Coconut Curry Mussels

These coconut curry mussels are ready in just 35 minutes and are packed with ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. You'll love the red curry sauce they are swimming in!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: coconut curry mussels, thai mussels

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
¼ cup red curry paste
1 tablespoon grated fresh garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated lemongrass
1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
2 pounds fresh mussels cleaned and rinsed
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

Rinse the fresh mussels under running water. Throw away any mussels that do not close or if their shells are cracked.
In a high sided 12-inch skillet add olive oil and set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add in the onion. Sauté the onion just until it’s translucent and is softened, about 10 minutes.
Add in the red curry paste, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Stir to combine.
Pour in your coconut milk and stir to combine. Lower heat to medium-low and bring to a gentle boil.
Once the mixture is bubbling add in your mussels, stir and cover. Steam for about 5 minutes or until all the mussels have opened.
When the mussels are all opened, remove from the heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

Notes

Mussels are best cooked by steaming them off a hot liquid rather than boiling them directly in a broth or sauce. If you see that most of your mussels haven’t opened after 5 minutes, it’s okay to steam them for a few more minutes to see if they will open.

Once finished, you shouldn’t have many unopened shells, but if you do, throw them away.

Also, if you use a smaller, less wide pan, you can reduce the coconut milk so you don't boil your mussels instead of steaming them. I use a 12-inch skillet to keep the liquid shallow.

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