Steamed Mussels in Garlicky Wine Broth
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Steamed mussels in a buttery, garlicky white wine broth make for a simple yet elegant dinner. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up every last drop of that briny, flavorful sauce!
(America’s Test Kitchen, 2020)
Mussels are easy to make and inexpensive to buy, making them a simple yet elegant option for dinner or an appetizer. In this recipe, they’re steamed in a briny, garlicky, buttery wine broth that practically begs to be sopped up with crusty bread. The recipe is adapted from Foolproof Fish: Modern Recipes for Everyone, Everywhere by America’s Test Kitchen, a gorgeous and practical cookbook packed with seafood recipes and expert tips.
While this is a classic mussels recipe, the cooking method is different than the norm. Instead of cramming the mussels into a Dutch oven or pot on the stovetop, they’re steamed in a roomy roasting pan in a blazing-hot oven. This ensures all the mussels, no matter their size, cook evenly. After 15 minutes, every mussel—big or small—gently opens, releasing its juices into the wine broth to create an irresistible sauce.
Table of Contents
“The mussels turned out perfectly and we loved that delicious broth! This was my first time making mussels and the information in your recipe really helped me.”
What You’ll Need To Make Steamed Mussels In Garlicky Wine Broth
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds richness to the broth while helping cook the garlic and red pepper flakes without burning.
- Garlic: Infuses the dish with savory, aromatic flavor that complements the mussels and wine.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a hint of heat to balance the richness of the butter and wine.Dry white wine: Provides acidity and a bright, crisp flavor to the broth. Use a dry wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Choose a bottle that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
- Fresh thyme and bay leaves: These herbs infuse the broth with earthy, aromatic flavors.
- Mussels: These shellfish soak up the flavorful broth while releasing their own briny essence. Most farm-raised mussels are already scrubbed and debearded, but it’s still a good idea to give them a rinse under cold water. Discard any that remain open after tapping or have cracked shells. To keep mussels fresh, store them in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel—never in an airtight container, as they need to breathe. If they come in a mesh bag, it’s fine to leave them in that.
- Butter: Adds richness and gives the broth a silky, luxurious texture.
- Fresh Parsley: Provides a fresh, herbaceous finish that lightens the richness of the dish.
- Crusty bread: Perfect for soaking up the flavorful wine-butter broth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Most markets sell farm-raised fresh mussels, which are easy to clean—in fact, they are usually already scrubbed and debearded. However, it’s still a good idea to clean them prior to cooking. Simply put them in a colander and run them under cold running water, using your hands or a scrubbing brush to remove any sand or debris. If beards (the little tuft of fibers the mussel uses to connect to rocks or pilings) are present, cut or scrape them off with a paring knife, or use your fingers to pull them sharply down toward the hinged point of the shells.
The mussels should be tightly closed. If you see a mussel that is open, tap it gently against the counter; in a live mussel, this will trigger a reaction to close its shell. If the mussel doesn’t slowly close, it has died and should be discarded. Discard any mussels with cracked shells as well.
Set a large roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Do not brown.
Add the wine, thyme, and bay leaves and boil until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
Stir the salt and mussels into the cooking liquid.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil (remember the edges of the pan will be hot) and transfer to the oven.
Roast until the majority of the mussels have opened, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and place a dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it’s hot. Discard any unopened mussels.
Using a wooden spoon, push the mussels to the edges of the pan. Add the butter to the center and stir until melted.
Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and stir in the parsley.
Spoon the mussels and wine broth into bowls and serve with bread.
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Oven-Steamed Mussels with Garlic and White Wine
Steamed mussels in a buttery, garlicky white wine broth make for a simple yet elegant dinner. Don’t forget the crusty bread to soak up every last drop of that briny, flavorful sauce!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1½ cups dry white wine (see note)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Brimming ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (see note)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Set a large roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Do not brown. Add the wine, thyme, and bay leaves and boil until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the salt and mussels. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil (remember the edges of the pan will be hot) and transfer to the oven. Roast until the majority of the mussels have opened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and place a dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot. Discard any unopened mussels. Using a wooden spoon, push the mussels to the edges of the pan. Add the butter to the center and stir until melted. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and stir in the parsley. Spoon the mussels and wine broth into bowls and serve with bread.
