Oyster Po' Boys Recipe

Freshly shucked oysters are fried until golden-brown, then stuffed into sub-style rolls with creamy rémoulade, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and pickle chips.

By
Sasha Marx
Sasha Marx
Senior Culinary Editor
Sasha is a senior culinary editor at Serious Eats. He has over a decade of professional cooking experience, having worked his way up through a number of highly regarded and award-winning restaurant kitchens, followed by years spent in test kitchens for food publications.
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Updated Apr. 02, 2020
20190221-oyster-poboys-vicky-wasik-22
Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Double-dredging the oysters in a flour-cornmeal mixture creates a crunchy, light coating.
  • A spicy rémoulade gives the sandiwch plenty of kick.

These classic oyster po' boys make the most of briny, salty oysters. The freshly shucked oysters are double-dredged in a mixture of cornmeal and flour before they're fried, and stuffed into soft, sub-style rolls with crisp lettuce, tomatoes, pickle chips, and a generous slathering of rémoulade. Not a fan of oysters, or don't have easy access to fresh ones? Try one of our classic shrimp or fish po' boys instead.

Recipe Details

Oyster Po' Boys Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Freshly shucked oysters are fried until golden-brown, then stuffed into sub-style rolls with creamy rémoulade, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, and pickle chips.

Ingredients

For the Rémoulade:

  • 3/4 cup (175ml) mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup (45g) minced dill pickles

  • 2 tablespoons (10g) drained prepared horseradish

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) hot sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Oysters:

  • 2 cups (10 ounces; 280g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces; 140g) cornmeal

  • 2 tablespoons (10g) homemade or store-bought Creole seasoning

  • 4 large eggs

  • 24 freshly shucked oysters, liquor reserved and shells discarded

  • 2 quarts (1900ml) vegetable oil, for frying

  • Kosher salt

For Serving:

  • 4 (10-inch) French or sub-style rolls, lightly toasted (see note)

  • 1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

  • 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

  • 3/4 cup dill pickle chips

Directions

  1. For the Rémoulade: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, minced pickles, horseradish, hot sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and garlic until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  2. For the Oysters: In a medium bowl or shallow baking dish, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and Creole seasoning. In a second medium bowl or shallow baking dish, whisk together eggs and 1/3 cup flour mixture. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter. Adjust consistency with additional flour mixture if necessary.

  3. Working in batches, place oysters in flour mixture and toss to evenly coat. Shake off excess flour. Transfer oysters to egg mixture and turn to thoroughly coat. Allow excess batter to drip back into bowl. Return oysters to flour mixture. Toss gently in flour mixture to fully coat. Repeat dredging process with remaining oysters.

  4. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat to 375°F (190°C). Carefully add the oysters to the oil and cook, stirring occasionally with a spider skimmer, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked oysters to wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt to taste.

  5. For Serving: Open rolls and spread cut sides with rémoulade. Divide lettuce, tomatoes, pickle chips, and oysters evenly among rolls. Serve immediately.

Special equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, Wire rack, Large Dutch oven, Instant-read thermometer

Notes

If you can find French-style po' boy rolls or Vietnamese baguettes used for banh mi sandwiches, use them. Otherwise, use regular sub or hoagie rolls. If the interior of the bread is very dense, scoop most of it out and discard it before building your po' boys.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Rémoulade can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Po' boys are best enjoyed right away.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
914 Calories
61g Fat
52g Carbs
39g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 914
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 61g 78%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 307mg 102%
Sodium 2249mg 98%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 34mg 171%
Calcium 128mg 10%
Iron 17mg 96%
Potassium 920mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)