For seafood lovers, these mussels stir-fried with thai roasted chili paste is the dish for you. The meaty green mussels cooked in this ultra-flavorful special sauce and finished with Thai fresh basil leaves make this dish feel like a special meal. And it's quick to come together in less than 25 minutes!
Green mussels stir-fried with Nam Prik Pao and Thai basil is one of my favorite seafood dishes in the Thai food repertoire. The spicy, salty, slightly sweet, tangy, savory sauce makes this recipe feel fancy and delicious!
For more delicious stir fries, make these delicious recipes too. Thai vegetable stir fry, Thai ginger chicken with mushrooms, Thai basil chicken, and Thai cabbage stir fry with bacon.
Jump to:
- A note on Nam Prik Pao, Thai roasted chili paste
- Why this recipe works
- Key Ingredients for making mussels stir fry with roasted chili paste
- How to make mussels stir fry with basil
- Helpful Kitchen Notes
- More Thai recipes you'll love
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Top tip
- FAQ
- Mussels stir-fried with Thai Roasted Chili Paste
- Related
- Pairing
A note on Nam Prik Pao, Thai roasted chili paste
Make your own Nam Prik Pao, Thai roasted chili paste here for the ultimate fresh and delightful mussels stir fry. This is the main seasoning ingredient that adds depth of flavor to this recipe. Best to make your paste to get the flavors just right. All the ingredients can easily be found at most grocery stores and online.
However, if you cannot make your roasted chili paste, buy these brands and see the notes below on flavor adjustments.
- Mae Pranom Brand, Roasted Chili paste. Mae Pranom brand tends to lean more on the sour side and uses less tamarind when cooking with it.
- Pantai, chili paste in soya oil. This brand has a sweeter taste in the paste. Use less sugar in your mussel stir fry if you go with this one.
- Maesri Brand Nam Prik Pao. Maesri brands seem to have the right amount of balance of sweet and salty.
Nam Prik Pao is versatile and can be used in so many dishes. Just a few ideas to use with your bbq chicken, crispy tilapia fillet, fish fillet, grilled meat, or vegetables. Use in stir-fries, soups, or as a spicy dipping sauce. I like to slather it all over plain jasmine rice or dip sticky rice balls. So good!
Why this recipe works
- Flavors. Using green mussels combined with the roasted chili sauce makes this dish dynamite. Full of flavor explosion in your mouth
- It's fast! It's ready in 15 minutes or less, and the prep time takes less than 10 minutes!
- It's easy with minimal ingredients. Most ingredients are available at your local grocery stores.
- This will be an instant hit for your seafood lovers as the mussels are hearty and take on the savory sauce so well.
Key Ingredients for making mussels stir fry with roasted chili paste
- Greenshell mussels. I used large New Zealand green mussels that are already open in halves. Other mollusk shellfish like clams, Abalone, and Escagot work great in this recipe. Or you can use a combination of seafood (with shells). Find these shellfish at your local Asian supermarkets.
- Nam Prik Pao. Thai roasted chili paste. Homemade is best, but store-bought is fine. Each brand has a different level of salt, sweetness, and sourness. Use a little bit and add more at the end if needing more flavors.
- Garlic. This recipe is heavy on garlic, so be generous if you love it!
- Thai red chilis. For extra spiciness. Omit or use red bell pepper instead as a substitute.
- Oil. Use a high smoking point and neutral flavored oil. Do not use olive oil.
- Thai Oyster sauce. Adds extra umami flavors to the mussels.
- Thai light soy sauce. Use any soy sauce you have as a substitute.
- Sugar. Use brown, white, coconut, monk fruit, or palm sugar.
- Rice Vinegar. Adds a touch of tangy balance to the salty, spicy sauce.
- Thai sweet basil leaves. Italian basil works fine as a substitute. Add ½ cup extra if using Italian basil.
- Chicken broth or stock. Use any stock or broth available to you.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make mussels stir fry with basil
Step 1. Clean your mussels well by rinsing them under cold water. If using green mussels, gently scrub the shells and remove hair or "beards."
Step 2. Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
Step 3. Pound the chilies and garlic together in a small mortar and pestle. Or mince both very finely for frying in oil.
Step 4. Use a wok or a large Dutch oven, and heat over medium-high heat with oil. Add the pounded chili paste mixture to the hot oil and fry for 15-20 seconds.
Step 5. Add the roasted chili paste and the sauce mixture. Fry the sauce for about 1-minute until fragrant.
Step 6. Add the stock and cook until the sauce bubbles and thickens. It takes about 2-3 minutes. Stir often.
Step 7. Adds the mussels into the wok or pot. Carefully stir them together using a metal spatula. Scoop the sauce from the bottom to drizzle over the mussels. Make sure the pieces are evenly coated and get cooked. Stir fry for only 3-4 minutes.
Step 8. Add Thai basil and chopped Thai chilis (or red bell peppers for less heat). Cook for one more minute. Turn the heat off and plate in a large serving dish. Garnish with chopped Thai basil leaves or thinly sliced green onion. Chilled white wine pairs very well with this dish. Give it a try!
