Fried Oysters

Course Appetizer, Main Course, seafood

Cuisine American

Keyword easy-fried-oysters, fried-oysters-recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 382kcal

Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F.
In a shallow dish whisk together buttermilk, egg and hot sauce. (adjust amount of hot sauce to taste)
In a separate shallow dish whisk together cornmeal, flour, seasoned salt, lemon pepper or black pepper, garlic, onion powder and paprika.
Add oysters to buttermilk mixture, let soak for 5-10 minutes.
Remove the oysters from the buttermilk allowing the excess to drip off. Dredge in the dry ingredients coating on all sides.
Drop oysters in hot oil, cooking in batches for around 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, turning as needed for even browning.
Remove from the oil using a stainless steel spider or slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, platter or sheet pan to drain. Sprinkle lightly with additional seasoned salt.
Serve immediately with a remoulade, tarter sauce or cocktail sauce for dipping, garnished with lemon wedges.

Seasonings: You can use creole seasoning, Old bay seasoning or cajun seasoning to season the cornmeal flour mixture. When doing so, you may choose to omit or adapt the seasonings in the recipe to your taste.

Spice: If you'd really like to turn up the heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients as part of the seasoning blend.

Batter and Breading Options: I’ll admit, I’m partial to these Southern-style oysters—brined in buttermilk and coated in crispy cornmeal. They’ve got a flavor and crunch that’s hard to beat. But if you're aiming for something different, oysters also fry up beautifully in tempura batter, beer batter, or even seasoned panko bread crumbs, depending on the texture and taste you’re going for.

Adjust Cooking Time Based on Size: Fresh oysters cook fast, but their size makes a difference. Larger oysters may need a little more time, while smaller ones cook in a flash—so keep an eye on them!

Serving Options: You can serve oysters on po'boys, tacos, on the half shell or as an entree with any seafood sauce that you love. They're delicious topped simply with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Homemade cocktail sauce or tartar sauce are both stellar options for serving on the side.