How To Smoke Oysters – The Best Recipe

This is possibly the best recipe for smoking oysters. Do you struggle with the same problem of loving to eat ​oysters but hating the price your favorite restaurants charge for them? If you would like to smoke oysters, then follow these easy steps.

How To Smoke Oysters Recipe

You will need 48 oysters measuring between 3 inches and 3.5 inches in the shell. The best fresh oysters usually come from the water near your location. West Coast oysters tend to taste sweeter, while those from the East Coast have a more mild flavor.

Oysters from the Gulf of Mexico have an extremely mild taste because of their short growing season while those from Puget Sound have a very strong flavor. Oysters who have taken longer to grow have more depth of flavor. You will not want them, however, too large or too small.

The fresh oysters should still be alive. An easy way to tell is to tap the shell on a table. If the shell immediately shuts, then the oyster is still alive.

Step-by-step Smoked Oysters Recipe

Making smoked oysters is not a difficult process. It will go faster if you gather a bunch of friends to help you shuck the oysters.

Make the Smoked Oyster Brine

In a large non-metallic pan, combine all the ingredients for the brine. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved. This may take awhile as the sugar may not easily dissolve, and you do not want it stuck on the bottom of the pan.

Wash the Oysters

Put on the heavy gloves as raw oysters have very sharp points. Use the bristle brush to wash the oysters under running water. Make sure to scrub them well to get all the dirt off. Hold the oyster so that the cup side is down in the palm of your hand with the hinge facing toward you.

Place the blade of the knife inside the oyster near the hinge. Twist the knife rolling it under the edge of the shell until the top shell and the bottom shell are two different pieces. Lift off the top and remove the oyster putting it in the brine.

Make the Infusion Oil

Put two tablespoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan. Add dried chili. Let it cook over low heat until chilis start to sizzle. Be careful that chilis do not become black. Add remaining oil and red chili flakes. Cook until just warmed through. Pour into an air-tight bottle. Let it cool until room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Let it Sit

The hardest part of making smoked oysters is to let them sit for 36 to 40 hours in the brine in an ice chest. The total time might not be as short as you would like, but it's worth it. Make sure to check the ice occasionally and refill as needed. You can also let the oysters in the brine sit in a refrigerator kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare Pans for Cooking

After the time has finally passed, you need to spray your vegetable ​baking sheets with cooking spray. You do not want to lose one morsel of these delicious smoked oysters because they are stuck to the pan. Therefore, be generous with your spray.

Rinse the Oysters

After the time has finally passed, then remove the oysters from the brine. Rinse them under cold running water and place on your prepared cooking sheet. Make sure that the oysters do not overlap on the sheet as this helps them cook evenly.

Prepare Your Smoker and Cook

Follow your manufacturer's directions to prepare your smoker for cooking. While you do that, make sure to check our article on “The most delicious smoky flavors”. Put the wood chips in the bottom. Add water if your smoker needs it. You are striving to reach 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you do, then add the oysters to the smoker and cook for two hours.

Infuse the Smoked Oysters with Flavor

Once you have finished cooking the smoked oysters, then place them on a cookie sheet. Cover them with your chili-infused oil. Refrigerate for four to six hours. Return them to room temperature and enjoy. To add more flavor, spritz them with a bit of lemon juice.

There is no need to head to an expensive restaurant to get great smoked oysters when they are so easy to make at home. You will not only get to enjoy a scrumptious meal, but you can laugh all the way to the bank with the money that you will be saving. You will also not be stuck eating flavorless smoked oysters out of a can.

If you’re more of a visual person than read instructions kind of one, I have a video especially for you:

Did you enjoy learning to make smoked oysters? If you did enjoy it, then please share this recipe with your friends. If you have tips to share for making smoked oysters, please share them with us so that we can all learn from your experience.

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5 from 4 votes

Best Recipe For Smoked Oysters

We all love to eat smoked oysters in the best restaurants around the globe, but we do not like to pay the prices that restaurants charge for them. Therefore, we present a plan for smoking your own oysters.

