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    Published: Feb 8, 2022 · Modified: Feb 7, 2022 by Sara

    Fried Oysters

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    Fried oysters and cocktail sauce on white plate with title

    These southern fried oysters are crispy and a little spicy on the outside and moist on the inside. They’re perfect for snacking on by themselves or for tossing on a po’boy!

    Fried oysters and remoulade sauce and lemons on white plate

    Fried oysters are one of those Southern classics that bring us right back to our favorite surfside restaurant or po’boy shop. You won’t believe how easy they are to make yourself!

    Do you rinse oysters before frying?

    Whether you are shucking your oysters yourself or buying them pre-shucked, it’s always a good idea to drain and rinse your oysters and get any traces of shell or sand out of there.

    How to make easy fried oysters:

    Next, you’ll want to pat them dry before putting them in the buttermilk mixture for a few minutes. We mix our buttermilk with egg and hot sauce to give them a little kick.

    When you pull them out of the mixture, you’ll want to use your fingers to “pull” all the excess off the oysters. This will make sure that your breading doesn’t fall off after they’re fried!

    Next, you’re going to dip them in a mixture of cornmeal, flour, and Creole seasoning. The wet and dry ingredients on our fried oysters are the same ones we use for our fried green tomatoes and fried pickles, so we swear by this combo!

    Fried oysters and cocktail sauce on white plate

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    When you’re ready to fry them up there are some different methods you could use:

    First, if you have a deep fryer (you can click the link to grab one) it’s super easy to regulate the temp. Don’t have/want a deep fryer? No worries…

    You could also fry them in a dutch oven (we recommend this to prevent splatter) using a candy thermometer to regulate the temperature.

    No candy thermometer handy and want to do it the old fashioned way? Toss a little water on the oil. If it’s hot enough to sizzle, it’s hot enough to fry. Just be sure to only put a few oysters in the oil at a time (6-8, depending on their size), and take a little break between batches to let the oil get back up to temperature again.

    What kind of oil is best for frying oysters?

    You can certainly use vegetable oil, but we recommend peanut oil because it has a high smoke point and doesn’t leave any taste behind.

    What do you serve with your oysters?

    • A good dipping sauce like tartar, cocktail, or remoulade
    • Make it a po’boy!
    • Cornbread
    • French Fries
    • Biscuits
    • Macaroni and Cheese
    • Southern Succotash
    Fried oysters and cocktail sauce on white plate square image

    Fried Oysters

    Sara
    Our fried oysters are crispy and a little spicy on the outside and moist on the inside. They're perfect for snacking on by themselves or for tossing on a po'boy!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine Cajun, Creole
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 1315 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb oysters shucked and rinsed
    • 4 cups peanut oil
    • ½ cup cornmeal
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 tsp Tony Chachere or other Cajun seasoning
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 1 egg
    • 1 Tbsp hot sauce optional

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oil to 360 degrees in a deep fryer or a dutch oven.
    • Rinse oysters and pat dry with a paper towel.
    • In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and hot sauce. Submerge the oysters in the mixture.
    • In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, and cajun seasoning.
    • Remove oysters from the buttermilk mixture and use your fingers to "pull" off the excess. Then, coat with cornmeal mixture.
    • Drop oysters into oil 6-8 at a time, being careful not to crowd. Give the oil time to heat back up between batches
    • Let oysters cook 2-3 minutes (depending on size) and pull out when golden brown. Put on paper towels to drain.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1315kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 14gFat: 116gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 37gMonounsaturated Fat: 52gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 289mgPotassium: 398mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1903IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword oysters
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Fried oysters and cocktail sauce in blue bowl

    If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.

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    Categories: Appetizers Tags: appetizers, main dish

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suja md says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious dish; thank you for this fantastic recipe! I will make it again!!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 09, 2022 at 12:07 pm

        Yay! Happy to hear that.

        Reply
    2. Mairead says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      Oysters are very popular in Ireland. We even have an Oyster Festival each year. These fried oysters are delicious. Thanks for all the wonderful cooking tips.

      Reply
    3. Wanda says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:33 am

      5 stars
      My mom use to fry oysters when I was younger. I never ate them then, but now I love them! These look so perfect!

      Reply
    4. Heidy says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:41 am

      5 stars
      These southern fried oysters were so juicy yet crisp! I loved them and wished I had made more. Husband approved.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        February 09, 2022 at 12:07 pm

        Thanks, Heidy!

        Reply
    5. Shadi+Hasanzadenemati says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:49 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing!

      Reply

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