Oysters Rockefeller consists of oysters on the half shell that have been baked or broiled with a buttery spinach filling and cheesy bread crumbs. This restaurant-style dish is impressive, but it is not difficult to make. It’s very easy to order oysters online to be shipped to you if you do not live in a coastal area (suggested companies are included in the post below!)
If you love shellfish appetizers, you might also like to check out my post on How to Grill Clams!
Adapted a little bit from a Tyler Florence recipe, Oysters Rockefeller is an old fashioned dish that has been around since 1899! You will see it on menus at higher-end seafood restaurants as an appetizer or brunch option. It’s often featured on food networks and TV shows. Oysters Rockefeller remains a popular and well-established dish in American cuisine. You can even plan to make it to have for dinner along with a simple salad!
What ingredients are needed to make Oysters Rockefeller?
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. Oysters have plenty of salt in them naturally, so you don’t want to overdo it.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic!
- Bread Crumbs: If you like to make your own bread crumbs, go for it. Otherwise, I prefer to use panko bread crumbs for this recipe.
- Shallots: These will be chopped finely. They’re preferred over onion because they have a more mild flavor.
- Spinach: You’ll need 2 cups of fresh spinach for this recipe. Frozen spinach may also be used (but fresh will be better!) You would need about 1 cup of frozen spinach (cooked).
- Wine: White wine is used to deglaze the pan when the spinach mixture is cooking. I use a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. If you don’t cook with wine, use freshly squeezed lemon juice in its place.
- Hot Sauce: Tabasco or another favorite hot sauce is what I use.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is used to make the bread crumbs. Avocado oil may be substituted!
- Cheese: We use all grated Parmesan cheese in this recipe.
- Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley is added to the bread crumbs. It will help to amplify the pretty “green” hue of the appetizer.
- Oysters: Use fresh oysters for this recipe. If you don’t live near the coast, it’s very easy to have oysters shipped to you (there are many, many companies who ship oysters). Try Island Creek Oysters (Massachusetts), Taylor Shellfish Farms (Washington), Cherrystone Aqua Farms (Virginia), Hog Island Oyster Company (California) or Low Country Oyster Company (South Carolina).
- Rock Salt: This is added to the baking dish so that they oysters can have a solid place to sit without wiggling around and losing their filling. Any rock salt or pink Himalayan sea salt may be used.
- Lemon: Lemon wedges are used for squeezing onto individual servings of Oysters Rockefeller. Don’t skip!
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: As desired
How to make Oysters Rockefeller:
The COMPLETE, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Scroll down to the end and press the print button. Here’s a brief overview.
- Make sure your oysters are shucked and on the half shell.
- Make the garlic butter.
- Combine the bread crumbs with half of the garlic butter.
- Then make the spinach filling mixture in a skillet on the stove.
- Finish off adding ingredients to the bread crumbs.
Fill the oysters with the spinach mixture and bread crumbs. Fill a baking pan with rock salt. Then set the oysters on the rock salt and bake in a preheated oven. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce!
How to shuck oysters:
If you are getting oysters from a seafood market, ask them to shuck the oysters for you. Tell them that you’re making Oysters Rockefeller and that you need the oysters to remain on the half shell. If not, follow the instructions below to shuck your own oysters using an oyster knife and a glove.
- Rinse and clean your oysters.
- Using a cut-resistant glove (or towels), lay the oyster flat in your hand (cupped side down and flat side up). Use an oyster knife to pry open the shell. Find the back hinge of the oyster, and place the tip of the knife into the hinge and twist to loosen the shell. If you try to open the front or the side of the shell, it might break. Wipe off the blade after you open the shell. Discard the flat shell and clean up any shell particles that you might see.
- Use the oyster knife to cut under the oyster to release it from the shell (but keep it sitting in the shell). Place the open oysters on sheet pans and refrigerate until you are ready to make your recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the spinach in the skillet. Cook it just until it wilts, and it will stay bright green. The longer you cook it, the more diminished the green hue will be.
- Sometimes Oysters Rockefeller recipes use both Parmesan cheese and Gruyere cheese. If you’d like to add a small amount of shredded Gruyere on top of the spinach mixture (before adding the bread crumbs), you can certainly do that.
- Add some crispy bacon or pancetta to your filling!
