Last Updated on August 26, 2021 by Slow The Cook Down
Thai 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. Cooked in a simple Thai coconut sauce, this easy seafood dish is a real crowd pleaser!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy here.
Mussels are such a great shellfish, sustainable, cheap, quick to cook and freaking delicious. The natural saltiness of the mussels deeply flavours the Thai sauce that they are served in. I guarantee you won't just cook them once!
The flavours in these Thai Mussels balance so beautifully together. The creaminess of the coconut milk offsets the heat of the chilli 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!
Be sure to try my Chilli Mussels and Poached Cod in Coconut Milk 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, they don't require feed or chemicals for growth and they have minimal environmental impact.
- One pot: Everything is all cooked in one pot on the stovetop, so 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.
- Cilantro: Cilantro adds a great herby freshness to the soup. If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley instead.
- Spring onions: 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.
- Soften the garlic and ginger in a large pot.
- Add the wine, lime juice and lemongrass and bring to a boil.
- Add in the mussels and place the lid on the pot.
- Cook til the mussels open.
- Remove the mussels and add the coconut milk, fish sauce and cilantro.
- Warm through, toss the mussels in the broth and serve.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these Thai mussels as a starter for 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 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. Place the mussels in a colander under running water. One at a time, give the outside of each mussel a good scrub with a brush or scouring pad and pull out the beard (the threads coming out of the shell) if it's got one.
If any mussels are open when you are cleaning them, and don't close when you tap them, discard them.
It's best to use fresh mussels for this recipe, but you can use frozen if that's all you have access too. Thaw them fully 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.
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.
More Thai Inspired Recipes
More Seafood Recipes
For more tasty treats, food inspiration and fun, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest – come say hi!
Be sure to keep in touch and sign up to Slow The Cook Down to grab your free e-book ‘Stress Free Recipes Made For Sharing’
Thai Mussels
Ingredients
- 35 ounces mussels (1kg)
- 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
- 1 inch ginger (very finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- Olive oil
- 8.5 ounces white wine (250 ml)
- 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) and leave to one side. In a large, deep pan, heat a glut of olive 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, 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, drain them, but keep the juices.
- In a large pan, heat together the juices with the coconut milk, fish sauce and cilantro. Stir until the mixture has heated through. Add the mussels into the pan 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 a load of 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 🙂
bdaunter@hotmail.co.uk says
The juices are just as good as the mussels! In fact, probably the best part 😉
bdaunter@hotmail.co.uk 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