Here’s our irresistible take on the classic oyster po’ boy. Freshly shucked oysters are fried until golden brown, then served on a brioche bun with crunchy sesame slaw, sweet onion relish, and chipotle aioli. There are just 45 minutes between you and this messy, delicious sandwich!
Fried oysters are excellent on their own, but tuck them into a soft bun with a crunchy slaw, sweet onion relish, and spicy aioli and let the good times roll!
For our take on this classic sandwich, we use unconventional ingredients like miso, panko, and sesame oil that add lots of Asian flavor and flair. We opt for a soft brioche bun, but you could use a crusty baguette or hot dog bun.
Serve these po’ boys for lunch, as a dinner sandwich, or a game-day snack that everyone will love!
What is a po’ boy?
Originating in New Orleans, a po’ boy is a simple classic sandwich. While it varies depending on the restaurant or location, it’s typically crusty French bread stuffed with fried meat or seafood, dressed with tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, pickles, mayonnaise, and hot sauce.
Key Ingredients in a fried oyster po’ boy
This recipe uses familiar ingredients for the most part! Here are a few key ingredients I’d like to give additional info on:
- Miso paste – miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that adds umami flavor. Most supermarkets sell it, but you can also find it in Japanese grocers.
- Oysters – fresh oysters, shucked and rinsed in cold water. If you are after an oyster substitute, shrimp, crab, fish, or chicken are all classic po’ boy meats that can be used in place of oysters.
- Panko – these Japanese bread crumbs have a drier and crunchier texture than regular breadcrumbs and are perfect for breading and coating fried foods. You could also use regular breadcrumbs if you prefer.
How to make an oyster po’ boy
This succulent sandwich involves a few steps but is not difficult to make, and the effort is well worth it. Let’s walk through making this oyster po’ boy recipe, and you’ll see how easy it is!
- Start by making the onion relish . Cook the onion until lightly browned, then sweeten it with sugar.
- Next, make the dressing by mixing the sesame oil, miso paste, rice vinegar, and honey. Then pour the dressing over the veggies to make the coleslaw.
- The next step is to prepare the oysters . Coat them first in flour, then in egg, and finally in panko.
- Then, fry the oysters until they are golden brown on both sides – you may need to do this in batches.
- It’s assembly time ! Spread chipotle aioli on the inside of each bun, top with onion relish, fried oysters, and slaw, and dig in!
Tips for making the best oyster po’ boy sandwich
- To stay organized, we recommend setting up a few shallow dishes side-by-side on your counter with the breading ingredients.
- The key to deep frying is making sure the oil is hot. Using hot oil ensures it won’t be absorbed and make the batter extra crispy.
- Don’t skimp on the sweet onion relish and chipotle aioli. As you know, sauce makes everything better!
What to serve with an oyster po’ boy
These are some of our favorite recipes to serve with an oyster po’ boy:
- Fresh corn like buffalo corn on the cob or chili lime grilled corn on the cob
- Simple salads like our spring mix salad or baby kale salad
- Vegetable sides like sautéed asparagus or garlic parmesan zucchini
Oyster Po’ Boy Recipe
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Ingredients
Sweet Onion Relish
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1 large onion (thickly cut )
- ▢ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Sesame Slaw
- ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon light miso paste
- ▢ 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon honey
- ▢ 2 cups cabbage (thinly sliced)
- ▢ 1 medium carrot (grated)
- ▢ 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
- ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted)
Fried Oysters
- ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ▢ 12 oysters (shucked and rinsed in salt water)
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ ½ cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
- ▢ Oil for frying
Everything Else
- ▢ ½ cup chipotle aioli
- ▢ 4 large brioche buns
Instructions
- Begin by making the onion relish. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly brown. Stir in the sugar then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Make the dressing in a small bowl by mixing the sesame oil, miso paste, rice vinegar, and honey. 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon light miso paste, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey
- In a medium-sized bowl mix the cabbage, carrot, and onion. Toss to coat with dressing and top with sesame seeds. 2 cups cabbage, 1 medium carrot, 2 tablespoons finely minced onion, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Whisk the flour and paprika in a shallow bowl. Add the oysters and mix them around so they are well-coated in flour. ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, 12 oysters
- Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Add the oysters to the bowl (discard any remaining four) and mix so they are coated in egg. 1 large egg
- Add the panko to another shallow bowl. Remove one oyster from the egg bowl and press it into the panko. Repeat with the remaining oysters. ½ cup panko
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oysters and cook until they are golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Oil for frying
- To prepare the sandwich, spread the 2 tablespoons of chipotle aioli on each of the buns, top with onion, fried oysters, and slaw. ½ cup chipotle aioli, 4 large brioche buns
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
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Oyster Po’ Boy Recipe
Ingredients
Sweet Onion Relish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion , thickly cut
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Sesame Slaw
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon light miso paste
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 cups cabbage , thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot , grated
- 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds , toasted
Fried Oysters
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 12 oysters , shucked and rinsed in salt water
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko , or breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
Everything Else
- ½ cup chipotle aioli
- 4 large brioche buns
Instructions
- Begin by making the onion relish. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly brown. Stir in the sugar then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Make the dressing in a small bowl by mixing the sesame oil, miso paste, rice vinegar, and honey. 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon light miso paste, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey
- In a medium-sized bowl mix the cabbage, carrot, and onion. Toss to coat with dressing and top with sesame seeds. 2 cups cabbage, 1 medium carrot, 2 tablespoons finely minced onion, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Whisk the flour and paprika in a shallow bowl. Add the oysters and mix them around so they are well-coated in flour. ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, 12 oysters
- Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl. Add the oysters to the bowl (discard any remaining four) and mix so they are coated in egg. 1 large egg
- Add the panko to another shallow bowl. Remove one oyster from the egg bowl and press it into the panko. Repeat with the remaining oysters. ½ cup panko
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oysters and cook until they are golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Oil for frying
- To prepare the sandwich, spread the 2 tablespoons of chipotle aioli on each of the buns, top with onion, fried oysters, and slaw. ½ cup chipotle aioli, 4 large brioche buns
