied things up with remoulade which is just a fancy tartar sauce anyway.
You'll find recipes for the Remoulade and Cocktail sauce at the bottom of this post.
More Seafood Recipes You Have To Try!
Make sure to try these Crispy Fried Shrimp as well!
- White Crab Chili
- Stuffed Flounder w/ Crab Imperial
- Cedar Plank Crab Cakes
- Crab Burger
- Chesapeake Crab Butter Sauce
Deep Fried Oysters
Equipment
- large pot or cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 2 pints Raw Shucked Oysters
- 2 tsp Seafood Seasoning
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
Dredging Mix
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Seafood Seasoning
Additional Ingredients/ Garnish
- 2 Lemons Sliced into wedges
- Fresh Parsley
- 2-3 Qt Canola Oil For Frying
Instructions
- Remove shucked oysters from the jar or container and drain in a colander. Place oyters in a container and add milk, hot sauce and seafood seasoning. gentling fold the ingredients together then place in the fridge with a lid for a minimum of 30 minutes and no longer then 8-10 hours.
- Prepare the dredge by combining all ingredients into a wide shallow container and set aside
- Heat up your frying oil to a temperature of around 350 degrees F. Try to maintain this temperature as close as possible. the temperature will lower as you add the oysters. Let the oil temperature recover before adding your next batch.
- While you're waiting for the oil to come up to temp drain off any liquid from the oysters and then begin tossing them into the dredge in small batches. Make sure to completely coat the oysters in the flour mixture. shake off any exsess flour and set oysters on a tray.
- carfully drop the oysters into the oil making sure not to over crowd the pot and make sure the oysters dont stick together. Occasionally stir the oysters gently with a strainer to keep them seperated. the oysters are fully cooked as soon as they begin to float. Sould be about 3-5 minutes total frying time. You will need to work in batches depending on the size of your fryer.
- Scoop fully cooked oysters out of the oil with a strainer onto a tray lined with paper towels and immediately season with seafood seasoning. Serve with lemon, fresh parsley and cocktail or remoulade sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Classic Remoulade
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice fresh squeezed w/ zest
- 1 tbsp Shallot fine dice
- 2 tbsp Cornichons chopped
- 1 tbsp Capers chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh Dill Chopped
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Rough chop the parsley, dill, shallot, cornichons and capers so that they will blend evenly in the food processor. Place in the bottom of the food processor along with mayonnaise, ketchup, dijon, tabasco, lemon juice with zest and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pulse just long enough to combine. If you dont have a food processor just chop the ingridents fine to the consistancy you prefer then whisk together all the ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cups Ketchup
- ¼ cup Horseradish
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Pickle Juice
- ¼ tsp Old Bay
Instructions
- Whisk ingredients to combine.
Teresa simmons
What brand seafood seasoning do you use, and where can I buy it.
Frank Campanella
Old Bay? its normally available in most grocery store or amazon