BBQ Oysters with Green Chile Garlic Butter

This BBQ Oysters recipe was created in partnership with Rio Luna Organic Peppers. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make ¡Hola! Jalapeño possible!

BBQ Oysters For The (Dubious) Oyster Lover

I’ll be the first to admit. I’m a little late to the oyster party. I ate my first raw oyster on the half shell as an exchange student in Spain when I was 15. It was jiggly and big and I barely got it down. I swore I wouldn’t be doing THAT again.

And I didn’t, until recently. It seems I’ve found the oysters I love and I just can’t get enough! If you are on the fence about slurping oysters, then these grilled oysters are for you!

If you are looking to spice up your New Year’s Eve Party, these oysters are the appetizer for you! They are briny and tender—and the best part? Drenched in a green chile garlic butter made with Rio Luna Organic Diced Green Chiles. Proudly produced by pepper production experts, Rio Luna Organics are the highest quality chiles you can find, with a true, grassy green chile flavor and just the tiniest touch of heat.

The Best Butter for BBQ Oysters

To really do grilled oysters right you need to have an outstanding compound (aka softened, flavored) butter to top them with and what would a ¡Hola! Jalapeño recipe be if it didn’t incorporate some Mexican flair? I’ve whipped softened butter with Rio Luna Organic Diced Chiles, chopped garlic, and fresh parsley. It’s as easy as mashing everything together with a fork! Just make sure the butter is really soft so it melts into the oysters on contact.

To Shuck Or Not To Shuck? That Is The Question.

The most challenging part when it comes to oysters is getting those suckers open! With charbroiled oysters there are two ways you can go about it and I’ll describe each method below. But first, the pros and cons.

The first method is to let them open naturally with the heat of the grill so there is barely any work involved. The upside to this is obviously chargrilled oysters without shucking. The downside is having to handle them (removing the top shell, adding the butter, etc.) while they are blistering hot. A good pair of BBQ gloves should help with this.

The second method is to shuck them first then grill. Make sure you use a quality oyster knife and a dish towel. The benefit of this method is the butter melts into the oysters as they cook and you get to eat them faster. The con? The whole shucking situation.

Either way, the best way to serve your charbroiled oysters is on a plate covered with a thick layer of kosher salt. You can nestle the buttery oysters in the salt to transfer them without spilling.

How To Grill Oysters Without Shucking

This is the easiest method because the oysters pop open all by themselves with the heat of the grill. Try to purchase oysters with a flat bottom so they don’t tip over and spill all their delicious juice. The butter should be very soft so it melts right away on the hot oysters. Here’s some tools that can help:

• An oyster rack keeps them stable and upright while they cook.
• BBQ Gloves will protect your hands while you handle the hot oyster shells.
• A Kitchen Torch can finish melting the butter if needed.

Shuck First, Grill Later

This method does require the ability to use an oyster knife. If you’ve never done it before, here’s a great oyster shucking video. If you’re going with this method, place spoonfuls of the softened butter on each oyster before setting over the hot grill. The butter will melt into the oyster as it cooks for an incredible, bubbling sauce. The BBQ gloves are still a bonus here as you can use them to remove the hot oysters from the grill.

More Mexican Appetizers For New Year’s Eve

Looking for more elegant apps for New Year’s Eve? Here are a few of my favorites. If you added Rio Luna Organic Peppers to any of these you won’t be mad about it:

• Surf and Turf Nachos
• Chorizo and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms
• Oven Roasted Jalapeño Poppers

Invite Us To The Party!

I want to see the crowd go wild when you bust out your oyster knife and fire up the grill. Snap a pic of your chargrilled oysters and tag @holajalapeno, #holajalapeno and @riolunapeppers on Instagram so I can be in on the action!

Be sure to follow Rio Luna Organic Peppers on Facebook and Instagram to learn how to unlock the power of peppers and discover recipes and entertainment tips perfect for New Year’s Eve!

BBQ Oysters with Green Chile Garlic Butter

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

Elevate your New Year’s Eve appetizer game with these ultra fancy BBQ Oysters bathed in a tasty Green Chile and Garlic compound butter.

• Author: Kate Ramos

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon Rio Luna Organic Diced Green Chiles

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 fresh raw oysters, scrubbed clean

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Mash butter, green chiles, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper together with a fork until combined. 

Method #1:

Heat a gas or charcoal BBQ grill to high heat. Place unopened oysters on the grill in a way that they won’t tip over and spill all their juice once they open. 

Grill until the shells pop open, about 2-3 minutes. Any oysters that don’t open after three minutes should be discarded.

Carefully transfer to a plate using grilling gloves or a kitchen towel. Slide top off with an oyster knife and make sure oyster is separated from shell. Remove any broken shells from the oyster and immediately top with a small spoonful of green chile butter. 

Place on a plate with a thick layer of kosher salt to hold the oyster upright. Once butter has melted into the oyster, eat warm with bread. 

Method 2:

Heat a gas or charcoal BBQ grill to high heat. 

Shuck oysters and place them on a kosher salt-lined plate so the juices don’t spill. Top each oyster with a small spoonful of green chile butter. 

Place oysters on the grill, being careful to not tip them. Grill for 2-3 minutes or just until they start to bubble and butter is melted. 

Serve immediately with warm bread.