These steamed Thai style mussels are packed full of flavor and can be served as an appetizer or main course. They take around 30 minutes to make and the dish is a perfect balance of sweet and savory, with just the right amount of spice. Cooked in a simple Thai red curry coconut sauce, the broth is just as flavorful as the mussels!
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This recipe was first published in April 2016 and has been updated with new photos, step by step instructions and additional tips.
Mussels are such a great shellfish, sustainable, cheap, quick to cook and freaking delicious. The natural saltiness of the mussels deeply flavours the from scratch Thai coconut sauce that they are served in. I guarantee you won't just cook them once!
The flavours in these Asian inspired mussels balance so beautifully together. The creaminess of the coconut milk offsets the heat of the red chili and sits as a perfect pairing for the natural flavours of the mussels. The broth is so delicious and can easily be enjoyed as a soup!
With fresh flavors of cilantro, lime juice and green onion, this is a refreshing but wonderfully comforting recipe.
Be sure to try my Chilli Mussels and other these other easy mussel recipes too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: It only takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook these mussels. They taste and feel fancy, but in reality they are so easy to make and a great simple weeknight dinner.
- So flavorful: If you love Thai food, you will adore these! They are the perfect combination of sweet, savory and zingy, with just the right amount of spice.
- Sustainable: Mussels are one of the best foods you can eat for the planet! Grown naturally in sustainable farms, they don't require feed or chemicals for growth and they have minimal environmental impact, in fact, they can actually improve the environment by cleaning the ocean they are grown in. So, eat more to keep the seas clean!
- Budget friendly: Mussels don't need feed and they don't produce waste unlike other farmed seafood like shrimp or salmon. They feel like a real treat but they are very kind on your wallet!
- One pot: Everything is all cooked in one pot on the stovetop, so even the clean up is a breeze!
Ingredients
- Mussels: The amount of mussels in this recipe will serve two as a man meal, or four as an appetizer.
- Red chili: The spice in this dish comes from red chilies, use a finger chili for a milder flavor, or Thai red chilies if you like more of a kick. You can add more or less depending on how spicy you like it!
- Ginger and garlic: Use freshly minced or grated garlic and ginger for the best flavor.
- White wine: White wine adds a nice complexity to the broth. If you don't want to use wine, vegetable or chicken stock will work well too.
- Lime juice: Use fresh lime juice rather than bottled for the zingiest flavor. The acid helps to balance out the creamy coconut milk.
- Lemongrass: Lemongrass has mild citrus and mint flavors, and adds some freshness. It's optional but highly recommended.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce is a key component in Thai cooking, with a salty and umami flavor. If you don't have fish sauce, you can use soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
- Coconut milk: Use canned coconut milk rather than cartoned. I prefer to use a full fat one as it's thicker and creamier, but you can use lite if you prefer, though the broth won't be as rich.
- Cilantro: Cilantro adds a great herby freshness to the soup. If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley instead.
- Green onions and sliced red chili: To garnish. These are optional, but add a great bite and freshness.
How to make Thai mussels
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Clean and de-beard the mussels (photo 1).
- Soften the garlic and ginger in a large pot (photo 2).
- Add the wine, lime juice and lemongrass (if using) and bring to a boil (photo 3).
- Add in the mussels and place the lid on the pot and cook til the mussels open.
- Remove the mussels and add the coconut milk, fish sauce and cilantro to the pot (photo 4).
- Warm the coconut milk up, toss the mussels in the broth and serve (photo 5).
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these Thai mussels in coconut milk as an appetizer for four people, or 2 people as a main dish. Either way, be sure to pair with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc and some warm crusty bread, so that you can mop up all those delicious juices!
If you like, you can turn these into a fuller meal by spooning them over rice or egg noodles. Garnish them off with a chopped red chili, scallions and fresh cilantro for a hit of freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's important to clean your mussels well to remove any grit. Depending on where you buy them, this can take just a few minutes, or a little longer if they haven't been pre-prepped.
Place the mussels in a colander under running water. One at a time, give the outside of each mussel a good scrub (or wipe if they are clean) and pull out the beard (the threads coming out of the shell) if it's not already been removed.
If any mussels are open when you are cleaning them, and don't close when you tap them, discard them, and throw away any if their shells are broken.
It's best to use fresh mussels for this recipe, but you can use frozen if that's what have access too. Thaw them fully in the fridge overnight before cleaning them, and pick out any with damaged or broken shells.
