Smoked Oysters

Homemade smoked oysters put the canned kind to shame. They come off the smoker plump and tender, with a mahogany sheen and a light smoke that doesn’t bury their brine. I smoke mine on a pellet grill (there’s a gas grill method too) and serve them back in the shell with a spoonful of lemony Creole butter. Start with a dozen in the shell or a pint of shucked oysters from a good fishmonger, and they’re on the table in about 90 minutes.

Nervous about shucking? My free guide shows you how to buy, store and shuck oysters with confidence. Click on the link to grab your copy.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you buy something, you’ll pay no more for the product and I make a small commission. Win-win.

Growing up near the Chesapeake Bay and now living in South Florida, seafood has always been a big part of my diet. I love fresh fish, shrimp, crab, and oysters. Always oysters. I’ve shared recipes for oysters Rockefeller, deep-fried oysters with remoulade, oysters oreganata, oysters on the half shell, grilled oysters, and countless other varieties.

Every Christmas, my Grandmother, Myne, Aunt Lynne, and Uncle Buck send us a refrigerated package of fresh in-the-shell mollusks from the Rappahannock Oyster Co. (not an affiliate, just a fan). It’s something I always look forward to.

Here’s how I smoke them, start to finish.

Why you should smoke your own oysters

Smoking oysters at home gives you the best product. They’re tender, meaty and briny, with a smoke flavor you notice but that never takes over. They’re better than store-bought smoked oysters in a can, and you’ll wow your friends and family with a real seafood treat.

It takes about an hour to smoke on a pellet grill, and if you buy a pint of shucked oysters, you can skip the shucking altogether.

Plenty of smoked oyster recipes are out there, so how do you pick? I go with the ones that let the oyster’s briny, smoky flavor shine. A sauce is fine, but you don’t want them drowning in it. I use the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

When you’re comparing recipes, look hard at the photos. Do the oysters look plump? Tender? Do they have that mahogany sheen of smoke? If they look shriveled, they’re likely to taste that way too.

I highly recommend using a pair of oyster gloves (affiliate link). They give you a better grip on the bivalves and protect your hand if the knife slips (and it always does).

If you’ve never shucked an oyster before, don’t worry. Once you get the hang of it, it goes fast. And if you’d rather skip it, buy a pint of shucked oysters and go straight to the smoker.

Before you start, scrub the outside of each shell with a stiff brush {affiliate link} to loosen dirt and grit, then rinse it under water. This is essential, especially if you’re serving homemade smoked oysters in their shell. You don’t want grit on your finished oysters.

For more on buying and handling oysters, see my complete guide to oysters.

How to shuck oysters

1. Put on your oyster glove. Place the oyster on an old (but clean) dish towel, cup-side down.
2. Locate the oyster’s hinge and press the oyster knife firmly into it.
3. You may need to wiggle the knife to insert the tip into the hinge; once it’s in, twist the knife 90° to open it.
4. Cut through the adductor muscle that holds the oyster to the shell (top and bottom).
5. Transfer the shucked oysters to a bowl and pick out any shell bits. If you started the smoker before you began shucking, it should be up to temperature about the time you finish.
6. Save the rounded bottom shells for serving. You’ll clean them while the oysters smoke (see How to serve smoked oysters in their shell, below).

Can you smoke oysters in the shell?

I shuck mine first. Shucked oysters sit flat on the grill mat; the smoke reaches the whole oyster instead of only the top, and you can see when they’re done. Then I put them back in cleaned shells to serve, so you still get the half-shell look.

How to smoke oysters on a pellet grill (Traeger, RecTeq, Pit Boss)

Smoke shucked oysters on a grill mat at 180°F to 200°F for 50 minutes to an hour, until they lose their glossy, wet appearance, the oyster plumps in the center, edges curl or ripple and the color changes to a bronzed finish.

Any pellet grill works: Traeger, RecTeq, Pit Boss or whatever’s on your patio.

