How To Steam Oysters

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Steaming oysters is such a great way to enjoy them, all that heat combined with the way they just slide down so easy.

It’s also the perfect way to open the shells, and a good way to ensure that the oyster is at least a little cooked if you weren’t too keen on trying them raw.

But there’s no need to panic about not having the right equipment available to steam your oysters.

In this article, we’re going to explore 5 different ways of steaming oysters: in a steamer, in the oven, on the stove, in the shell, on the grill, and without a steamer.

So regardless of what your cooking equipment does or does not include, you should find a good method here that you can use.

And without further ado, let’s get straight to it!

How To Steam Oysters In A Steamer

The most traditional way to steam oysters is with the help of a dedicated steamer.

Now, your steamer will have come with a user’s manual.

And while this user’s manual may well have explained how to steam fish, vegetables, and even chicken, it probably did not explain how you would go about steaming oysters in your new device.

But, there’s no need to worry. We’re going to lay it out here for you step by step.

One of the best methods for steaming oysters in a steamer comes from the world renowned Betty Crocker brand. 

1. You will need 4 pounds of oysters in their shells, half a cup of water, and some butter or margarine to serve.
2. First you must discard any open or broken oyster shells, because these are not safe to eat. 
3. Then you need to scrub the remaining oysters under the tap or in cold water.
4. Remove any barnacles with a dull paring knife.
5. Bring the half cup of water to a boil.
6. Place half the oysters in the steamer with the boiling water.
7. Cover the oysters and steam for 5 to 8 minutes.
8. Remove the oysters as they open, discarding any that refuse to open
9. Repeat the process with the remaining oysters
10. Serve up still hot with butter (or marg)

How To Steam Oysters In The Oven

Did you know you can also steam oysters in the oven? It’s pretty easy. We’ll walk you through it.

1. You will need between 100 and 120 unshucked unbroken oysters, and you will need to scrub them clean.
2. You will also need any dressings you’d like to serve them with, such as a mignonette, or something hot like Tabasco sauce, or something more palette cleansing like lemon wedges.
3. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees fahrenheit.
4. Place a single layer of oysters in a 12-by-16-inch roasting pan that’s fitted with a rack.
5. Pour 1/3. inch of hot tap water into the pan.
6. Bake for or until oyster shells have begun to open. This should take about 7 minutes.
7. Carefully transfer the oysters to plates for guests to shuck and enjoy with dressings of their choice.
8. Repeat this process until all of the oysters have been served. This will take approximately 45 minutes.

How To Steam Oysters On The Stove

Or alternatively, you could steam your oysters on the stove. Besides the oysters, you will also need a ¼ cup of white wine, a bay leaf, a clove of garlic, and salt and pepper.

1. Scrub and rinse the oysters, discarding any broken ones
2. Chop the garlic, and place with all the ingredients besides the oysters along with 3 cups of water into a large stockpot. Then bring to the boil.
3. Place the oysters into a steaming basket inside the pot, and steam until the shells have started to open. This should take about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the oysters and serve them on a platter to be shucked by your guests.

How To Steam Oysters In The Shell

One of the best ways to steam oysters in the shell is in a steamer. We described how best to do that earlier on, but it bears repeating here.

1. You will need 4 pounds of oysters in their shells, half a cup of water, and some butter or margarine to serve.
2. First you must discard any open or broken oyster shells, because these are not safe to eat. 
3. Then you need to scrub the remaining oysters under the tap or in cold water.
4. Remove any barnacles with a dull paring knife.
5. Bring the half cup of water to a boil.
6. Place half the oysters in the steamer with the boiling water.
7. Cover the oysters and steam for 5 to 8 minutes.
8. Remove the oysters as they open, discarding any that refuse to open
9. Repeat the process with the remaining oysters
10. Serve up still hot with butter (or marg)

How To Steam Oysters On The Grill

You can also steam oysters on the grill. Here’s how.

1. Take 10 to 12 fresh oysters and rinse. Discard any that are broken or open.
2. Heat your grill up to medium-high.
3. Place the oysters cupped side down on the cooking grate, and cover the grill.
4. Most oysters will start to open their shells. Cook until the meat is opaque. This could take between 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size.
5. Carefully, using tongs or oven gloves, remove the oysters from the grill.
6. Fully remove the top shell and add your desired dressing if any.
7. You can simply run a sharp knife along the inside of the bottom shell in order to detach the oyster.

How To Steam Oysters Without A Steamer

So, as our other sections of this article have shown, you don’t necessarily need a dedicated steam to steam your oysters.

You can steam them in the oven, or on the stove, or even on a grill. The choice is entirely up to you.

But to steam oysters on the stove, although you don’t need a steamer per se, you will need a large stockpot that has a steaming basket.

But if you were to steam your oysters in the oven or on your grill, you won’t need any special equipment at all.

How To Steam Oysters For Use In A Recipe

If you want to use oysters in a recipe, and for whatever reason you don’t want to shuck them open, you can instead steam them until they’re just starting to open using any of the methods we went through above.

Then you can scrape the oysters out of their shells and add them to your pan or pot.

You can simply discard any oysters that don’t open after steaming. (Though it would be a shame.)

Wrap Up

Any of the above methods should produce exquisite results, but only provided that you follow the instructions to the T and don’t put a finger wrong or guess the timing rather than use a timer.

Undoubtedly your chosen method will come down to what equipment you have to work with in your kitchen.

Although it’s very hard to pick out a best method, or even a favorite method, if we had to pick one method it would have to be the old fashioned Betty Crocker method, using a dedicated steamer for the job.

You may like to add or make a dressing too, and be sure to pair it with a nice wine.