In the Northern hemisphere, peak season for mussels is October through til March. The old saying goes that you should only eat shellfish in months with the letter 'R', so you will have the best fresh mussels from September through til April.
When fresh mussels aren't in season, frozen mussels are a good go to.
Make Ahead and Storage
These coconut milk mussels are best enjoyed as soon as they are ready to serve, if left to sit in the hot broth, or reheated, they can overcook and become rubbery.
You can clean the mussels a few hours before you want to cook them and keep them in the fridge.
Recipe Variations
If you want to cut down on chopping ingredients, then you can use a tablespoon (or two!) of red Thai curry paste in place of the fresh chili, garlic and ginger. Cook it in the pot for a few minutes til fragrant before adding the white wine and lemongrass.
You can easily make this recipe without wine, just substitute it for some chicken or vegetable stock.
I love these Thai mussels with red chilies, but you can use green if you prefer.
There is a lot of broth for this recipe and ideal if you are serving as main meals. You can use one can of coconut milk, instead of two, for less.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If any mussels are open before you clean them, give them a tap. If they don't close, discard them.
- Discard any mussels that are closed after you have cooked them.
- Use the freshest ingredients you can for the best flavors.
- You can use frozen mussels if you can't find fresh, but thaw them thoroughly before cooking and inspect for broken shell and any beards that haven't been removed.
- When cooking the mussels, use a see through pan lid if you have one, so that you can see when the mussels have opened.
These Thai mussels in coconut milk are one delicious recipe, and so much easier than you think. Sweet, salty and spicy, you won't be able to stop eating them!
More Thai Inspired Recipes
- Chicken Coconut Thai Curry
- Chickpea & Spinach Curry
- Beef Curry Stew
- Crispy Chicken Satay
- Thai Meatball Soup with Rice Noodles
More Seafood Recipes
- Salmon and Caviar Appetiser
- Mini Crab Cakes Recipe
- Crispy Baked Cod
- Fried Shrimp Tacos
- Poached Cod in Coconut Milk
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Thai Mussels in Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 35 ounces mussels (1kg)
- 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
- 1 inch ginger (very finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup white wine (250 ml) can substitute with chicken or vegetable stock
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 stem of lemongrass (halved lengthways)
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 27 ounces canned coconut milk (800ml) (2 cans)
- Handful of cilantro (coriander) (finely chopped)
- 2 spring onions (finely sliced)
- 1 red chilli (finely sliced)
Instructions
- First off, de-beard and scrub the outside of the mussels (this will take about 15 mins depending on where you buy them) and leave to one side.
- In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over a medium high heat and add the chopped chilli, ginger and garlic. Cook for around 5 mins until the ingredients start to soften, stir occasionally.
- Add in the wine (or stock), lime juice and lemon grass and bring to the boil.
- When ready, add in the mussels and put a lid on the pan. It will take about 3-4 mins for the mussels to cook. Once they are all open, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- To the liquid in the pot, add the coconut milk, fish sauce and cilantro. Stir until the mixture has heated through. Taste the broth add add more lime juice if needed - this can depend on how juicy your limes are.
- Add the mussels in for a couple of minutes, gently stir them so that they are all coated with the Thai sauce.
- Spoon the mussels into bowls, and then pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle the sliced onions and chills over the top and serve with lots of crusty bread.
Notes
- If any mussels are open before you clean them, give them a tap. If they don't close, discard them.
- Discard any mussels that are closed after you have cooked them.
- Use the freshest ingredients for the best flavors.
- You can use frozen mussels if you can't find fresh, but thaw them thoroughly before cooking and inspect for broken shell and any beards that haven't been removed.
- When cooking the mussels, use a see through pan lid if you have one, so that you can see when the mussels have opened.
- Be sure to serve with crusty bread to mop up those delicious juices!
- Nutritional values are based on one of four appetizer servings and are an estimate only.
Marlee says
I am so glad that I got to make these! One of my favorite ways of eating mussles!
Mary Ellen says
I am wishing I liked mussels because this looks SO good! My husband would love them, and then I could sop up the juice with some bread 🙂
[email protected] says
The juices are just as good as the mussels! In fact, probably the best part 😉
[email protected] says
wow! For 55?! You are brave! Maybe do half this and half a classic moules mariniere 😉
bbqbastard says
Mussels are one of my favorites... only problem is my wife can't eat them... Luckily for me I can make some this weekend! I'm thinking of using this recipe. Only thing that makes me doubt is the ingredients that for some people might not be what they want (it's for 55 people ...).
I'll let you know if I picked these haha