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time2 hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Oysters

Servings: 1

Calories: 110kcal

Equipment

Stiff-bristled brush

Gloves

Oyster knife

Non-metallic pan large enough that all the oysters fit in a single layer

Ice chest

Large non-metallic spoon

Medium saucepan for making infusion oil

Air-tight bottle for storing oil

Vegetable grill rack for smoker

Smoker

Wood chips

Cookie sheet

Ingredients

Brine Ingredients:

• 3/4
  
  cup
  
  Non-iodized salt
  
  
• 1.5
  
  cup
  
  Brown sugar
  
  
• ⅛
  
  tbsp Black pepper
  
  
• 1/2
  
  cup
  
  Soy sauce
  
  
• ⅛
  
  tbsp Tabasco or other hot ​sauce
  
  
• 3
  
  Bay leafs
  
  
• 1
  
  tbsp Garlic powder
  
  
• 1
  
  cup Brandy
  
  
• 1
  
  tbsp Onion powder
  
  
• 1.5
  
  Gallons water
  
  

Infusion Oil Ingredients:

• 1
  
  cup Vegetable or olive oil
  
  
• 2
  
  tbsp Red chili flakes
  
  
• 3
  
  Dried Ancho chili peppers
  
  

Other Ingredients Needed:

• Cooking Spray
  
  
• Ice
  
  

Instructions

• In a large non-metallic pan, combine all the ingredients for the brine.
  
  
• Stir until all ingredients are dissolved.
  
  
• This may take awhile as the sugar may not easily dissolve, and you do not want it stuck on the bottom of the pan.
  
  
• Put on the heavy gloves as raw oysters have very sharp points.
  
  
• Use the bristle brush to wash the oysters under running water.
  
  
• Make sure to scrub them well to get all the dirt off.
  
  
• Hold the oyster so that the cup side is down in the palm of your hand with the hinge facing toward you.
  
  
• Place the blade of the knife inside the oyster near the hinge.
  
  
• Twist the knife rolling it under the edge of the shell until the top shell and the bottom shell are two different pieces.
  
  
• Lift off the top and remove the oyster putting it in the brine.
  
  
• Put two tablespoons vegetable oil in medium saucepan.
  
  
• Add dried chili.
  
  
• Let it cook over low heat until chilis start to sizzle.
  
  
• Be careful that chilis do not become black.
  
  
• Add remaining oil and red chili flakes.
  
  
• Cook until just warmed through.
  
  
• Pour into an air-tight bottle.
  
  
• Let it cool until room temperature.
  
  
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
  
  
• The hardest part of making smoked oysters is to let them sit for 36 to 40 hours in the brine in an ice chest.
  
  
• The total time might not be as short as you would like, but it's worth it.
  
  
• Make sure to check the ice occasionally and refill as needed.
  
  
• You can also let the oysters in the brine sit in a refrigerator kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
  
• After the time has finally passed, you need to spray your vegetable ​baking sheets with cooking spray.
  
  
• You do not want to lose one morsel of these delicious smoked oysters because they are stuck to the pan.
  
  
• After the time has finally passed, then remove the oysters from the brine.
  
  
• Rinse them under cold running water and place on your prepared cooking sheet. 
  
  
•  Make sure that the oysters do not overlap on the sheet as this helps them cook evenly.
  
  
• Follow your manufacturer's directions to prepare your smoker for cooking.
  
  
• Put the wood chips in the bottom.
  
  
• Add water if your smoker needs it.
  
  
• You are striving to reach 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
  
• Once you do, then add the oysters to the smoker and cook for two hours.
  
  
• Once you have finished cooking the smoked oysters, then place them on a cookie sheet.
  
  
• Cover them with your chili-infused oil. Refrigerate for four to six hours.
  
  
• Return them to room temperature and enjoy.
  
  
• To add more flavor, spritz them with a bit of lemon juice.
  
  

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 110kcal