How to Cook Mussels (with White Wine and Cream)

Get ready for the dreamiest pot of steamed mussels. A splash of white wine adds richness, lemon brings the bright notes, fresh garlic and shallots build savory flavor, and a swirl of cream makes the broth downright irresistible. The mussels release their own briny seafood stock as they cook, creating a perfect, restaurant-style sauce.

If you’ve never cooked mussels at home, I get why they might feel a little intimidating. They’re usually something we order at restaurants as a special treat, but the truth is, they’re one of the fastest, easiest things you can make. Once you know how simple they are, there’s no reason they can’t become a weeknight dinner staple.

What makes this recipe worth coming back to is the broth. White wine adds depth, lemon brightens everything up, shallots and garlic build a savory base, and a splash of cream makes the whole thing feel rich and restaurant-worthy. As the mussels steam, they release their own briny juices into the pot, which meld with the wine and aromatics to create the kind of sauce you want to soak up with an entire loaf of crusty bread. The method is just as simple: sauté, add wine, add mussels, finish with cream and lemon. Twenty minutes, start to finish.

If this is your first time cooking mussels, I’ve got you covered. After the recipe, you’ll find everything you need to know about choosing, storing, and cleaning mussels, plus which wine to use and how to build a great cooking broth.

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How to Cook Mussels (with White Wine and Cream)

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

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This easy mussels recipe features tender mussels steamed in a rich broth made with white wine, shallots, garlic, lemon, and a splash of cream. Ready in just 20 minutes, it's an impressive dinner that's much simpler to make than you'd think.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small shallot (thinly sliced)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 cup dry white wine
• ▢ 4 lb mussels (cleaned)
• ▢ Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream
• ▢ Juice from ½ lemon
• ▢ 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Instructions 

Prepare the Mussels

• Working with one mussel at a time, first check to make sure that it is tightly closed. If it's open, tap it on your counter. If it doesn't close, it means the mussel has died and must be discarded. Next, rinse the shell under cool running water and scrub it gently to remove debris. Make sure to keep the bowl of mussels on the counter as you don't want it to fill with water.
  
• If there is something that looks like some hair (see the picture in the post) in the mussel, this is the beard. It's a bit of the rope that they were grown on and should be removed before cooking. To remove the beard, or de-beard the mussels, grab the beard and pull it towards the tail (narrow) end of the mussel. Most of the time it will come out with a firm tug. If not, you can cut it with a pair of scissors as close to the shell as possible.
  
• Once the mussels are clean, put them into a bowl and set them aside on your counter while you prepare the white wine sauce.
  

Mussels in White Wine

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and let them cook for 3 minutes. Add the bay leaves, pepper, and wine to the pot and bring the wine to a boil.
  2 tablespoons butter, 1 small shallot, 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 cup dry white wine
  
• Add the mussels and cover the pot. After three minutes, take the lid off and gently stir the mussels. Try to push any shells that are unopened to the bottom of the pot so they are closer to the heat. After 5 minutes remove the mussels from the heat. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
  4 lb mussels
  
• Pour the cream (if using) and the lemon juice into the sauce and gently mix. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and serve right away.
  Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream, Juice from ½ lemon, 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
  

Video

Notes

Pot selection: Choose a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Once opened, mussels will take up about ⅓ more space in the pot. I use the pot pictured; it’s a 5 QT (4.7 L) braiser that is so pretty we can use it to serve the mussels.

How many mussels should be served per person? When you’re planning to cook mussels, you’ll want to consider the quantity. Here’s how to calculate it: For a main course, I recommend serving 1 lb of mussels per person. If you’re serving mussels as an appetizer, plan for ½ lb of mussels per person.

Alcohol-free: To make mussels without alcohol, you can use vegetable broth, seafood broth, or chicken broth. Or better yet, try my coconut curry mussels!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 261kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 12g (4%), Protein: 28g (56%), Fat: 5g (8%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 66mg (22%), Sodium: 674mg (29%), Potassium: 826mg (24%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 387IU (8%), Vitamin C: 20mg (24%), Calcium: 82mg (8%), Iron: 9mg (50%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

How to choose mussels

Cooking steamed mussels is so very simple that the hardest step (that’s not actually hard!) is selecting the best mussels. So, let’s chat about how to get good ones!

Mussels are alive when you buy them, so look for them in low tanks in the fish department. Often, your fishmonger will let you pick out the mussels you want. If they’re only sold in bags at your grocery store, you may want to open the bag first to ensure the mussels are alive and in good condition.

Occasionally, they will be sold on ice. However, they need to breathe, so ensure they are not submerged.

A few rules for buying mussels

• Smell: Mussels should smell briny, like the sea. If they smell bad, don’t buy them.
• Shells: Ensure the shells are tightly closed. If a shell is open, give it a firm tap on the counter. If it closes, it means it’s still alive and safe to eat. If it doesn’t close, don’t buy it. Don’t buy mussels if their shells are cracked.
• Ice: If you’re more than a short walk from your grocery store, ask the fishmonger for a bag of ice to help keep the mussels cold on your drive home.

How to store mussels

Storing fresh mussels

There are a few things you can do to help keep your bag of mussels fresh! They are best when enjoyed the same day they’re bought, but you can put them in the fridge for a couple of days. If you do need to stash them for longer than the afternoon, grab a few extra mussels, as you’ll end up tossing a few that don’t make it.

As soon as you get home, empty your bag of mussels into a colander and set that colander over a large bowl. This will prevent the mussels from suffocating in the liquid they release. Cover the bowl with a cloth and put it in your fridge.

Mussels need to breathe, so never cover the bowl with plastic. Also, remember not to clean the mussels until right before you cook them.

Storing cooked mussels

If you have leftover mussels, you can store them for later use. Place them in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. But please don’t reheat leftover mussels! Trust me, this is not something you want to do.

Instead, top them with a little finely minced onion and tomato and a squeeze of lime juice or a little sherry vinegar and serve them cold on the half shell. They’re delicious this way!

How to clean mussels

If you’re wondering how to prepare mussels for cooking, we’ve got some helpful tips! Right before you cook the mussels, you need to clean them. Don’t do this in advance, or you’ll kill them, and they won’t be suitable for eating.

Working with one mussel at a time, rinse the shell under cool running water and scrub it gently to remove debris. Keep the bowl of mussels on the counter so it doesn’t fill with water.

If the mussel has something that looks like hair (see the picture above), this is called the beard. It’s a bit of the rope it was grown on, and it should be removed before cooking.

To remove the beard, or de-beard the mussel, grab the beard and pull it towards the tail (narrow) end of the mussel. Most of the time, it will come out with a firm tug. If not, you can cut it with scissors as close to the shell as possible.

Broth to cook mussels

What sets each mussel recipe apart is the cooking broth. As the mussels steam, they release their own briny seafood liquid into the pot, which melds with whatever you add to create the sauce. This is why the broth matters so much; it becomes the best part of the dish.

White wine adds complexity and depth that plain broth can’t quite replicate. For a non-alcoholic version, a good vegetable, seafood, or chicken broth works well. Add garlic for savory depth, lemon for brightness, and a handful of parsley on top for a fresh herby finish. And don’t forget: the mussels themselves add salt as they cook, so there’s no need to add any.

Which white wine to use for cooking mussels

For mussels, reach for a dry white wine, which simply means one that isn’t sweet. Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc all work beautifully. I tend to grab whatever bottle I have open, and the results are always great. If you’re unsure, a Sauvignon Blanc is the most forgiving choice.