My simple recipe for How to Air Fry Mussels goes one step further than simply steaming them and instead includes everything you need to make Moules Marinière – the traditional French dish with shallots, garlic and cream. Just add crispy fries, a simple green salad and a fresh buttered baguette for a classic Moules-Frites dinner.
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I’d been thinking about this recipe for a long time. It struck me that the air fryer would be a great way to not only cook fresh mussels but to also make a version of a classic. I’ve also included all the instructions you’ll need to prepare the fresh mussels from scratch. It isn’t complicated but you do need to be a little diligent to make sure you don’t end up with any bad ones in the batch.
Moules marinière is easily one of the most common ways to prepare and serve mussels, at least in Europe. The tang of the white wine, punch of the garlic, sweetness and of the shallots and well, creaminess of the cream are a match made in heaven with the briny mussels.
If you have the kind of air fryer where the whole basket is a grid/has holes then you can use a metal or foil tray to cook the mussels in. They do want to be cooking in the liquid, not above it.
Jump to…
- HOW TO SERVE
- INGREDIENTS
- HOW LONG TO AIR FRY MUSSELS
- HOW TO AIR FRY MUSSELS FROM FROZEN
- LEFTOVERS
- COMMON AIR FRYER QUESTIONS
- THE RECIPE IN FULL
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How to Serve
Simply serve the mussels with all of the tasty juices and cooking liquor as a starter with a little bread to mop up the sauce. Or you can make it into a main meal by adding fries, a simply dressed green salad and some crusty baguette to make a heartier dinner known as Moules-Frites, literally mussels and chips. A French bistro classic.
Of course you can serve the mussels in another way. As a rice fiend, I love to serve them over a bed of white rice, maybe mixed with some wild rice. The juices soak into the rice and you can scoop more with the mussel shells. A side of asparagus or griddled courgettes rounds out the meal well.
Ingredients
Mussels
Fresh mussels do need to be properly fresh. With the exception of any supermarkets that have an in-house fishmonger, you are usually going to need to an actual fishmonger to get hold of them. They are often sold in 1kg net bundles which is about right for 2 starter or 1 main portion.
It’s important to try and ensure that there are as few mussels with broken shells as possible – this can be quite difficult when they’re in nets so don’t be embarrassed about taking a minute to have a good look.
Mussels that are ready cooked and in a sauce then vac-packed are much easier to get hold of. These can also be cooked in the air fryer – simply pour them into the air fryer and follow the rest of the instructions in this post.
You can also sometimes buy frozen mussels which are half shells with the cooked mussel just sitting in it. These are generally ready cleaned and can be a good option. These are the only kind of mussels that I would be comfortable cooking directly from frozen.
Shallots
Shallots are generally smaller and sweeter than onions. Not only is the flavour more mild but the cook much quicker than regular onions. Combined that makes them much more suitable for this dish than onions. The most common types you can buy are the small round shallots and the longer banana or escallion shallots. I prefer the latter as they are mush easier and quicker to peel and slice thinly.
Garlic
I use garlic paste in the vast majority of my recipes for ease as it is much easier to measure for recipes regardless of whether it’s made from fresh cloves or bought in a jar. But for this recipe, thin slices of fresh garlic are really want you want.
How you cut garlic actually heavily influences the flavour and the slices will cook and soften in the air fryer and become pleasant to eat. If you do only have paste, do use it as no garlic would be more detrimental to the dish.
Cream
Double (heavy) cream is the best to use here but whipping cream (stick with heavy in the US) is acceptable. Single (light) cream is better than nothing but won’t add the same amount of body to the sauce.
Wine
White wine is absolutely essential to a classic moule marinière. It’s not necessary to buy anything fancy but anything too cheap and acrid will come through in the final sauce so that’s also best avoided. Cider makes a good alternative if needed.
If you don’t wish to use alcohol, the best thing is to use a 0% wine so the flavour isn’t affected. If that also isn’t an option then a straight white grape or apple juice would be an ok alternative. Failing all that, just use water.
Butter
Butter is another essential ingredient for the flavour of the dish and the sauce. You ideally should use a 100% real block butter – always salted. Spreadable butters and margarines can add and unwelcome flavour so if real butter isn’t an option, the best substitute would actually be olive oil.
Herbs
Fresh thyme sprigs are far superior to using dried thyme here. The dried thyme flavour is too strong and doesn’t have sufficient time to cook to become truly palatable. If you can’t hold of fresh thyme, fresh oregano is another good option. But otherwise it is best to just leave it out if needed.
