Oyster Stew Recipe
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This delicious fresh Oyster Stew recipe is full of flavor and an easy recipe to make! It’s a family favorite that is ready in minutes!
This oyster stew recipe is a family classic. My granddaddy loved it more than any other dish on a cold winter day.
I always looked forward to the days my grandmother would make her recipe because it was a favorite of mine, too. I would watch as she prepared the stew. She always made cooking look so easy! And this oyster stew is definitely a simple recipe my family has enjoyed for years.
Oyster Stew Recipe
This recipe makes the best oyster stew I’ve ever had. And I love that this is so easy to make on any cold night when the craving hits! There’s nothing like the deliciously rich seafood flavor of the oysters and the creaminess of the onions and milk from this stew! It is so comforting, satisfying and is ready in minutes.
The best oysters for this oyster stew are fresh. As in, the fresher, the better. But, if I have a craving for this stew and am nowhere near fresh oysters, I have found that the seafood section of my grocery store usually has a very good selection of oysters that work perfectly.
How to Make Fresh Oyster Stew
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- fresh oysters – pint packed in their juice
- butter
- yellow onion – chopped
- whole milk
- half-and-half
- salt and pepper – use to taste
Step by Step Instructions
Prep. Drain juice from the pint of fresh oysters into a small bowl and set aside for later use. Do not discard the juice, or “oyster liquor”.
Melt butter. Add butter to a large saucepan and melt over medium-low heat until completely melted.
Cook onion. Add chopped onions to melted butter and cook until translucent and tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Cook liquids. Stir in your reserved juices, or oyster liquor, and cook until reduced mostly reduced, about 10 minutes. Then add in the milk and half-and-half and heat to simmer. Do not let the liquids reach a boil as this will cause your milk to curdle.
Add oysters. Now stir in the fresh oysters and allow to simmer until the edges of the oysters begin to curl, about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Once edges of oysters have started to curl, removed the oyster stew from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.
Season and serve. Then, stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve with crackers.
Other Favorite Stews and Soups
There’s nothing like a delicious soup or stew when you want a comfort food, especially on a chilly day! Here are a few more of our family favorites you may want to try as well.
Southern Chicken and Dumplings
Here’s my Grandmother’s Oyster Stew Recipe. Hope you like it as much my Granddaddy and I always have.
Oyster Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pint oysters,, fresh, packed in their juice
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain juice from oysters into small bowl. Set aside.
- Add butter to large saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until melted.
- Add chopped onions and cook until translucent and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add oyster liquor and cook until mostly reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in milk and half-and-half and heat to simmer. Do not allow to boil as it will cause your milk to curdle.
- Add oysters and continue on simmer until outer edges of oysters curl, about 8 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, and add salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Serve with mini saltines or oyster crackers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Do you have to use half and half?
Cindy, you could just use whole milk as a substitute for amount of the half-and-half if you prefer. The half-and-half just makes the stew a little richer tasting than just milk. I hope you enjoy.
This is the exact recipe my Mother made on Christmas Eve. The only change is that she used oyster (soup) crackers per each serving. Family tradition for over 60 yrs.
Can’t eat Oyster Stew with out Oyster Crackers!
Just like the stew Mom made for my Dad growing up in Maryland . She would never eat oysters but still made this for us. Delicious. She always added a little celery with onions (like 1 stalk) and celery salt at the end. We always had this on NYE, so thank you for posting, helped me continue my east coast family tradition. A nice way to remember my Dad.
Looks perfect…can I make it a day ahead?
Judy, you can make this stew ahead. Just cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Hope you enjoy!
Just how my mom makes it and I love it with a passion thank you for posting this recipe.
Zachary, I love that your mother makes her oyster stew this way, too. This is the way my grandmother always made hers.
just like my mom used to make ! thank you !
Melanie, this is the way my grandmother made hers, too.
It’s AMAZING! I have not had oyster stew since I was a teen, so 1970s. I followed the recipe to a T, although I used an induction pot on my flat top stove, so the times and temps had to be adjusted slightly. This soup is so delicious! I personally will be adding more oysters next time, though. The other thing is, I’m happy there weren’t extraneous ingredients..I tend to over-spice a lot of things in an effort to be creative, but this recipe is perfect as is.
Pati, I love that this only contains common ingredients you can find at your local grocery store, too. I’m thrilled you loved this recipe.
Our Christmas Eve go to supper —/Memories
I substituted onion granules and celery salt, because Mom’s never had any “chunks” of anything in her stew, other than the Oysters. Turned out great!
Is celery part of the recipe ?
I didn’t see it
I don’t use celery in my oyster stew, Paul, but you can add if you wish.
Can this stew be frozen? If not how long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Kathy, you can store oyster stew in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, not microwave, to prevent the stew from curdling. You can freeze the oyster stew but the texture may change. Allow the stew to cool thoroughly, place in the refrigerator in airtight freezer-safe container until it is chilled, then place in the freezer. It is good in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat slowly on the stovetop.