1. Fill the hopper with cherry, alder or apple wood pellets and preheat the pellet grill to 180°F or as low as it will go (200°F is fine). Start it before you shuck; by the time the oysters are ready, the grill will be too.
2. Lay the grill mat on your work surface and arrange the oysters on it in a single layer. Slide the mat onto the grates, close the lid and smoke for 50 minutes to an hour, or until you see visual signs they’re done.
3. While they smoke, clean the shells (see How to serve smoked oysters in their shell, below) and make the lemony Creole butter.
4. Use a spatula to move the oysters into the cleaned shells, spoon a little butter over each one and serve.
   

How to make smoked oysters on a gas grill

The lowest temperatures achievable on a gas grill are typically between 225°F and 250°F. Choose your lowest setting for smoking oysters.

1. Soak wood chips in water for an hour, then put them in a smoker box, or make your own by wrapping the soaked chips in a foil pouch and poking a few holes in the top.
2. Set up the grill for indirect heat: one side on, the other side (where the oysters go) off.
3. Set the smoker box or pouch directly on the grates over the lit side and heat to 300°F-350°F. When the chips start to smoke, turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
4. Put the grill mat with the oysters on the unlit side of the grill. Close the lid and smoke for 30-45 minutes or until you see the visual doneness cues mentioned above, keeping the grill as close to 225°F as you can.

If you’d rather skip the smoke and fire up the grill, try my chargrilled oysters, cooked in the shell over direct heat with garlic butter and Parmesan.

Best wood for smoking oysters

Lighter-flavored woods such as alder, cherry, and apple wood are best for smoking any seafood. Strong woods like hickory and mesquite can overpower the oysters’ flavor. Avoid them.

What temperature should I smoke oysters at?

If you’re using a pellet smoker or water smoker, cook the oysters at as low a temperature as possible, preferably at 180 to 200°F; plan on 50 minutes to an hour.

If you’re using a gas or charcoal grill, it’s tough to maintain a low temperature, so I recommend indirect heat. Heat the lit side to 300°F to 350°F, or until your wood chips are smoking, then turn it down to the lowest setting, usually 225°F to 250°F. The indirect heat lets the smoke penetrate the oysters without overcooking and drying them out. They’ll take less time on a gas grill: 30 to 45 minutes.

Are smoked oysters healthy?

Yes! Oysters are relatively low in calories and loaded with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins such as vitamin C, B-12 and vitamin D, and minerals including Iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, and potassium. A 3.5-ounce serving also provides 555% of the daily zinc allowance.

Canned smoked oysters have the same nutrients, but they’re packed in oil and run higher in sodium, so drain them well. When you smoke your own, you control the salt.

Snacking on smoked oysters is a much healthier alternative to chips or cookies, and a few of these small but mighty bivalves can keep hunger pangs at bay.

How to serve smoked oysters in their shell:

I prefer to serve smoked oysters in their shell for a beautiful, elegant presentation.

If you want to serve smoked oysters this way, clean the shells first to prevent cross-contamination (think: raw chicken on your cutting boards).

You can discard the flat shell and keep the hollow, cup-side, as it’s best for serving and can hold any sauce or garnish you add without running off the side.

To clean the oyster shells:

• Use a stiff brush to scrub away dirt, sand, or debris, and rinse the shells in fresh cold water.
• Place the oyster shells in a saucepan and fill the pan with cool water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Rinse the shells with fresh water, then turn them upside down to drain and dry.

Lemony Creole butter:

While the oysters smoke, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Stir in 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, 1½ teaspoons Creole seasoning (or your favorite hot sauce), and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley. Spoon a little over each oyster right before serving.

FAQs

Smoking is just one way to love an oyster. For every other preparation — raw, grilled, fried, baked — head to my Complete Oyster Recipe Guide.

More oyster recipes:

• Oysters Bienville
• Old Fashioned Sausage & Oyster Dressing
• Classic Oyster Stew
• Authentic Seafood, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Louisiana Rice Dressing (a holiday favorite)

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