Seafood gets a bad rap for being trickier to cook at home. But if you can make salmon and shrimp, you can cook just about any type of fish or shellfish. Let’s start with mussels, a classy bivalve that’s famously easy to prepare. Not only do they cook in a flash, but they also tell you when they’re ready to eat by popping their shells open. They’re versatile, impressive and pair beautifully with pasta, soup and beyond (although we think white wine is their true soulmate). Here, 37 mussels recipes that will make you feel like a total pro in the kitchen.
37 Mussels Recipes That Seem Fancy (but Are Easy Enough to Pull Off at Home)
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Published Mar 6, 2022
1. Moules-frites (steamed Mussels And Fries)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
All our summer-starved heart wants is to nosh on this salty, buttery masterpiece alfresco with a chilled bottle of vino.
2. 30-minute, One-pot Cheater’s Bouillabaisse
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, dairy free, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
One bite transports you to a breathtaking French countryside. Serve this mélange of cod, shrimp and mussels with crusty bread and salted butter.
3. Mussels With Garlic White Wine Sauce
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low carb, low sugar, special occasion-worthy
The diced tomatoes give this classic a warm-weather spin. Finish the mussels with fresh parsley and lemon.
4. Creamy Lemon Garlic Seafood Pasta
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, low sugar, crowd-pleaser
The rich, decadent sauce is made with heavy cream, cream cheese and Parmesan, so it’ll taste just as delicious on breaded chicken or salmon as it does on scallops, shrimp and mussels.
5. Summer Seafood Stew
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, low carb, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This tasty entrée starring chorizo, fish, mussels and prawns in a tomato-fennel broth will change barbecues at your place forever.
6. Seafood Paella
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, dairy free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
No summer dinner party is complete without this Spanish favorite. Think chorizo, shrimp, mussels and clams nestled in a bed of saffron rice.
7. Ina Garten’s Easy Cioppino
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, low carb, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
In the Barefoot Contessa we trust. The dish dates back to 19th-century San Francisco, where it was invented by an Italian immigrant fisherman.
8. Moqueca
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
For this Brazilian fish stew, lime-marinated mussel meat unites with your choice of cod, sea bass, haddock or basa fish.
9. Steamed Mussels
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, pescatarian, low carb, dairy free, crowd-pleaser
Since the recipe doesn’t call for a boatload of butter, you can get your shellfish fix with a fraction of the fat.
10. Seafood Gratin Pasta Bake
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
The King Triton of mac and cheese. Search for a mixed seafood marinara sampler that includes meaty pieces of fish, calamari, shrimp and mussels.
11. Instant Pot Louisiana Seafood, Chicken And Sausage Gumbo
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: Instant Pot recipe, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
With the help of your pressure cooker, this traditionally low-and-slow recipe will only take you 45 minutes to cook.
12. Spicy Mussel Soup
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, pescatarian, crowd-pleaser
Fresh ginger, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper bring the heat, but we’ll be adding a few dashes of hot sauce to our bowl for good measure.
13. Basil Coconut Curry Pasta With Clams, Mussels And Corn
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, one pot, crowd-pleaser
This loaded linguine simply screams summer, thanks to fresh corn kernels, bell peppers and chopped herbs.
14. Creamy White Wine Mussels
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, one pot, special occasion-worthy
Because the only way to improve on a white wine-butter sauce is by adding a dash of cream to thicken it up.
15. Authentic Frogmore Stew (low Country Boil)
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, one pot, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Named for the small Gullah Geechee fishing community in South Carolina, there are many variations of Frogmore stew out there. This rendition uses mussels and blue crabs (and a whole lot of beer).
16. Steamed Mussels
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, one pot, crowd-pleaser
Serve the mussels over pasta, rice or baguette to make it a meal, or dole them out as an appetizer at your next backyard dinner party.
17. El Bulli’s Simple Bean Soup
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, dairy free, high fiber, low sugar, crowd-pleaser
The full-fledged version of this soul-warming soup calls for clams, but you can easily substitute mussels if you prefer. (Or better yet, use both.)
