Grilled Oysters with Garlic Butter and Lemon
Live oysters grilled in the shell and finished with garlic-parsley butter, lemon, and optional Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 12 live oysters in the shell scrubbed clean
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 large garlic clove finely grated or minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Parmesan finely grated; optional
- hot sauce or cayenne optional, to taste
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat.
- Stir together the softened butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, black pepper, and optional hot sauce. Keep the Parmesan separate if using.
- Place oysters on the grill with the deeper shell on the bottom. Close the lid and cook until the shells open. Use tongs to transfer each opened oyster to a tray. Discard any oyster that does not open during cooking.
- When safe to handle, hold each oyster with a folded towel or heat-resistant glove and remove the loosened top shell, keeping the oyster and its liquid in the deeper bottom shell.
- Add about 1 teaspoon garlic butter to each oyster, sprinkle with a little Parmesan if using, and return to the grill until the butter bubbles and the oyster meat is opaque and firm.
- Transfer to a stable platter and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes
Keep live oysters cold until cooking. Cook shell-on oysters until the shells open and discard any that stay closed. After topping, finish until the oyster meat is opaque and firm. Keep raw shellfish and juices away from clean utensils and finished food. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat thoroughly before serving.