Instant Pot Mussels (Moules Mariniere). Pressure cooking mussels for 3 minutes is surprisingly effective, yielding a pot of perfectly cooked mussels. I like them French bistro-style, steamed with shallots, garlic, white wine, thyme, and parsley, where the liquid released by the mussels mingles with the other ingredients to make a fantastic sauce. Make sure to serve this with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping!
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I'm always worried about overcooking in my Instant Pot, and mussels were no exception - they can get chewy if they are cooked too long. It took a recipe from the Washington Post to get me to try it, and while I don't agree with their exact timings (Zero minutes was too little time for me - I like my mussels a little firmer), pressure cooking mussels is, as they say in the title, foolproof. Three minutes under pressure and a quick release, and the mussels are perfectly cooked and ready for serving.
Oh, and moules mariniere comes from the French word for sailor (similar to our mariner), and doesn't mean marinated mussels. Mussels are a classic from the harbors of France.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- What White Wine Works? Any dry white will work (dry means not sweet), but I have a few favorites. I usually use sauvignon blanc, the traditional choice in France, or an unoaked chardonnay, because I want the wine to have a big, fruity flavor. (But I can find the oak overpowering). Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris also works, but has a little less fruit. A dry to semi-dry Riesling will also work, as would Gewurztraminer. Or, if you want to pretend you're in Normandy, use a dry cider. Or a dry rosé.
- I don't/can't drink alcohol: You need some flavor in the pot to mingle with the mussel juices, so substitute broth (or 50% broth and 50% water) for the wine. I'd use homemade vegetable broth or homemade chicken broth; if you use store-bought broth, get a low-sodium variety (if you can).
- I want to make this fancier: Add a pound of diced chorizo, smoked sausage, or kielbasa with the onions to add some smoked pork to the pot. Or, add a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (with their juices) with the wine. Or make a cream sauce by stirring in ½ cup heavy cream at the end, along with the parsley. (Belgian Mussels with Cream recipe coming soon!)
- What kind of bread? I love serving this with a French baugette cut into 1-inch thick rounds for dipping in the mussels. A round artisan-style loaf (boule) is also great, if you cut it into slices.
Instant Pot Mussels Step-By-Step Pictures
Sort and clean the mussels
Make sure the mussels are all closed tight - discard any open or broken mussels - and rinse them under cold running water.
Sauté the shallots, garlic, and Thyme
Melt the butter in an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode, then sauté the shallots, garlic, and thyme until the shallots just soften.
Mussels and Wine in the pot
Add the cleaned mussels and wine to the pot.
Pressure cook for 3 minutes with a Quick Release
Stir in the parsley and serve with the broth
Stir the parsley into the pot, then serve, dividing the mussels between two serving bowls. (Discard any mussels that didn't open - they may be bad.
Inspired by: This Instant Pot mussels recipe is fragrant and foolproof by Ann Maloney at the Washington Post
and Moules Mariniere (from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook)
Instant Pot Mussels
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 big bowls of mussels and broth 1x
Description
Instant Pot Mussels (Moules Mariniere). Pressure cooking mussels for 3 minutes is surprisingly effective, yielding a pot of perfectly cooked mussels. I like them French bistro-style, steamed with shallots, garlic, white wine, thyme, and parsley, where the liquid released by the mussels mingles with the other ingredients to make a fantastic sauce. Make sure to serve this with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 pounds mussels, cleaned, de-bearded, and sorted
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- Crusty bread for serving (A French baguette is traditional)
Instructions
- Sort, clean, and de-beard the mussels: Discard any mussels that are not tightly closed, or that have broken shells. If the mussel is open, tap it a few times. If it closes, it is fresh; otherwise, discard it. De-beard any mussels by prying the beard out with a pair of kitchen pliers or levering out with the back end of a paring knife. Rinse the mussels under cold running water for 2 minutes, then drain.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic: Melt the butter in an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode-high (or medium-high heat in a stovetop PC). When the butter stops foaming, add the shallots, thyme sprigs, and garlic, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Sauté until the shallots soften, about 3 minutes.
- Everything in the pot: Pour in the wine, then add the cleaned mussels.
- Pressure cook for 3 minutes with quick release: Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. (In an Instant Pot, use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook-custom mode set to 3 minutes). Quick release immediately when the cooking time is over.
- Stir in the parsley, then serve with the broth: Unlock the lid, opening it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Gently stir the minced parsley into the mussels. Scoop the mussels out of the pot into two large serving bowls, discarding the thyme stems as you find them. Then pour the liquid in the pot over the mussels. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: French
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 big bowl of mussels and broth
- Calories: 452
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 1090.5 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 33.3 g
- Cholesterol: 106.1 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sort mussels to make sure they are all fresh?
All it takes is one bad mussel to make the whole batch smell terrible, so make sure to sort the mussels before cooking. Check each mussel and discard any with broken shells or that are not tightly closed. If the mussel is open, tap it a few times, and if it closes, it is fresh; otherwise, discard it.
How do I clean and de-beard mussels?
If you buy farmed mussels (most mussels sold in the US are farmed), they are pretty clean to begin with and only need to be rinsed and de-bearded. If the mussel has a beard, I remove it by grabbing it between the dull end of a paring knife and my thumb, then use the edge of the knife as a lever against the shell to pull the beard out. (Or I use my kitchen pair of boning pliers - a pair of stainless steel needle-nose pliers I only use for cooking.) I rinse farmed mussels after sorting by putting them in a bowl under cold running water for a couple of minutes, then draining them.
If you're lucky enough to get wild mussels, they need to be thoroughly cleaned before cooking. Soak them in cold water salted with 2 tablespoons of salt for 20 minutes. Scrub each mussel with a brush, discarding any broken or unclosed mussels. De-beard the mussels, then rinse them under clean running water. Now they are ready to cook.
What if I don't have a pressure cooker?
Increase the amount of wine to 2 cups. Follow the recipe as written, but do it in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Then, instead of pressure cooking, simmer the mussels, covered, until all the mussels open up, about 5 minutes.
Scaling
You can scale this recipe up or down, depending on how many mussels you can fit in your Instant Pot. You can go up to 4 pounds of mussels in a 6-quart pressure cooker; beyond that, you'll need an 8-quart pressure cooker. Double all the ingredients, and the instructions and cooking times remain the same. (It takes the same amount of time to steam each mussel, no matter how many are in the pot.)
What to Serve with Instant Pot Mussels
The broth is the best part of a pot of mussels. As I keep saying, make sure to serve with a loaf of crusty bread. I serve mussels with a salad, so I can have a crunchy vegetable with my chewy mussels.
Related Posts
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Instant Pot Shrimp Curry (with Thai Red Curry Paste)
Pressure Cooker Shrimp Étouffée
Instant Pot Pressure Steamed Lobster
Grilled Paella with Shellfish, Chorizo, and Chicken (Paella Mixta)
Indoor Clambake
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
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