Mussels in White Wine Sauce

This Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe is so simple to make.  You'll be surprised at how easy this restaurant-inspired mussels recipe comes together with just a few ingredients, including butter, white wine, garlic, and parsley.  This makes a perfect seafood dinner or appetizer; just serve it with crusty bread.

Love mussels? Also, try my Mussels in Red Sauce.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe

This Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe is next-level delicious.  If you've shied away from making this type of shelled seafood or shellfish at home before, you'll be surprised at how easy and simple it is to prepare this at home in a pan.  All you do is saute garlic and shallot in butter.  You then all some white wine to create a super simple sauce that is bursting with flavor.  They steam simply and quickly, making this meal one that can be on your table in 20 minutes.

Mussels are surprisingly affordable, and once you get the hang of cooking them, you'll find yourself making these again and again.  These can either double as a fancy appetizer or be served with crusty bread and salad to make a whole meal.

This is a recipe for mussels, and my Mussels in Red Sauce are ones I've been making for special occasions for years and years.  In fact, this is our traditional Christmas dinner! And yes, my boys absolutely love this mussels recipe.  They devour this recipe!

Love cooking seafood at home? Also, try my Crab Stuffed Shrimp, Lemon Butter Broiled Scallops, and Homemade Crab Cakes.

Why You'll Love this Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe...

• This Mussels in White Wine Sauce is the classic way to prepare them! It gives you restaurant vibes at home.
• The mussels cook fast, in just a few minutes.
• They are so delicious.
• Mussels are a nutrient-dense seafood with protein, omega-3fatty acids, iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12.
• This recipe breaks down step by step how to prepare mussels and how to cook them with ease.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Fresh Mussels:  Mussels are widely available in the seafood section of most specialty grocery stores.  I find mine at Whole Foods.  Look for fresh, shell-on, raw black mussels that don't have any cracks in the shell.  Most mussels you'll find in regular supermarkets are farmed, and therefore easy to clean.  Live mussels are sold still alive and need to be kept very cold and on ice.  Follow my instructions below to prep the mussels for cooking.  They need to be cooked the same day or the next day after getting them.  My favorite are PEI mussels, which are from Prince Edward Island.  You'll need about two pounds of mussels.
• Butter: This sauce needs butter to give it that white wine and butter sauce.  You can use salted or unsalted butter, but you'll need to adjust the amount of salt you add.
• White Wine: A nice dry white wine, like a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, works great for this.  You can also use Pinot Grigio.  This wine creates the broth to steam the mussels in.  It's a key ingredient here, but if you don't cook with wine, you can use chicken or vegetable stock.  You will cook off the alcohol in the wine sauce.
• Garlic: This is the kind of dish that needs lots of fresh garlic from the clove.  It makes a big difference.
• Shallot: The subtle flavor of a shallot is similar to that of an onion, but not as potent, making it a great option to add flavor to this dish.
• Salt & Black Pepper: Depending on the butter you use, you'll want to add some additional salt and pepper.
• Fresh Parsley: Use fresh herbs for the best garnish.

5 Tips for Buying Mussels

1. Buying mussels is easier than you'd think.
2. When you buy mussels, look for ones with a black shiny shell.
3. They are perishable, so you'll need to keep them in a colander, on ice, not water, in the fridge for a day or two, at the most.
4. More grocery stores carry mussels these days, and you can find them at places like Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, and seafood markets.
5. They should not be broken, have a fishy smell, or look off.

How to Prep Mussels:

1. Even though the mussels will be pre-cleaned, you still need to look them over, wash, and debeard them.
2. First, you'll need to rinse the mussels in cool water to remove any dirt, grit, debris, or sand and the beard, if it has one.
3. Next, you'll need to debeard.  Take your hand or a small pair of pliers to pull out the hairy thing sticking out of the mussels.  That's called the beard, and removing it is called debearding.  Not all mussels have it, but you'll want to take it off the ones that do.  It might take a little force to pull it out.
4. Put the mussels in cold water and do any scrubbing that's necessary.
5. Be sure to take out any mussels that are broken or open.
6. If they don't shut after rinsing, they are not good.  Discard any questionable mussels.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make these Mussels in White Wine Sauce, but the full, detailed, printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

1. In a large pot with a lid, add the butter over medium heat, like in the first photo.
2. Add the shallot and cook for about 3-4 minutes until translucent and tender, like cooking an onion. Add the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds. Do not brown the garlic.
3. Add the white wine and lemon juice from the lemon. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Put the mussels in the pot and cover the pot. Allow to steam for about 5-6 minutes, or until the mussels open and separate from the sides.  If the mussels do not open on their own, discard them because they were most likely dead before cooking them and aren't safe to eat.
5. Put the mussels with the white wine garlic sauce poured over them in a serving dish or large bowl.  Garnish with fresh parsley.
6. Serve hot with crusty bread, lemon wedges, and an extra bowl for the mussel shells.  Use a small fork to pull the meat out of the mussel's shell.  The crusty bread tastes amazing dipped in the sauce.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce Variations

I love this Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.  You can also make Mussels in Red Sauce here.

• Make it Creamy: For more of a creamy sauce, add some milk or cream to the sauce.
• Make it Spicy: Add more spice with crushed red pepper flakes.
• Make it Alcohol Free: Use chicken stock or vegetable stock.
• Make it Dairy-Free: Use extra virgin olive oil to make it dairy-free.
• Turn it into a Pasta: Add some fresh linguine to make a mussels pasta.
• Other Herbs: You can also add fresh chopped basil or oregano.

FAQ

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Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Julie Wunder

This Mussels in White Wine Sauce recipe is so simple to make.  You'll be surprised at how easy this restaurant-inspired meal comes together with just a few ingredients, including butter, white wine, garlic, and parsley.  This makes a perfect seafood dinner or appetizer; just serve it with crusty bread.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded, and drained
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 lemon
• garnish: fresh parsley

Instructions

 

• In a large stock pot with a lid, add the butter over medium heat.
• Add the shallot and cook for about 3-4 minutes until translucent and tender, like cooking an onion. Add the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds. Do not brown the garlic.
• Add the white wine and juice from the lemon. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Put the mussels in the pot and cover the lid. Allow to steam for about 5-6 minutes, or until the mussels open and separate from the sides.
• Put the cooked mussels in a serving dish with the white wine sauce poured on top. Garnish with fresh parsley.
• Serve hot with crusty bread.

Keyword Mussels in White Wine Sauce

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