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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Delicious per usual! Felt like I could order off a highly regarded restaurant menu. I halved the recipes for two of us. Made some bread with this and it was the perfect Saturday night dinner with a good bottle of wine. Thank you again!
This was so easy and delicious. I worked all day and put it together easily when I got home.We had a restaurant quality meal without leaving our home on a cold rainy night. Served it with a salad and toasted homemade bread I had in the freezer. I will make this again and again.
Hi.. if I half the number of mussels, would I also have to half the other ingredients? Also, if I use a creuset pot, can I just use the lid I instead of aluminum foil? Thanks
Yes and yes – hope you enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe twice using local Penn Cove Mussels. It is sooooo good. I’ve shared the recipe with several friends and I describe it as restaurant quality mussels. The first time I made the recipe, I was worried that it might have too strong of wine flavor but I was wrong. This recipe makes a delicious buttery garlic broth and my 11-year-old son who previously wasn’t a fan of mussels ate two servings!
This recipe was adjusted for cooking frozen mussels. I ensured I followed the directions on the packaging for cooking the mussels and used the recipe for all the other ingredients. I did not cook in the oven due to the directions on my frozen mussel packaging but used all the ingredients otherwise and made for a very tasty and quick meal! I covered my mussels with foil while cooking on the cook top.
I have some bags of frozen Patagonia mussels. How can I adjust if mussels frozen
Hi Rhonda, Unfortunately, I don’t think frozen mussels would work here — sorry!
What size is your all-clad roaster please? I see they come in two sizes:
Large Roaster: 16 3/4″ x 13 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ high overall; 5 lb. 4 oz.; holds up to a 20-lb. turkey.
Extra-large Roaster: 18 3/4″ x 14 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ high overall; 7 lb.; holds up to a 25-lb. turkey.
Thank you!
Hi Michele, It’s the large one.
My apologies, that it took so long to rate this recipe. It was delicious. I had 8lbs of mussels and it worked a treat. It did of course take a little bit longer in the oven. As recommended by you I made steak frites and caprise salad and of course lovely bread. It was simple and quite easy for six adults. Oh, and our mussels were from Salt Spring Island 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 From the north
I was very skeptical about using the oven for mussels. I have only made them on the stovetop. These were delicious and not overcooked after 15 minutes as the recipe indicated. In fact, they were the juiciest most succulent mussels I have ever had. We loved them! Definitely will make again! Easy, simple, fantastic! It probably helps that we live near the south shore of Nova Scotia and bought our mussels directly from a mussel farm. So fresh! Thanks for yet another keeper Jenn! ❤️
Made this for dinner to celebrate my social distancing birthday and it was SO good and unbelievably quick and easy to whip up. I used an oblong shaped Le Creuset since my roaster is not stovetop compatible. I cut the recipe in half to reduce the serving size. I cannot wait to make this for others (it may be be just the recipe to make people think I can cook!). Jenn—you are not kidding when you say “tested and perfected recipes”.