Fresh parsley is the classic French garnish of choice. It adds a freshness both in flavour and look of the dish. Definitely do not sub in dried parsley here. If you like the flavour and want to switch it up a little, you can use fresh coriander instead. But again, otherwise it is better to just leave if out.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, gluten and nuts.
Dairy Free: Both the butter and cream are dairy containing ingredients. Both have a myriad of plant based alternatives available nowadays which can be used in this recipe. Make sure to look for something as close as possible to the original – so a hard block butter alternative and a thick cream option which doesn’t have a distinct flavour like coconut.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Mussels
The exact cooking time is going to be a bit variable based on the exact size of the mussels. So my suggested total air frying time of 13 minutes is really a starting point. The mussels need to be cooked until the majority are open. If this means continuing to air fry then you should.
You can add any unopened back into the air fryer on their own and see if they do then open. Unfortunately any that don’t open with a gentle tap of encouragement are likely bad and best disposed.
How to Air Fry Mussels From Frozen
I do not suggest cooking whole fresh mussels from raw. You can’t get a proper handle on whether they are naturally fully closed or clean them properly, especially regarding removing the beard.
If you are using ready cooked pre-frozen mussels on the half shell then these can be cooked from raw. If you follow the cooking instructions in this post, that is just about the right amount of cooking time to defrost and reheat them. Do check that they are piping hot all the way through before serving.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
You can store the cooked and cooled mussels in the fridge for a day or two but I would recommend removing them from the shells first. The mussel meat will be much easier to reheat this way and can be added to other dishes directly.
To reheat, they a can be simmered gently in a saucepan with any of the leftover sauce or sauteed in more butter. If you want to air fry them, I would recommend wrapping them lightly in foil with a drop of water and air frying on the highest possible temperature until hot all the way through. Lastly you can add directly to something like a pasta sauce or risotto.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
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What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Mussels – Moules Marinière Recipe
Equipment
- Palette Knife
Ingredients
- 1 kg Raw Mussels
- 75 g Shallot
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 5 tbsp White Wine
- 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 15 g Butter
- 4 tbsp Double Cream
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley - finely chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Mussels
- Prepare 1kg Raw Mussels by placing them in a large bowl and covering with cold water. Swish the mussels around to rinse them a little.
- Take each mussel and check that it isn't damaged or open. If its open give it a tap. If it closes then it's good. If not discard it along with any with damaged shells.
- If the mussel has any large barnacles, knock them off with the back of a blunt knife. Be careful not to smash the mussel shell.
- Smaller growths on the shell aren't an issue. And if a barnacle is too stubborn to come off, just leave it.
- The last check is to see if there is a beard – this is a little clump of fibres sticking out the side of the shell. Grab it and yank outwards and upwards towards the pointy end of the shell. Use tweezers if needed.
- Give the mussels a final rinse them set them aside ready to cook.
Make the Moules Mariniere
- If your air fryer has a removeable tray, take this out now.If your air fryer requires pre-heating, Start this setting now.
- Prepare 75g Shallot by cutting off the ends, cutting them in half and removing the peel. Cut into thin slices and set aside.
- Peel and finely slice 3 cloves Garlic.
- Tip the cleaned mussels into the air fryer basket and pour over around 5 tbsp White Wine.
- Scatter the sliced shallots and garlic over the mussels. Follow this with around 1 tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves and about 15g Butter broken into pieces and dotted around.
- Air fry at 200c for 8 minutes. Use a large non-metal spoon to gently mix up the mussels and spoon some of the liquid over the top of them.
- Air fry again at 200c for 5 minutes or until the vast majority of mussels have opened.
- Drizzle over around 4 tbsp Double Cream.
- Sprinkle with 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley.
- Serve hot and don't forget to tip out and distribute all the liquid from underneath.
- Note – Make sure to discard any unopened mussels. You can put them back in the air fryer for another few minutes to see if they just need more time time to open.
Notes
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a 4.7 litre capacity Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501). This was needed to fit in 1kg Mussels no more than 2 deep but but if I was only cooking a smaller amount, my smaller Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) which has a square(ish) shaped basket of 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal would have been big enough. Remember that you can always cook in batches in a smaller air fryer.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Louise says
I never thought of cooking mussels in my air fryer I was intrigued so thought I’d try it. It was so easy to follow the instructions and the sauce really brought it all together.
Karen says
I tried this at the weekend, using a foil tray in the base of my air fryer, and the mussels were perfectly cooked and the sauce delicious.