- Note: When a recipe calls for dry white wine, the best options are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or unoaked Chardonnay. Select a bottle that is inexpensive but still good enough to drink.
- Note: Most markets sell farm-raised mussels, which are easy to clean — in fact, they are usually already scrubbed and debearded. However, it’s still a good idea to clean them prior to cooking. Simply put them in a colander and run them under cold running water, using your hands or a scrubbing brush to remove any sand or debris. If beards (the little tuft of fibers the mussel uses to connect to rocks or pilings) are present, cut or scrape them off with a paring knife, or use your fingers to pull them sharply down toward the hinged point of the shells. The mussels should be tightly closed. If you see a mussel that is open, tap it gently against the counter; in a live mussel, this will trigger a reaction to close its shell. If the mussel doesn’t slowly close, it has died and should be discarded. Discard any mussels with cracked shells as well.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (2 servings)
- Calories: 693
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Sodium: 1,351 mg
- Cholesterol: 165 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We tried this recipe for for dinner this week, and it was good, but not great. The sauce was thin and lacked a robust flavor. I followed the recipe to a “t” – wondering what went wrong. I generally love your recipes, and although the final result sure looked pretty, I probably won’t make this one again.
I’m planning to make this for myself (1 serving but this girl can eat)—can I cut the ingredients in half and use either a large skillet with tall sides or a large Dutch oven? My roaster isn’t the type that can be used on the stovetop. Thank you!
Sure, Ling – that will work.
Dutch oven is what I used.
Made this tonight! So simple, flavorful and absolutely delicious! Cut the recipe in half and ate the whole thing by myself with crusty bread for dinner. I also cut way back on the olive oil (1 tsp) and it worked perfectly. This is a keeper per usual Jenn!
I intend making this on the weekend for five or six adults. Can you suggest something to serve as a starter and/or alongside. I will have bread, just don’t want folks to be hungry
Hi Marjory, I would serve them with roasted potatoes (the ones from my cookbook would be delicious) or french fries and maybe a simple green salad or a tomato (or caprese) salad.
I planned to serve this Mussel recipe for my husbands birthday today. His family is from the east coast of Canada and when I heard my husband utter the word “AWESOME” I knew I had a winning recipe. I will be making again and again.
I made the recipe as is and would NOT adjust at all.
Thank you very much!
I only have a large non stick roasting pan. Do you think that would be fine? Thank you!
Hi Janet, as long as it’s oven-safe it will work. Hope you enjoy!
I know this is going to be terrific, like everything else you’ve given us. My question: can I use a bottle that I opened last week? It’s a bit not on the delicious drinkable side anymore but I hear that wines like that are ok for cooking. Is that so? Thanks!
Hi Sandra, I think you can get away with it. Hope you enjoy!
Can clams be used instead of mussels?
Sure, Gerry — enjoy!
Depends on the clams. Hard shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) may be too tough cooked like this unless they’re very small, but soft shell clams (Mya arenaria) would be good.
In Barcelona, one of my favorite seafood places cooks their clams on an cast iron plate upon a woodfire grill. The clams cook quickly and are delicious. When I read this recipe, I thought of using clams first.
Looks delicious. I have done a similar mussel dish like this on the grill instead of the oven. I have never gone 15 minutes on the grill. Is there a reason for so long? Perhaps the amount of mussels? I usually do two pounds. P.S. I have tried many of your recipes. They were all excellent. Thank you!
Hi Lois, Yes I believe it is because there are so many. Feel free to peek a little earlier to see if they open up. Glad you enjoy the recipes!
This looks amazing. Love your roasting pan too.
What if you want to use frozen mussels. Could you and would recipe remain the same?
Thanks again fir all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Sunny, I wouldn’t recommend frozen mussels here- sorry!
Thanks. Good to know.