If you like to cook mussels, you’ll love these juicy and succulent steamed mussels in a white wine garlic sauce! These are so delicious with a glass of white wine, crusty bread, plus olive oil and extra lemon juice. Jump to the mussels recipe or read the post for all my tips on how to clean fresh mussels, store mussels, and remove the beard.

Let’s Cook White Wine Steamed Mussels

Have you ever cooked mussels before? We make them at least once a month! They’re perfect for date-night or when we’re having company over and I want a dish that’s both fancy AND easy. They’re also quite affordable, which is a major bonus point. 

I feel like a lot of folks enjoy ordering them out, but clam up when it comes time to try cooking them at home. But I’m here to change that, because cooking fresh mussels is so easy and impressive! And you can enjoy them as an appetizer or make them into a full meal. 

And not only is cooking them at home easy AND fun. But it’s way more delicious! Just wait until you get a taste of this white wine sauce. Loaded with garlic, lemon juice, and shallots… you won’t want to try any other steamed mussels recipe.

White Wine Mussels Recipe

• Butter: Unsalted is best, but if you have salted on hand, that’ll work too. Just eliminate the salt called for. At least until after you’ve taste-tested. You can also add more salt and pepper… but you can’t take it away. 
• Olive Oil: No need to get fancy here, just use whatever you have on hand. But please don’t sub canola oil or vegetable oil. For a flavor twist, you could use coconut oil, and sub coconut cream instead of heavy cream. 
• Shallots: These add the most incredible flavor, but a white onion will work as a sub. But only if absolutely necessary, because the flavor won’t be as delicate and sweet.
• Garlic: Use the best FRESH garlic you can get your hands on. Garlic powder is not an option here! 
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add just a tiny splash of heat. You can omit if you’re absolutely against spice, but I promise, it’s not going to make this dish spicy. And of course, if you love heat, add more than called for to suit your taste! 
• Lemon: You’ll use the lemon juice and the lemon zest! So choose a nice plump lemon with firm skin. I like to grab an extra lemon or two, so I can cut them into wedges and serve them on the side as a garnish. Extra lemon juice is always a good thing to have on hand for a recipe like this. 
• Mussels: You’ll want to buy fresh mussels, scrub them clean, and debeard them. Read all my pro-tips below if you need extra help with these steps. 
• White Wine: I suggest something dry, like Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t need to be fancy wine, but as always, I suggest using something you’d drink.
• Chicken Stock: Adds depth of flavor and richness to the sauce. Use chicken bone broth for an even deeper and intensified flavor.
• Heavy Cream: A small amount makes the sauce rich and creamy. But not so much that’ll leave you feeling heavy. For a dairy-free option, coconut cream could work. But I’d suggest using cilantro instead of parsley. 
• Parsley: FRESH parsley is absolutely essential! Do not sub dried parsley flakes. You’ll stir it into the sauce for a pop of brightness, but I also like to sprinkle parsley and serve it as a garnish.
• Salt: By nature, mussels are salty, so I suggest you start with a small amount of salt, then add more if needed.
• Crusty Bread: Because you’ll need something to sop up all that DELICIOUS white wine and garlic sauce. I like a crusty sourdough loaf or a baguette. 

How to Clean Mussels:

No matter what recipe you use, your first job is to clean the mussels! You must always clean fresh mussels before cooking them. Otherwise you’ll end up eating a lot of grit and sand. 

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water. It should be large enough in capacity to hold all the mussels, plus a good amount of water. 
2. Add the mussels to the bowl. Then mix in a 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. 
3. Using you hands, give them a good swoosh around. Do this for a few minutes. Then set the bowl aside for 30 minutes. 
4. Once 30 minutes is up, drain the mussels and remove the “beard” from each one with your fingers. 
5. If they still look dirty, scrub them with a small culinary brush under running water until clean. Any that look even questionable, I would toss in the trash. Seafood isn’t somewhere I suggest taking a risk. 
6. If any mussels are open, discard them before cooking. Only add the mussels that have a firmly shut shell.

How to Cook Mussels

1. Choose the right pot to cook the mussels. It should be large enough to hold the mussels AND all the liquid that creates the broth. And you want some extra space at the top of the pot so you don’t have liquid boiling out all over your stovetop. 
2. Don’t skimp on cooking the shallots, because this is where major flavor develops! As long as you’re cooking the shallots over medium heat, they shouldn’t burn or get hard. Instead, they’ll soften and slightly caramelize.
3. These are steamed mussels. So once you add the mussels to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and place a fitted lid on the pot. 
4. Cook as directed, but check on them often, as you don’t want to over cook the seafood. You’ll know they’re done when most of the mussel shells have opened. This usually takes 3 to 4 minutes. In any mussels aren’t open, discard them before serving!
5. I suggest using wide shallow bowls for serving, which leaves ample room for adding lemon wedges and crusty bread! This recipe yields lots of extra broth, so crusty bread is a must! 

How to Store Mussels 

You can buy your mussels a day or two before you plan on cooking them. I personally wouldn’t recommend storing them more than 2 days for optimal freshness. Make sure they look and smell fresh before use. 

And don’t be afraid to ask the fishmonger – or person selling you the seafood – how long the shellfish has already been sitting in the seafood case. Never buy questionable looking shellfish. 

1. Remove the seafood from the bag they came in. Drain any excess liquid, then transfer into a a large bowl unsealed container.
2. Cover the mussels with a clean damp cloth or a few layers of damp paper towels. You don’t want excess moisture, so make sure it’s damp, not soaking wet. 
3. Place the bowl in the fridge and store for up to 2 days. 
4. It’s important you don’t have the shellfish sitting in water, so check on the mussels daily and drain any water as needed.