Ridiculously quick and easy recipe for dinner that requires just a handful of ingredients. These Garlic Mussels In Sour Cream Sauce are such a comforting seafood dish, perfect for those busy weeknights when you just don't feel like cooking. Also available Pasta With Mussels And Fennel.
Garlic Mussels
I don't know if I didn't search enough or what, but I've never seen grocery stores carrying mussels without shells. Most of the times, mussels are sold fresh and with a shell on.
When I lived in Ukraine, shelled frozen mussels were available in many of groceries.
And although mussels have become increasingly popular in the recent years, it was not a product I grew up eating regularly.
In fact, the first time I tried mussels was during my trip to Paris in the middle of 2000s. As always the case with French cafes, once you order mussels, expect to get a huge pot of them.
Usually they are steamed with garlic and wine and they so filling and delicious, you don't even need to order anything else.
Of course, in the middle of 2000s in Ukraine live shell-on mussels were quite difficult to find. And even if they were available, frugal graduate school students like me, were not eager to buy such an expensive food item.
Frozen mussels on the other hand were available everywhere. They were cheap and new to Ukrainian customer, so people started developing recipes - comfort recipes.
One my favorite methods to cook mussels is to sauté them with some onion, garlic and sour cream. Easy and quick.
While I call this recipe Ukrainian, this is definitely not an old traditional recipe passed down by generations.
See, Ukrainians/Russians love adding sour cream in a variety of dishes. I say Russians because our countries have very similar cuisines and sometimes it's hard to tell which country does the recipe belong to.
Anyways, sour cream for Ukrainians is like Crème Fraîche for French or cream for Americans. We simply love it.
That's when Mussels in Sour Cream were born. Very easy, satisfying and comforting dish that is so popular in post-Soviet countries.
The trick here is to add garlic at the very end. You don't really need to cook it much. Let it release all its beautiful aroma and it's done.
Quick, easy and yummy!
A few weeks ago, my husband went grocery shopping and he bought me a small bag of frozen mussels. I didn't have a second thought on what to make with them.
As with any mussels recipe that I make, my Garlic Mussels recipe was devoured in no time. My favorite part is that they are so easy to make and perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Before we straight to my Creamy Garlic Mussels recipe, here are some of the frequently asked questions.
Where to buy frozen mussels?
Frozen Mussels are sold in most grocery stores. You can usually find them in the frozen Food aisle.
Do I need to thaw frozen mussels before cooking?
Frozen mussels need to be thawed before cooking. You can do so by either thawing them in a fridge overnight or placing a package with frozen mussels in a bowl with warm water for 30 to 40 minutes.
Are frozen mussels precooked?
After all these years of cooking frozen mussels and being 100% sure they were raw, I finally realised they are actually precooked.
So I apologize in advance for any confusion, because for such a long period of time I was sure mussels were raw.
Therefore I was recommending to look for raw frozen mussels, which of course you're not going to find.
So, yes! Frozen mussels are cooked.
How to tell if they are cooked? - They usually have an orange-ish color.
What goes with Mussels for dinner?
French Style Mashed Potatoes - my favorite easy recipe for mashed potatoes. Creamy, fragrant and incredibly delicious.
Hasselback Potatoes - seriously, give these Swedish potatoes a try. Not difficult to make and they are so beautiful and yummy.
More Delicious and Quick Seafood MealsSeared Cod With Tomato-Caper Sauce - easy and healthy cod recipe that requires 5 ingredients! Mussels Pasta In A White Wine Sauce - delicious 30-minute recipe perfect for weeknight meal and special occasions. Cod Piccata - creamy, briny Piccata sauce with capers makes all the difference. You'll love this easy recipe for dinner. |
Friends, let me know if you tried mussels prepared like this before.
And if you didn't, I urge to do so ASAP. Because, believe me, they are absolutely delicious.
Best mussels recipe you'll be making again and again!
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a photo and post it on Instagram with a hashtag #lavenderandmacarons.
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Recipe
Garlic Mussels In Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and on a medium heat.
- Add onion and cook stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add mussels and cook stirring from time to time for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with parsley.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Adele Wilter says
I had a bag of frozen mussels. Found then made this recipe. Super easy and really tasty although I added more spices as we like spicy food
Iryna Bychkiv says
Adele, thank you for your feedback! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Chez says
Excellent flavour! Served with toasted baguette /French stick as an appetiser dip.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Chez, thank you for your comment! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Erika Buxcel Spitzke says
Hi, today I bought frozen mussels and was checking the internet for recipes, for I have never used them yet. I came across yours and definitely will make it. I use quite a bit of sour cream, my parents were from Bessarabia and I cook many Russian/Ukrainian recipes. I'm sure I will love it. I'm already giving you a 5 stars because I'm sure I will love it.
Iryna Bychkiv says
Erika, thank you for your comment and 5-star rating! I hope you already had a chance to try this mussel recipe. And if not, please try it when you can and let me know how it turns out:)
Sisilia says
I'd like to try to make it with coconut milk instead of the sour cream and with green onions instead of the parsley. Will that work?
Iryna says
Sisilia, if you don't mind the coconut-y flavor, you can certainly use it instead of sour cream. I would also recommend thickening it up a bit by mixing coconut milk with 1/2 tsp cornstarch and then adding to the pan with mussels. Green onions are fine too.
Linda says
It looks delish and it was! Thanks for sharing ...
Iryna says
Linda, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Cara says
Nice, simple recipe; I enjoyed it. Will make again.
Iryna says
Cara, thank you so much for your comment! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Viktoria says
hi! I would love to make it - sounds really simple and tasty. I was wondering can I add white fish there too? I have one basa fillet and was thinking where could I use it 😅
Iryna says
Yes, you can make it with white fish. Make sure it's properly cooked. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should read 145F.
Debra Rabel says
How much does this recipe make? I have a family of 6. Need to know for my shopping list.
Thank you.
Iryna says
This recipe makes about 2-3 servings.
Barbara Gorman says
Here in the comments you say the recipe makes 2-3 servings. How many servings are used to determine the nutritional information, which is mostly useless without this information?
Iryna Bychkiv says
Hi Barbara! 2 servings are used to determine the nutritional value.
Danielle says
Our family LOVES this dish!! We've made it so many times that it's kind of evolved into our own.....now we add a bit of lemon juice and red pepper flakes for some zing and heat! We also add 1 bunch of Kale leaves too for greens - and we always serve over mashed potatoes. This is our son's favorite winter dish- so filling, yummy-comfort food!
Iryna says
Daniella, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm so happy your family enjoyed this recipe! Serving mussels over mashed potatoes is delicious.
Tracy says
Just made this tonight. Added mushrooms and dill and served over rice. it was great!
Iryna says
Tracy, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Rose says
Bland just plain bland no ty sorry
JANE RITCHUK says
Made this last night for dinner and my hubby (ukrainian BTW) liked it a lot. Very nice for a change. Served with mashed potato & cauliflower. Will make it again!
Iryna says
Jane, thank you so much for your comment and a 5-star rating! I'm happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe!