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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Seafood

    Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack {15 Minutes}

    Published: Feb 24, 2021 · Modified: Apr 1, 2021 by Jason C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    These Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack make it taste like you spent a fortune on a seafood dinner.  Trust me, you won’t! These are easy to put together and are grilled in less than 15 minutes!  It’s a winner!

    grilled mussels in a foil pack in front of melted butter.
    Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack is So Simple!
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why This Works
    2 🦪 Ingredients
    3 🧑‍🍳 Preparation
    4 🔥 Grilling Instructions
    5 🧈 Garlic Wine Butter Instructions
    6 📝 Expert Tips
    7 FAQ
    8 Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack

    I don’t grill these near often enough, but my son came home from college and he requested them.  Who am I to argue?  😀  We went to the store and picked up a bag of mussels and went to work!

    🍽️ Why This Works

    Super Simple – I love recipes that are easy to make.  I kid you not when I tell you that slicing the lemons is the hardest step!  If you can fold the aluminum foil, you can rock this recipe!

    Tasty – This is a treat for special occasions and holidays.  I am not sure why we don’t make these more often, though.

    🦪 Ingredients

    ingredients showing a bowl of mussels, wine, lemon, butter, and garlic - all with labels.
    Simple Ingredients for a Decadent BBQ Meal

    There are only a few ingredients, but the end result is out of this world.  Let’s talk about the main ones:

    Mussels – A bag of mussels are pretty inexpensive and are fun to grill.  If your grocery store’s seafood department doesn’t have them, ask them to order some for you.  It is important to note that these are alive in the bag when you order them.  If you have too many, add them to a batch of Grilled Cacciucco Stew.

    Lemon – I slice these and lay them on the foil to serve as a protective barrier from the flame and they provide a wonderful citrus flavor when the mussels start steaming.

    White Wine – If you aren’t a wine drinker, grab a small four-pack from the store.  It adds a wonderful flavor to the dipping sauce

    🧑‍🍳 Preparation

    Step One: Pour the mussels into a large bowl filled with fresh water.  The mussels are still alive and will start filtering the water.  Let them do their thing for 15 minutes and empty the water.  You’ll see a good amount of sediment at the bottom of the bowl.  That is great as it means they were expelling it from their meat.

    six process photos showing the mussels filtering the grit, stacking the lemons and mussels, creating the foil pack and then opening it after it has been grilled.
    Super Simple Steps for Grilling Mussels in a Foil Pack

    Step Two: Repeat the first step and let them rest in fresh water for another 15 minutes.

    Step Three: Cut two layers of foil about 12” x 18” and stack them on top of each other.

    Step Four: Slice the lemons into ¼” slices and layer them in the center of the double layer of foil.

    Step Five: Add 10-12 mussels on top of the lemons.  You want enough foil showing to be able to fold it over and create a foil pack for steaming.

    Step Six: Fold over the sides of the foil and create a tight seal.  Do the same things with the end to create a tight packet.  Repeat steps three through six until all of your mussels are in foil packs.

    🔥 Grilling Instructions

    Step One: Preheat the grill to 450 degrees on direct heat. You want these to cook and steam quickly.

    Step Two: After 8-10 minutes, open one of the foil packs.  The mussels should be fully opened.  

    ⚠️ Be Careful! There should be steam coming out of the foil pack as you open it.  You don’t want to get burned.

    Step Three: Remove the foil packs and place them on a sheet pan to bring inside.  Open them up and serve!

    🧈 Garlic Wine Butter Instructions

    This is where the magic happens! Dipping the grilled mussels in this wine/garlic/butter mixture is simply decadent!

    six process shots showing how to make the garlic wine butter for dipping.
    This is a Quick and Delicious Garlic Wine Butter

    Step One: Melt the butter in a cast iron pot on the grill.  

    Step Two: Add the wine and garlic and stir.

    Step Three: Add the chopped parsley and remove.  

    Pour the sauce in ramekins and let each person have their own.  The smell is amazing!

    pile of grilled mussels ready to be eaten.
    Throw Away and Mussels that did not Open

    📝 Expert Tips

    • Make sure the grill is hot enough before adding the mussels.  You really need it around 450 degrees to create the nice steam and grilling.
    • Don’t skip the filtering process.  Let the mussels filter the grit out for at least 30 minutes.  If you don’t, you’ll feel the grit as you eat them.  Blech!
    • Double layer the foil.  No matter how careful I am, whenever I use a single layer, the darned foil pack tears and the juices drip out.   It’s just easier to double stack them and save yourself the grief.

    FAQ

    How do you know the mussels are done?

    Mussels generally are done when they open up.

    How do you know if mussels are bad?

    If any shells do not open up when you are cooking them, toss them out as they are considered bad and you should not eat them.

    How long until the mussels are cooked?

    Generally it will take 7-10 minutes. If you grill is piping hot, I would check them at the 7 minute mark just to make sure. Overcooked shellfish can get rubbery.

    Related Recipes

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    • What To Serve With Salmon
    • Smoked Tuna Dip
    • Grilled Sheepshead {10 Minutes}

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    grilled mussels in a foil pack in front of melted butter.

    Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack

    This 15 minute recipe is easy as it is delicious. Make sure to make the Garlic Wine Butter for dipping and enjoy a fun afternoon at the grill!
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    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Filtering: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 103kcal
    Author: Jason

    Ingredients

    Mussel Foil Pack

    • 1 package Mussels
    • 2 Lemons sliced

    Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce

    • ⅓ cup Butter
    • 1 clove Garlic
    • ¼ cup White Wine

    Instructions

    Prepare the Mussels

    • Let the mussels soak in fresh water for 15 minutes. Empty the water and do it again. This will encourage the mussels to get rid of any grit and sediment. You'll notice the bottom of the bowl get dirty – that is great news!
    • Cut the lemons into ¼" slices.
    • Create two layers of foil about 12×18" and layer the lemons in the center.
    • Add about 10-12 mussels on top of the lemons. Leave enough room to fold the foil over and create a sealed foil pack.
    • Fold the foil over and seal the seam by folding it nicely several times. Turn the foil and fold up the sides to create a sealed pouch.

    Grill the Mussels

    • Heat the grill to 450 degrees on direct heat and place the foil pack on the grill grate for about 8-10 minutes.
    • The mussels are fully cooked when the shells open up completely. You'll need to carefully open a foil pack to check. Discard any with broken shells and the ones that did not open.
    • Remove the mussels from the grill on to a sheet pan. There will be juices in the foil pack. Keep that and pour it into a serving dish with the mussels.

    Make the Dipping Sauce

    • Add the cast iron pot to the grill and add the ⅓ cup of butter.
    • When the butter melts, add in the wine and garlic. Stir well.
    • After a minute, add the chopped parsley. Stir for a minute and remove the Garlic Wine Butter from the grill.
    • To serve, let your guests pull the meat off of the shells and dip it in the garlic wine butter!

    Notes

    Keep the grill temperature high.  You want the foil packs to create a nice steam to cook the mussels.
    Don’t skip the filtering process. It only takes about 30 minutes, but it lets the mussels remove a lot of the grit from the meat.
    The citrus flavors from the lemon slices add a fresh flavor to the meat.  This complements the garlic wine butter extremely well.
    Give your guest the foil pack and a ramekin of the melted butter!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 122IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack {15 Minutes}Grilled Mussels in a Foil Pack {15 Minutes}
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