- Rock salt is used to hold the oysters in place as they are baking. It’s also nice to set them on the rock salt for serving. Otherwise, the oysters will rock and roll all over the place, and you’ll be at risk of spilling the filling. The rock salt does NOT add any additional salty flavor to the oysters.
- Plan for 2 to 3 baked oysters per person for serving.
- You can also grill Oysters Rockefeller! Follow the same directions in the recipe below, but set them on a pre-heated grill for 5 or 6 minutes until the topping is bubbling.
- This seafood appetizer may also be frozen and cooked later. Freeze the filled oysters before cooking. They may be frozen for 4 to 6 weeks. Thaw before baking.
What’s the different between Oysters Rockefeller and Oysters on the Half Shell?
Oysters on the half shell are served raw with a mignonette drizzled on top of the oyster in the shell. They’re slurped directly from their shell. Oysters Rockefeller is baked and served with forks so you can enjoy the topping too. Consider buying oyster forks!
How did Oysters Rockefeller get its name?
Antoines, a restaurant in the New Orleans French Quarter, is the birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. It was created by Jules Alciatore (the son of the founder) in 1899 as a substitute for escargots when there was a shortage.
It was named in homage to the wealth of John D. Rockefeller whose fortune was said to be “as rich as the sauce’s taste.” The rich green filling resembles the color of money.
What are the best wines to serve with Oysters Rockefeller?
To balance the rich, creamy and briny flavors of Oysters Rockefeller, champagne is typically served with this elegant appetizer. You can also serve Chablis, sparkling wine or any crisp white wine. Consider a French 75 cocktail or Gin Daisy to complete the theme of this French Creole dish!
Oysters Rockefeller
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs (Panko preferred)
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- ¼ cup white wine (can substitute Pernod)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 dash hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 dozen oysters (shucked and on the half shell) SEE NOTES BELOW
- rock salt
- lemon wedges, for serving
- Tabasco sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes; remove from heat.
- Place the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl and add half the garlic butter, set aside.
- To the remaining garlic butter in the skillet, add the shallots and spinach and cook for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts. De-glaze the pan with Pernod or white wine. Season with salt and pepper, add a dash of hot sauce. Allow the mixture to cook down for a few minutes.
- Finish off the bread crumbs by mixing in the olive oil, Parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle a baking pan amply with rock salt. Arrange the oysters in the salt to steady them. Bake in a pre-heated 450°F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden.
- Serve with lemon wedges and Tabasco sauce.
Notes
How to shuck oysters:
If you are getting oysters from a seafood market, ask them to shuck the oysters for you. Tell them that you’re making Oysters Rockefeller and that you need the oysters to remain on the half shell. If not, follow the instructions below to shuck your own oysters using an oyster knife and a glove.- Rinse and clean your oysters.
- Using a cut-resistant glove (or towels), lay the oyster flat in your hand (cupped side down and flat side up). Use an oyster knife to pry open the shell. Find the back hinge of the oyster, and place the tip of the knife into the hinge and twist to loosen the shell. If you try to open the front or the side of the shell, it might break. Wipe off the blade after you open the shell. Discard the flat shell and clean up any shell particles that you might see.
- Use the oyster knife to cut under the oyster to release it from the shell (but keep it sitting in the shell). Place the open oysters on sheet pans and refrigerate until you are ready to make your recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this recipe at least a dozen times! I think it’s about time I give it a review. I absolutely love making these oysters and even more eating them! Thanks for sharing!!! 🥂
Delicious. Next time I make this recipe, and there will be a next time, I will cut down on the salt. Just a bit too salty for my taste, however, everyone LOVED them.
I wouldn’t say you can substitute for white wine, that totally changes the flavor. People may think Pernod is just a type of white wine. Also, I could see pernod really making this dish outstanding
It totally agree, Pernod is the liquor of choice over wine. The taste is just phenomenal.
Made this this evening, so easy and delicious. Thanks!
I really like Tyler Florence’s recipes. They are easy to follow and easily obtainable ingredients. This is our favorite Oyster Rockefeller recipe and we have tried a few!
This is the third time I’ve made these for Christmas and I’ve had to up the amount each time I make them! It’s the messiest recipe I make but we make it a team effort. Very good, never have any left.
This is a go-to recipe for me. The only change, is that I add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to the mixture. I love what it does with the Pernod flavor. It’s always a hit!
Wow! So delicious! Made with Gulf oysters which I normally don’t like (raw). Tasted sooo gooood.