Helpful Kitchen Notes
- Use a wok or pot that you don't mind getting scratches or scrapes from the shells of the mussels. Dutch ovens or cast iron pots are great for making this recipe.
- For added vegetables, chop them small in ¼ inch pieces.
- Suggested vegetables to add are bell peppers, purple or white onion, corn, snow peas, and carrots.
- Add chopped Thai red fresh chili, red chili flakes, ground white or black pepper, whole young peppercorn, or chopped jalapenos for extra heat.
More Thai recipes you'll love
- kaffir lime leaves and substitute
- Nam Prik Pao, roasted Thai chili paste
- Thai eggplant stir fry with basil and chicken
- Authentic Thai red curry paste
- Mango salad with roasted cashew nuts
- Green curry with bamboo shoots
- Thai sweet chili sauce
- Thai basil stir fry
- Choo chee curry, salmon filet with creamy coconut milk
Variations
- Spicy - Adjust the spiciness level of this stir fry easily by adding more or less of the chilis. Omitting the chili completely is ok if you want a mild dish.
- Garlic lovers. Add more garlic if you love garlic! Add up to 1 oz of garlic for the extra garlicky taste.
- For vegetarians. Use vegetarian oyster sauce instead of regular oyster sauce. Add extra vegetables but chop them into small thin, and long pieces.
Equipment
Storage
Store your leftover mussel stir fry in a container for leftovers for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing the mussels.
Top tip
Don't overcook the mussels, or they will become rubbery and tough. They should not be cooked longer than 5 minutes max.
FAQ
Using large and meaty mussels for stir-frying is best for flavors and texture. New Zealand green shells and mussels are used for this Thai stir fry. Other mussels and shellfish perfect for this stir fry are Pacific blue mussels, Mediterranean mussels, Blue mussels, different types of clams, and oysters are great to use.
In Thai cuisine, mussels are typically served as a stand-alone dish alongside a family-style dinner. Rice, vegetables, salads, and soups are popular to serve with mussels. Since it is a slightly spicy dish, cold chilled drinks like white wine or beer help cool off the spiciness.
The best way to eat mussels or any shellfish is to use a fork to lift the meat from the shells lightly. Chopsticks work, too, if you know how to use them. It would be best to have an extra bowl on the table for discarded shells.
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Mussels stir-fried with Thai Roasted Chili Paste
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
For seafood lovers, these mussels stir-fried with thai roasted chili paste is the dish for you. The meaty green mussels cooked in this ultra-flavorful special sauce and finished with Thai fresh basil leaves make this dish feel like a special meal. And it's quick to come together in less than 25 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green shells mussels. I used large New Zealand half-shell green mussels.
- 2 tablespoons Nam Prik Pao. Thai roasted chili paste. Homemade is best, but store-bought is fine to adjust the flavors with more fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, or lime juice.
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1-5 Thai red chilis, minced. Omit or use red bell pepper instead as a substitute for less heat.
- 1 tablespoon oil. Use a high smoking point and neutral flavored oil. Do not use olive oil.
- 2 ½ tablespoons Thai oyster sauce. Adds extra umami flavors to the mussels.
- 1 tablespoon Thai thin or light soy sauce.
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar. Use brown, white, coconut, monk fruit, or palm sugar.
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar. Adds a touch of tangy balance to the salty, spicy sauce.
- 1 ½b cups Thai sweet basil leaves. Italian basil works fine as a substitute. Add ½ cup extra if using Italian basil.
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock. Use any stock or broth available to you.
Instructions
- Clean your mussels well by rinsing them under cold water. If using green mussels, gently scrub the shells and remove hair or "beards."
- In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Stir and set aside.
- Pound the chilies and garlic together in a small mortar and pestle. Or mince both very finely for frying in oil.
- Use a wok or a large dutch oven, and heat over medium-high heat with oil. Add the pounded chili paste mixture to the hot oil and fry for 15-20 seconds.
- Add the sauce mixture and the roasted chili paste. Fry the sauce for about 3-4 minutes or until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
- Adds the mussels into the wok or pot. Carefully stir them together using a metal spatula. Scoop the sauce from the bottom to drizzle over the mussels. Make sure the pieces are evenly coated and get cooked. Stir fry for only 3-4 minutes.
- Add Thai basil and chopped Thai chilis (red bell peppers). Cook for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off and plate in a large serving dish. Garnish with chopped Thai basil leaves or thinly sliced green onion. Chilled white wine pairs very well with this dish. Give it a try!
Notes
- Use a wok or pot that you don't mind getting scratches or scrapes from the shells of the mussels. Dutch ovens or cast iron pots are great for making this recipe.
- For added vegetables, chop them small in ¼ inch pieces.
- Suggested vegetables to add are bell peppers, purple or white onion, corn, snow peas, and carrots.
- Add chopped Thai red fresh chili, red chili flakes, ground white or black pepper, whole young peppercorn, or chopped jalapenos for extra heat.
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- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Seafood, easy
- Method: stir fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these stir-fry dishes below.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with the mussels stir fry recipe.
Angelica
Tons of flavors in the sauce!