Simple Slow Cooker Oyster Stew

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 10/27/23
Simple Slow Cooker Oyster Stew in bowls, served with crackers

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 7 mins
Total: 3 hrs 17 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This creamy oyster stew has all the flavor and warming goodness of a traditional oyster stew, but it's made primarily in a slow cooker so it's extra easy.  Along with plump fresh oysters, it contains creamy whole milk and butter, fragrant shallots, and tangy Worcestershire sauce. It's perfect served with oyster crackers and a tossed salad for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve—or whenever you want a simple, satisfying meal.

Oyster Stew Traditions

There are various oyster stew traditions throughout the United States, especially in the mid-Atlantic and New England where it is often enjoyed at Thanksgiving. Another tradition of eating oyster stew for Christmas Eve dinner is attributed by many sources to Irish Catholics who settled in the United States in the mid-1800s during the Great Famine. Meat was forbidden on Christmas Eve by Catholic tradition, and in their homeland Irish Catholics often ate a creamy fish stew on Christmas Eve. In the United States, oysters were abundant, especially during cooler "R" months, so they were the perfect addition to these creamy stews.

Oyster Stew vs. Soup vs. Chowder—What's the Difference?

Although dishes like this one are traditionally referred to as "oyster stew," most of them—including our recipe—are really soups since they have a thinner consistency. To thicken it and make it more stew-like, you can add a flour and water slurry to the stew before it's finished. As for oyster chowder, while there are no hard and fast rules, most chowders typically contain cream and often potatoes and bacon.

Tips for the Very Best Oyster Stew

  • Use fresh oysters—This recipe calls for fresh oysters. You can shuck the oysters yourself or ask your fishmonger to do it for you. Some grocery stores and seafood shops also sell pints of pre-shucked oysters.
  • Save the oyster liquid—Whether you are shucking the oysters yourself or buying them shucked, be sure to save the liquid in the shell—aka the "liquor." You'll cook the oysters in this flavorful liquid, along with butter and fragrant shallots.
  • Don't boil the stew—Boiling the stew will make the oysters tough and chewy. This is were the low heat of a slow cooker comes in handy.
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Ingredients

  • 2 quarts whole milk

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 medium shallot, minced

  • 2 pints fresh oysters, with their liquid

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

  • 1 dash cayenne pepper

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, or parsley, optional

  • Oyster crackers, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Simple Slow Cooker Oyster Stew ingredients in bowls and jars

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Pour 2 quarts whole milk into a slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.

    Milk in a crockpot

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter; add 1 medium shallot, minced, and cook for 2 minutes.

    chopped shallots and butter in a pot on the burner

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Add 2 pints oysters with their liquid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the edges of the oysters curl. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste), a dash of cayenne pepper, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, and stir gently.

    Oyster with salt, a dash of cayenne pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce in a pot on the burner

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Add the oyster mixture to the hot milk in the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

    Simple Slow Cooker Oyster Stew cooking in a crockpot

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional), and serve with oyster crackers if you like.

    Simple Slow Cooker Oyster Stew in bowls, served with crackers

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Make the broth richer—Use 1 quart of half-and-half with 1 quart of whole milk instead of all milk.
  • Bump up the flavor with onions—Before you simmer the oysters, add about 1/2 cup of chopped green onions to the butter in the saucepan and sauté until translucent. Add the oysters and their liquid and continue with the recipe.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
492 Calories
27g Fat
31g Carbs
30g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 492
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 34%
Saturated Fat 13g 67%
Cholesterol 168mg 56%
Sodium 834mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 16mg 78%
Calcium 313mg 24%
Iron 11mg 62%
Potassium 728mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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