How to Cook Mussels • Best Mussels Recipe • Two Purple Figs (2024)

Love mussels? My favorite way to make a mussels recipe is always in a simple garlic and lemon sauce. So today we’re chatting about How to Cook Mussels with Garlic and Lemon Sauce 🙂 Plus everything else you need to know about mussels!

MUSSELS RECIPE

There are so many ways to cook mussels, and make the best mussels recipe. This is my favorite because of the sauce and how easy it is to make the mussels recipe!

While I say sauce, I also need to mention that it’s quite a self made sauce. So you won’t need to worry about any fancy sauce techniques, thanks to the amazing way mussels cook.

The sauce is sort of a given. The herbs, flavors and any additional toppings are all up to you. I’ll share with you the easiest simplest and most straight forward way to get this done 🙂

How to posts are really one of my favorites. They remind me of my cooking school days. I miss them terribly! It’s only been 5 months since I decided to take a break from the cooking school, yet it feels like years!

There’s something magically calming and fulfilling about teaching food. Cooking, baking, fancy techniques and simple ones alike. Anything food! And it’s something I would’ve probably never imagined myself doing. But the day I started teaching food, some ten years ago, it felt perfect 🙂

MUSSELS SEAFOOD RECIPE

It’s as simple as can be. Use it as the base for any other variation on the mussels.

It’s seriously fool proof and can be adapted to your taste.

You need just 20 minutes to get this ready.

Above all, it’s absolutely delicious. Think garlic, lemon, butter, herbs and olive oil. The simplest flavors sometimes really bring out the most in foods!

HOW TO CLEAN MUSSELS

First of all, rinse your mussels and make sure you buy mussels that are sealed. Open mussels mean they’re dead and not ok to eat, so if you catch a mussel that’s not sealed while you’re rinsing them, discard it right away.

Then you’ll find a tiny thread hanging out on the side of each mussel, pull that right out. That’s basically how the mussels were hanging and clinging in the water.

HOW TO COOK MUSSELS

I find that this easy simple garlic and lemon mussels is the base for anyone to start building on their mussels recipes. So here’s a break down of how to cook mussels, perfectly.

Take a nice deep sautee pan and here’s the beauty of this mussels recipe–the variations are endless. Add in some butter, olive oil, coconut oil, neutral tasting oil– just chose your favorite. Then add in the garlic (or shallots, scallions, red onions, ginger, etc.. endless options) and sautee for a few minutes.

Now add in your mussels, season with salt and pepper and put the lid on. You’ll need the mussels to cook for 10-15 minutes until you see each mussel has opened up.

At that point, uncover the lid and start adding your falvors.

I add lemon zest, lemon juice, some fresh minced herbs (parsley, dill, thyme) and a final drizzle of olive oil. Simple. Easy. Delicious.

Here are a few other ways you can jazz up your mussels recipe. Rather than lemon zest, add diced tomatoes, basil, pesto, fresh kale, kalamata olives, feta cheese, pomegranate molasses, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cumin, salsa, chilli powder..you name it! It’s all delicious! and all so EASY!

Finally, I love to squeeze a touch of lemon juice and serve the mussels with crunchy bread! YUM 🙂

MUSSEL SAUCE

The magical sauce happens when the mussls cook, they give out so much water. And not just any water, it’s a delicious mussel-y seafood-ish water. It seems like a lot at first, so feel free to let some evaporate before serving, or enjoy it saucy 🙂

Make this easy mussels recipe and you’ll be hooked to try them all!! Enjoy 🙂

MUSSELS – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Here are a few things you need to know about Mussels!

What are mussels?

Mussels are a bivalve mollusk similar to clams and oysters. They live in fresh and salty water. With their dark distinct oval shell, mussels are readily available in all grocery stores.

How to eat mussels?

This is a tricky one! You can absolutely grab the mussel by the hand and simply suck the fish out of the shell when it’s cooked. However you can also try holding the shell with one hand and grabbing the inside of the mussel using a fork or seafood fork. Don’t forget to dip the inside in the sauce before eating it!

How to make mussels?

There are so many ways to cook mussels, but they mostly involve steaming or boiling. The best way to make mussels is to clean them well first (check the section above for cleaning mussels). Then choose the sauce or flavor you want (such as today’s simple garlic and lemon) and add in the mussels. Close the pot or pan really well so the mussels cook in the steam.

What do mussels taste like?

Mussels have a very mild ocean taste with a faintly sweet and almost mushroom like undertone. That’s the best way to describe the taste! Overall, they don’t have a distinct taste and for that they’re great to pair with many sauces and dishes.

Are mussels healthy?

In moderation, yes! Mussels pack a good amount of omega-3 and amino acids.

How long to cook mussels?

Depending on how hot your pan is, the mussels cook anywhere from 6-15 minutes. I love adding an extra 5 minutes of cooking time so that the mussels absorb more flavors from the sauce!

How to prepare mussels?

Depending on the mussel itself. For these mussels the best way to prepare them is by cleaning them, flavoring the post with your aromatics and adding in the mussels. Allow them to cook well while the pot is closed.

I also love cooking them in marinara sauce with pasta. Here’s the recipe and video for Mussels Marinara.

Plus, if I’m making green lipped mussels, then I love adding a crunch topping and baking / broiling them!

How to Cook Frozen Mussels?

Follow the exact recipe here.

TIPS

• Make sure your mussels are sealed before cooking, and likewise, make sure your mussels have opened after cooking! Any mussel other than that should be thrown away.
• Make sure to follow how to clean mussels (above) before cooking.
• Add in your favorite flavors to this recipe and make different mussels recipes every single time.
• Serve mussels right away with bread, pasta, salad , rice on any which way.
• It’s best to eat mussels the same day, but if you can’t, store them in the fridge for 2 days at most and reheat them before serving.
• If you want to cook frozen mussels, follow the same way as this recipe.
• Read the questions above for more tips and info on mussels and everything you need to know!

Enjoy!

SEAFOOD RECIPES

Mussels Marinara

Smoked Salmon Platter

Sushi Burrito

Fish Fry

Mediterranean Baked Fish

Quick Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Feta Sauce

Baked Salmon With Greek Dressing

Sockeye Salmon With Lemon Butter Sauce