Tailgate Grilled Oysters with Old Bay Butter

Tailgate Grilled Oysters with Old Bay Butter

A good friend named Thomas Carey introduced us to this grilled oyster recipe, and we fired it up on a sandbar island in the middle of Matagorda Bay 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   

Old Bay Butter 

Ingredients  

  • 2 lbs unsalted clarified butter melted or 2lb of Ghee
  • ½ Tin of Old Bay Seasoning Original Flavor  

Instructions  

  • Clarify butter by melting slowly and removing milk solids from top
  • Mix in Old Bay
  • Transfer to Tupperware and refrigerate to solidify. 

 

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! 

 

 

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