Pan-Fried Oysters At Home

Breaded & Buttery On The Half Shell

Choose moderately salty oysters like our SMILES for briny flavor.

Shell-fried oysters in a pan is one of Bart’s favorite basic recipes. Easy to make and delicious with a cold beer.

Ingredients

A dozen oysters in the shell

Half-and-half mixture of bread crumbs and flour

Oil and Butter

Opening Fresh Oysters

Use an oyster knife or shucking tool to open your oysters. Give each one the sniff test to ensure their freshness. Set the meat aside, reserving the liquor (juices) and the shells with the deeper sided cups.

Dredge the oysters

Coat each oyster in the bread crumb & flour mixture.

Heat A Skillet

Add oil (we use vegetable oil) and a couple pats of butter to a cold skillet. For more briny flavor, add the reserved oyster liquor. Heat liquid until it bubbles.

Add the Coated Oysters & Half Shells

Place the coated oysters in the pan. Cover each oyster with a deep-cup half shell.

Fry Briefly, Shell Side Up

Oysters cook quickly, so be ready to plate. Serve with any simple garnish. Bart likes his shell-fried oysters with a simple lemon slice.

Gone — He ate them all.

What Kind of Oysters Can I Fry?

Theoretically, any true oyster (edible), can be pan-fried in the shell. If you’ve never tasted an oyster, we suggest starting somewhere in the middle of the saltiness scale and going from there.

Long Island SMILE oysters are considered moderately salty, with a medium brininess (taste of the sea.)