Tailgate Grilled Oysters with Garlic Parmesan Butter
A good friend named Thomas Carey introduced us to these grilled oyster recipes and we fired them up on a sandbar island in the middle of Matagorda Bay, Texas during the Borracho Pescador Fishing Tournament as an app for the participants. “Having a big day on the water? Take a break and come on over brother, get you some oysters and grab a drink from the bar” We couldn’t grill them fast enough, and folks were burning their fingers trying to grab them right when they came off the fire (they are like lava right off the grill, give them a sec). These oysters are bold, buttery, and built for a crowd. Everything can be prepped ahead and packed in a cooler, making it perfect for tailgates, beach cookouts, or any off-the-grid gathering.
Yield: 50 oysters
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7–10 minutes
Total Time: ~30 minutes
Recommended Tools:
- Old Smokey charcoal grill, long set of tongs, charcoal and starter
- Foil roasters for prep and for serving
- 40oz Tupperware for butter seasoning
- Gallon plastic bag for breadcrumb / parm topping mix
Breadcrumb Parmesan Topper Mix
Ingredients / Instructions
- 1 lb seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 lb fine grated parmesan
- Combine and mix in a gallon bag and save in fridge for later
Garlic Parmesan Butter
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs regular unsalted butter
- 1 lb finely grated parmesan cheese
- (2) 4.5 oz bottles of minced garlic
- 1 tsp of black pepper
- Optional finely grounded dried chili pequin or chili pepper of your choice
Instructions:
- Melt butter slowly and make sure to not separate the milk solids
- As butter is melting add 1 jar of minced garlic and all of the parmesan cheese
- Stir and combine well, add and stir in black pepper
- Add more garlic and dried pepper if desired
- Remove from heat and store in large container / chill in fridge until ready to use
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the Grill:
- Burn coals until glowing and covered in white ash.
- Create a two-zone fire (direct and indirect). Add wood chunks if desired.
Prep the Oysters:
- Shuck 10–20 oysters per grilling round.
- Place in foil roaster and top each with 1 tbsp of desired butter mix.
Grill and Serve the Oysters:
- Place oysters face-up on indirect side of grill, nestle oysters between wire grates to hold up right / prevent from tipping over.
- Pour any leftover oyster liquor from roaster over top of oysters.
- Close lid and cook for ~ 5 minutes.
- Top with breadcrumb/parmesan mix and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Oysters are ready when bubbling and topping is lightly browned.
- Transfer to serving tray, feel free to squeeze lemon over the top if desired
- Watch them disappear!