Spicy and sweet, these delicious chilli mussels are served in a coconut milk broth for one delicious meal. Great to serve as an appetizer or main, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.
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These delicious chilli mussels are sure to tingle your tastebuds!
Full of fresh, vibrant and warming flavors, these are always a crowd pleaser.
Simple and easy to make, everything is all cooked in one pot and they can be served as an impressive main or appetizer.
Be sure to serve them with lots of crusty bread to mop up the delicious broth.
Be sure to check out my Thai mussels and this awesome collection of easy mussels recipes.
Ingredients
- Mussels: Mussels are super nutritious, rich in Omega-3s, B12 and low in calories. They are also a great budget friendly seafood.
- Oil: For cooking. I used olive oil, but any high heat oil like canola or vegetable will work well.
- Ginger and garlic: Use fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor.
- White wine: Use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. You don't need to use an expensive wine for this dish.
- Lime juice: Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled for the zingiest and freshest flavor.
- Coconut milk: Use canned coconut milk, not cartoned. Use full fat for the richest flavor and texture.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds a great salty, savory and umami flavor to the broth.
- Cilantro: For freshness and flavor.
- Crushed chilies: For the heat! You can adjust the amount of chili to suit your tastes.
How to make chilli mussels
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Soften the garlic and ginger and add in the wine and lime juice (photo 1).
- Add in the mussels and cook until they open (photo 2).
- Remove the mussels and make the broth (photo 3).
- Stir the mussels in the broth to coat (photo 4).
- Serve!
Recipe Variations
These chilli mussels are pretty delicious as they are, but there are a few simple substitutions you can make to suit your tastes.
- If you don't want to cook with wine, swap it for chicken or vegetable stock
- Use fresh chilies instead of crushed chilies. Slice them and add them in at the same time as the garlic and ginger
- Make it less spicy. This recipe packs a punch, feel free to use less chilli if you are sensitive to heat.
- If you don't like cilantro, swap it for parsley so you still get that fresh flavor.
- Add in a lemongrass stalk for an extra layer of flavor.
- If you don't have fish sauce, you can use soy sauce, tamari, oyster sauce or coconut aminos.
Frequently Asked Questions
I much prefer to use fresh mussels, but you can use frozen if that's all you can get.
Be sure to thaw the mussels completely before cooking and be sure to check them well for any broken shells and remove any beards that have been left on.
Mussels are one of my favorite seafoods. Not only are the super nutritious and tasty, but they are one of the most sustainable shellfish you can eat. Because they are farmed, the population is extremely well monitored, and the waters that they are grown in are kept clean and healthy.
Farm grown mussels have a tiny impact on the environment as they clean the sea, and many believe they are a greener option than eating meat-free.
Before you cook the mussels, it's important to clean them well. Remove the beards, the string-like fibers coming from out of the shell, by pulling them upwards. Give them a scrub under cold running water to remove and barnacles. Discard any mussels that are open or have broken shells.
How to serve
Spoon the chilli mussels into bowls and ladle over the coconut milk broth. Garnish with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro and squeeze over a little lime juice. In all instances, this is not negotiable, serve with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use a pot with a glass lid so that you can easily see when the shells of the mussels have opened. If not, have a quick peak after about 3 to 4 minutes to check how they are doing.
- Mussels cook super quickly. Take care not to overcook them or they can become tough to eat.
- Discard any mussels that haven't opened after cooking.
More Seafood Recipes
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Chilli Mussels in Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh mussels (900g)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 inch ginger (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1½ cups dry white wine (375ml)
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 cans coconut milk (28 ounces / 830ml)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (8g)
- 2 tablespoons crushed chilies
- sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, lime juice and crusty bread to serve.
Instructions
- De-beard and clean the mussels under cold running water.
- Heat the oil on a medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes to soften them.
- Pour the wine and lime juice into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Place the mussels into the pot and place the lid on top.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the mussels have opened.
- Remove the mussels from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid inside.
- Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, cilantro and crushed chilies to the pot. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Add the mussels back to the pot, stir gently to warm the mussels back through in the broth.
- Serve immediately with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and crusty bread.
Notes
- Use canned coconut milk, not cartoned for this recipe.
- Use a pot with a glass lid so that you can easily see when the shells of the mussels have opened.
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