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
My husband has been in mourning since Campbell’s stopped making their oyster stew. I was hesitant to try making it myself until I saw Robyn’s recipe. It gets two thumbs up from him for taste and two thumbs up from me for ease and simplicity. We used canned oysters instead of fresh since I had some in the pantry. Not as good as fresh but it saved a trip to the store and my husband liked it.
I’m so glad he enjoyed it, Kim!
Brings back go memories for me as well. My Dad was a quail hunter and seem to alway bring in three or four on Christmas eve just in time for Mom to make quail and oyster stew for our Christmas eve supper.
Wish I had a recipe for the combination. Would you have one in you collection?
Thanks,
Joan Lansdell
Southern cook from MS
Hi Robin,I just made this soup…wonderful flavor but….the oysters are very large..was I supposed to chop them?
If they are really large oysters you can absolutely cut them into smaller pieces, Audrey.
I was born n Raised in Denver Colorado an my Gramma was from the South. She always made Oyster Stew for us on Cold winter days n for Christmas dinner. I miss the Awesome rich flavor experienced every time.
Now that I’m older, she had passed away, n with her, she took that recipe. ????
I’m gonna try ur recipe in hopes of getting that same flavor.
I am using Condensed milk (unsweetened) as the cream, n whole milk as a filler. Salt Pepper, and let’s not forget the butter.
Thanks
Robin
I hope you enjoy it, Robin! I know those memories of your Gramma are so special. Thank you so much for sharing this memory with me. xo
Looks delicious!!
Perfect comfort food, I would love to try a big bowl!
This is a favorite in my family as well…are we related? Ate this often as a kid, along with (canned) salmon stew. As I grew and started cooking on my own I combined the two and added fresh mushrooms and parsley…..almost as simple and different tastes that blend well. Thanks for the memories!
Grew up on oyster stew but have never heard of salmon stew. Sounds wonderful. Would you share your recipe? I will try to wait patiently !
Do you have a recipe for salmon stew? If so can you email it to me. As a kid my grandmother made salmon stew and it was wonderful.
lcw
I would love to have a copy of your combined recipe. It sounds delicious!
I want a bowl of this stew asap! Delish!
Hi Robyn.
You are truly a talented cook. I’m always impressed with your recipe postings and southern traditions. While I’m living in New Jersey now, my roots are southern and screaming to get out. Thanks for the southern feel.
Teresa
Thank you so much, Teresa. Southern roots run deep, don’t they?
Can’t wait to try this! I’m sure my husband would love it!
Thanks! I hope he does. xo
I’ve never had oyster stew, but I think it’s time!
Oh my goodness. If you love oysters, then you’ll definitely love oyster stew. So rich, creamy, and delicious.
Robyn..I’m thinking about getting my Bullet food processor out and pulverizing some onions and celery and using the juice in the oyster stew….should I use 1 onion…how much Celery? To compliment your recipe?? I don’t want to take away from the flavor of the Oyster Stew by adding to much!! Thank you for your reply!!
Hi Ann,
I’ve not tried it that way before by using the juice from the onion, so I’m not sure how much of it you’d want to use. Not sure if that would be a more intense onion flavor…
Hope you enjoy the oyster stew! Thanks!