How to Cook Mussels | Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Learn to cook Mussels just like restaurants with delicious Garlic White Wine Sauce. This is 2-in-1 recipe with complete guide to  cleaning mussels and cooking in Instant Pot with amazing citrus, butter, garlic and wine sauce. 

Can you believe, I cooked mussels in, everyone’s new favorite, Instant Pot. Drum-rolls!! Who knew?! The amount of flavor IP creates in 1 minute of cooking mussels is simply amazing. Plus all mussels open, taste buttery delicious and wine sauce is to-die-for good. Can't beat the results. (Oh, don't worry if you don't have IP. Also including instruction for regular stove-top cooking).

This is my first Mussel's Recipe on the blog. So, I thought cooking Mussels in white wine sauce is the way to go. Can’t go better than white wine, garlic and mussels! Don’t you think?! Every seafood restaurant has mussels with white wine dish on the menu. Good news! Now, you can make this restaurant special at home, from scratch, in 30 minutes.

So, Go ahead!!!

Plan a Dinner Date, a Fall Welcome dinner, or call Boss for dinner and get a raise. ;-) This recipe got you covered. It is quick, easy, delicious and above all takes "intimidation" out of cooking mussels at home! With price of Seafood Dinner in restaurants... Think about the money you will save. (pure bonus)

Clearly, we became fan of seafood since we moved to coastal area. Specially, fresh steamed mussels are often on our menu.

Few years ago, Vishal tried mussels with white wine garlic sauce in a restaurant. He came home supper inspired. That weekend we bought 2 pounds of fresh mussels. Vishal said he will cook mussels just like he ate in restaurant. I was told to not bring my expertise to table. He said he knew it all! ;) (between me and you, it did not go that well.)

I had notes of an oriental mussel's recipe which I read in a cookbook on our trip to Boeing Visitor Center. I had 3 lines of notes. Honestly, I don’t even remember the cookbook name. But, I connected with use of garlic, and wine in the recipe. (cliche me. even on Boeing Visit I was getting inspired to cook.)

Remembering my notes and referring technique from Food Network, I prepared mussels with white wine sauce in Instant Pot. It was an instant hit. Where Vishal enjoyed buttery mussels, I almost drank a bowl of white wine sauce. We both finished whole baguette. It was SO good.

I know! No one has attempted cooking mussels in IP. I have included instructions for regular stove top cooking as well. But if you own IP, I can tell you IP is the best vessel to extract flavor from mussels and cook’em just right – buttery, delicious!

So, let's get started.

How to Buy and Clean Mussels

Mussels are intimidating seafood to cook, considering they are served fresh. When I plan to cook mussels, I prefer to buy pre-cleaned Mediterranean Mussels (sweetest of all). If you request the shop-keeper/guy in Fish department of Whole Foods, he will happily clean the mussels for you. If you buying from Fish Market or there is no scope of getting pre-cleaned. This is how I clean/store/sort mussels at home:

1. Always buy fresh mussels on the day of cooking.
2. Store unwashed/washed mussels in a big pot filled with ice or cold water with plenty of air circulation. Live mussels will open-up and die if left in air-tight bag or too warm conditions.
3. Wash mussels thoroughly under cold running water. Get rid of any dirt or sea weeds sticking outside. De-Beared Mussels – Remove beared hanging on side of each shell. Place cleaned once back on a pot filled with ice or cold water.
4. Discard Dead Mussels Before Cooking. Dead mussel is no good eat. Mussel is dead if: a) Mussel shell is cracked. b) It is already open before cooking.
5. Discard Not-opened mussels Before Serving. Mussels open up with steam of cooking liquid. If any mussel does not open, it is no good to eat. Discard it.

If you buy fresh mussels, follow above steps to clean and select good mussels, and use good cooking technique like I’m sharing today. 99% of mussels will open.

How to Cook Mussels

My Instant Pot does great job in extracting flavor from mussels in just 1 minute. You reading correct. Only 1 minute. Mussels cook super fast. In regular pot, it takes 5 minutes until all mussels open. In IP, it takes 1 minute. Mussels recipe is more about cleaning, selecting good mussels and making flavorful mussel broth. Cooking is very simple.

To cook mussels, I start by cleaning mussels and leaving these aside on pot full of water while I prepare rest of ingredients.

For sauce, I coarsely chop the aromatics – ginger, garlic, and white of onion, add to preheated pot with some butter and sauté until oil is fragrant.

Next, I add in White Wine and let alcohol boil off. Then, add rest of the ingredients along with cleaned mussels. Close the lid or seal the cover of instant pot. Cook just until all mussels open. 3-4 minutes regular sauce pan or a minute in IP.

Don’t overcook. Mussels which do not open in this time will never open. Discard un-opened mussels before serving.

Once mussels open, I transfer these to serving platter and add butter to the broth left in sauce pot. Butter melts in residual heat creating a delicious Garlic White Wine Sauce. Add fresh chopped cilantro, splash of lemon juice. Pour over mussels in platter, garnish with fresh chopped herbs and serve.

How to Serve Mussels?

I like to serve mussels hot, just out of pot with side of Crusty Bread or thin texture Pasta.

With a Crusty Bread:

The best way serve Mussels with White wine Sauce is with a crusty bread. Crusty bread is meant to enjoy the delicious butter-garlic white wine sauce loaded with ocean flavor. French Or Sour Dough baguette both work perfectly.

To toast bread, I slice and rub with clove of garlic. Drizzle some olive oil and toast on skillet or in oven for 5-6 minutes. Bread with brown at edges. Best when served warm on side of mussels. Dunk into hot white wine sauce and devour as you eat mussels.

Nothing more delicious than dunking a crusty bread in yummy ocean-flavored white wine sauce.

With Pasta:

White Wine Sauce also goes great with pasta such as Linguine or Angel Hair. I mix in cooked pasta into the sauce after taking out the mussels. Pasta can also be served on side.

Enjoy!