These briny baked oysters are super delicious! The easy to prepare appetizer features oysters on the half shell, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, creole seasoning, and parsley.
how to bake oysters in the shell
These salty and cheesy baked oysters are a simple yet elegant appetizer. I like to serve them along side my other favorite nibbles of antipasto skewers, mini blt crab cake sandwiches and these retro deviled eggs.
With just 5 ingredients ~ shucked oysters on the half shell, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, creole seasoning and fresh parsley ~ they are perfect for a lazy afternoon snack or an elegant New Year's Eve appetizer.
I was introduced to this recipe by my nephew during the pandemic of 2020. He and his wife spent the early uncertain days of the stay at home orders with my husband and I at our Jersey shore home. If those early quarantine days had any bright spots, it was all of the good cooking that was happening in my kitchen, and the quality time spent with family.
gather a few ingredients for baked oysters
Just a few ingredients to gather together to make this delicious briny, cheesy appetizer with a kick of spiciness from creole seasoning ~~
- oysters
- creole seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- cheddar cheese
- fresh parsley
how to shuck oysters
Shucking oysters can be intimidating. But just follow these easy steps and you will be a pro in no time.
If you want to skip the shucking, pick up already shuck oysters at well stocked seafood counters or order them online. And cleaned and ready to use oyster half shells or these super fun stainless steel oyster shells are available too.
- Purchase fresh oysters and give the shells a good rinse in cold water. This will remove any sand and loose shell pieces.
- Grab a shucking knife and a dish towel. Place the towel on a work surface. Place an oyster flat side up on the towel. Fold the towel over half of the shell and place your hand on top of the towel.
- Place the tip of the knife into the hinge of the oyster at the narrow end where the 2 shells meet.
- Twist the knife back and forth until it slides into the hinge. With a little force, pop the hinge.
- Run the knife along the top inside of the flat shell to cut the muscle. Remove the top shell.
- Run the knife under the oyster to release it from the bottom shell. Don't spill any of the delicious oyster juice also known as the liquor.
- Now the shucked oysters are ready to use in this delicious baked oyster recipe.
chef cooking tips for making baked oysters in the oven
This baked oyster recipe comes together quickly. Here are a few cooking tips ~~
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet to hold the oysters on the half shell. Crinkle up a large sheet of foil (it should be about 1 1/2 times as large as the baking sheet) and place it in the baking sheet. The foil will hold the oysters in place so they don't lose any of their delicious juices aka "the liquor."
- Make sure to freshly shred the cheeses either by hand or with a food processor. Pre shredded cheese has a coating of an anti clumping ingredient that inhibits the meltability of the cheese.
- Finely shred the cheeses. Only a small amount is needed for each oyster so the cheese should not overpower the flavor of the oysters.
- The baked oysters are ready when the cheese is melted and golden brown.
what goes with baked oysters
These salty cheesy oysters are delicious on their own. But feel free to a squeeze of lemon, cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, prepared horseradish, or vinegary mignonette.
To make a meal out of baked oysters, add a garlic butter fettuccine and your favorite vegetable like roasted asparagus or broccoli.
just one more thing
If you make these easy and awesome baked oysters, I’d love hearing from you.
Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
Easy Baked Oysters
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Description
These briny baked oysters are super delicious! The easy to prepare appetizer features oysters on the half shell, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, creole seasoning, and parsley.
Ingredients
- 24 shucked oysters
- creole seasoning
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, place a large crinkled up piece of foil. It should fill the whole pan and will hold the oysters in place.
- Place the shucked oysters in the prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle each oyster with a pinch of creole seasoning and 1 teaspoon of each of the cheeses.
- Bake the oysters for about 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and golden brown.
- Remove the oysters from the oven and sprinkle with the fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use a large rimmed baking sheet to hold the oysters on the half shell. Crinkle up a large sheet of foil (it should be about 1 1/2 times as large as the baking sheet) and place it in the baking sheet. The foil will hold the oysters in place so they don't lose any of their delicious juices aka liquor.
- Make sure to freshly shred the cheeses either by hand or with a food processor. Pre shredded cheese has a coating of an anti clumping ingredient and inhibits the meltability of the cheese.
- Finely shred the cheeses. Only a small amount is needed for each oyster so the cheese should not overpower the flavor of the oysters.
- The baked oysters are ready when the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: bake in oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 oysters
- Calories: 114
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 283 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 11.6 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
Diane C Lestina
Thanks Amy! This was a winner - served them for dinner with pasta and salad - was fast easy and delicious.
Amy Casey
Fabulous! I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe. I love that you served them for an entrée 🙂
Heather Perine
Oh I have always wanted to try baked oysters! The shucking has me a tad nervous but with
Cheese looks allll worth it!
Amy Casey
I was nervous about shucking oysters too. But once you get the hand of it, it's a breeze.
Amanda Dixon
These oysters were an absolute treat! We love shucking oysters at home, but we usually eat them raw. This was such a nice way to change it up -- really loved the flavor the Parmesan added.
Amy Casey
So glad you enjoyed my recipe Amanda. We usually eat oysters raw too ~ this was a fun alternative.
Veronika Sykorova
These were really good! I can't bring myself to eat raw oysters lol but when you bake them with cheese they come out amazing!
Amy Casey
It does that a little getting used to eating raw oysters Veronika. This is a great alternative.
Silvia
What a great dish. Following your recipe is so easy with your detailed instructions on how to buy, clean and bake oysters this is a winner!
Amy Casey
Thanks Silvia. Many people think oysters are intimidating, but they are not 🙂
Amy Liu Dong
This is actually my mom's favorite, it's easy to make and really delicious!
Amy Casey
Thanks Amy! We love them in our family too!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
OMGosh we LOVE baked oysters! I love how easy your recipe is! And LOVING the addition of the cheeses too! I'm definitely adding oysters to the menu this weekend now! Thank you so much for sharing!
Amy Casey
You are so welcome Lori!
Leslie
Wow...this is really easy! You did a great job of explaining this and making this recipe so approachable! Thank you!
Amy Casey
Fabulous Leslie! Thanks for your kind compliments 🙂
Veronika
These baked oysters look amazing! I need to make this recipe for my husband, he will love it! Thanks for sharing 😉
Amy Casey
You are welcome Veronika! I hope your husband enjoys them.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
My mouth is literally watering. My family would love this Baked Oysters!
Amy Casey
So glad to hear!
Jane Newkirk
yum!!
Amy Casey
Thanks Jane!!
Matt
These oysters were awesome! I wish they were easier to shuck. Shucking them is an art form ?
Amy Casey
Thanks so much Matt! Shucking is a talent. I get my husband to do it for me 🙂