18. Sake Miso Mussels With Wilted Greens
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, pescatarian, special occasion-worthy
Umami-laced miso and warming ginger are just the match for mild butter and sharp garlic.
19. Frutti Di Mare
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, dairy free, high protein
Who knew that spicy, vibrant arrabiata sauce paired so well with mussels, shrimp, bay scallops and squid alike? Pass the Parm.
20. Honey Beer Steamed Mussels With Herb Butter Baguettes
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, pescatarian, crowd-pleaser
Take it from us: You’ll want to make a triple batch of the herb butter to slather on steak, pasta, scallops and grilled cheese sandwiches.
21. Skillet Grilled Seafood And Chorizo Paella
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This take on paella features a few unusual suspects, including roasted red peppers, blue cheese-stuffed olives and white truffle oil.
22. Coconut Curry Mussels
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, one pan, dairy free, crowd-pleaser
Coconut milk keeps things creamy, while green curry paste, lime juice and fresh cilantro brighten up the flavor.
23. Chinese Hot Pot
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, dairy free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
The recipe calls for at least two kinds of meat and two kinds of seafood. While shrimp and salmon are fair game, so are mussels, clams, scallops and squid.
24. Mussels With Meyer Lemon, Fennel And Tomato Jam Broth
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
The broth’s electrifying color alone has us drooling, and it’s all thanks to store-bought tomato jam.
25. Sheet Pan Clam Bake
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Potatoes, corn, chorizo and all the essentials cook to perfection in one pan, meaning you can save most of the mess for the dinner table rather than the sink.
26. Seafood Carbonara
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We thought this eggy, creamy dish—starring pancetta and Parmesan cheese—couldn’t get any tastier. Shrimp, mussels and squid just proved us wrong.
27. Mussels And Sausage Zucchini Pasta
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, low carb, Paleo-friendly
This wheat-free pasta alternative only requires 20 minutes of cooking, but you can save on prep time by starting with store-bought zoodles.
28. Spicy Succotash Mussels
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, pescatarian, gluten free
Think corn-based succotash meets mussels marinara. Use canned corn to indulge in the off-season.
29. Mussel Sausage Risotto
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, crowd-pleaser
Tell linguine to sit this one out. Creamy, dreamy white wine-kissed arborio rice has it covered.
30. Coconut Curry Mussels
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, crowd-pleaser
Use hunks of baguette to soak up the leftover broth or serve the mussels atop basmati rice so not a drop goes to waste.
31. Seafood Pasta
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, dairy free, high protein
The recipe already calls for bay scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams, but none of your guests would complain if you tossed in some lump crab meat too.
32. Mussels In A Chorizo, Tomato And Cream Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, high protein, crowd-pleaser
Freshly minced tarragon adds nuance to the plum tomato base, along with seafood stock.
33. Thai Lemongrass Chili Mussels
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, one pot, dairy free, gluten free
This uniquely flavorful recipe serves two, so it’s just the appetizer for your next date night, if we do say so ourselves.
34. Steamed Mussels In Lager
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, crowd-pleaser
Not only are these mussels swimming in beer, but they’re also drenched in brown butter (or as we like to call it, liquid gold).
35. Cioppino With Fennel And Saffron
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: pescatarian, high protein, dairy free, crowd-pleaser
Oh, you fancy, huh? Fresh herbs, thin-sliced fennel and fragrant saffron threads give this Cali staple the update it deserves.
36. Mussels With Creamy Dijon Sauce
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, pescatarian, dairy free
It’s savory and decadent as is, thanks to the white wine, coconut cream and Dijon mustard. But you can make it even more so by supplementing chicken sausage and fried shallots.
37. Thai Coconut Butter Mussels With Garlic Lemongrass Toast
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, pescatarian, crowd-pleaser
TBH, the basil-topped lemongrass toast would be a killer side for just about any coconut curry, seafood pasta or fish stew.
