Try This Tasty Recipe for Cornmeal-Battered Fried Oysters (2024)

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Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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Updated on 03/7/24

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Spruce Eats Test Kitchen

Tested bySpruce Eats Test Kitchen

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Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 25 mins

Servings: 6 servings

184 ratings

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Fried oysters are a flavorful treat that can be easily made at home. Use them as an appetizer or add them to salads or simple pasta or rice dishes. Split a baguette and use the fried oysters to make a fabulous New Orleans po'boy sandwich, or wrap them in a soft tortilla spread with a Louisiana rémoulade sauce.

There is no science involved in the making of a crispy and decadent fried oyster. The main trick is to drain the oysters really well to help the cornmeal breading stick better, remain on the oyster, and not float and burn all over your fryer. Drain the oysters well and pat them dry thoroughly; the less moisture on the oyster, the better the breading will stick to them.

The second thing you have to take into consideration is maintaining a steady temperature in the frying oil—an instant-read thermometer is always a great tool to have at hand. Choose an oil with a high smoking point, like vegetable, peanut, or canola oil.

Our recipe with a cornmeal coating makes these fried oysters super crispy, and the recipe is a great template for you to add to and experiment with other seasonings. Serve these crispy fried oysters with the tartar sauce included in the recipe or with co*cktail sauce. Add some lime wedges, fresh coleslaw, or perhaps some fries to complete a wonderful meal.

Try This Tasty Recipe for Cornmeal-Battered Fried Oysters (3)

What You'll Need to Make This Fried Oyster Recipe

A Nice Big Mixing Bowl

A Sturdy Frying Pan

An Accurate Deep Fry Thermometer

"These oysters tasted great, and that's coming from a person who is not a fan of oysters. The coating is very crisp with a great texture from the cornmeal. The oysters are tender, with a mellow, briney flavor, which pairs well with the slightly tangy, creamy tartar sauce." —Jasmine Smith

Try This Tasty Recipe for Cornmeal-Battered Fried Oysters (7)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Tartar Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup dill relish, or finely chopped dill pickle
2 teaspoons capers, drained and finely chopped
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion, optional
See Also
26 Pull-Apart Recipes You'll Want to Get Your Hands On

For the Fried Oysters:

2 cups shucked fresh oysters, drained
2 large eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fine salt, more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

Make the Tartar Sauce

Gather the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, dill relish, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and pepper.
If using, add the green onion to the sauce and stir it into the mixture, or reserve to garnish the finished oysters. Stir to blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Fry the Oysters

Gather the ingredients.
Pat the drained oysters dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.
Add the oysters to the eggs and set aside for10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy, deep saucepan over medium-high heat until it registers 370 F on a kitchen thermometer.
In another medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Lift each oyster out of the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Roll an oyster in the cornmeal mixture to evenly coat and transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with all oysters.
Carefully add the oysters to the hot oil, frying in batches of 6 to 8 to not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden, 2 to 4 minutes per batch.
Use a metal slotted spoon to remove the oysters to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Salt lightly.
Serve with the tartar sauce and enjoy.

How to Keep Oysters Warm

To serve many hot fried oysters all at once:

Preheat the oven to 200 F before you begin to prepare the oysters.
Drain the hot fried oysters as directed.
Place them on a baking sheet as soon as they come out of the fryer and place them in the hot oven.
Fry all oysters and keep adding them to the baking sheet until you're finished frying.

Different Seasonings for the Cornmeal

The dry mixture is the perfect place to experiment with new flavors. Here are our favorites:

Cajun seasoning: Replace 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 teaspoon of a Cajun or Creole seasoning blend.
Spicy oysters: Add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce to the egg mixture. Add 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to the cornmeal mixture.
Herby seasoning: Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder into the cornmeal.

Note: If you can't eat eggs because of a dietary restriction or allergy, use 1 /2 cup of buttermilk instead.

Using Different Flours for Cooking Fish and Seafood

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Sandwiches
Seafood Mains

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
629	Calories
46g	Fat
35g	Carbs
20g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	629
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g	59%
Saturated Fat 7g	33%
Cholesterol 153mg	51%
Sodium 1285mg	56%
Total Carbohydrate 35g	13%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 10mg	51%
Calcium 38mg	3%
Iron 9mg	48%
Potassium 374mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

seafood
fried oysters
appetizer
southern

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