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Fried oyster po’ boys are made with fresh oysters rolled in flour and cornmeal, deep fried and layered on French bread with remoulade sauce, lettuce and sliced tomato.

overhead shot of Dressed fried oyster po' boy sandwich wrapped in paper in a red plastic basket with a blue and white napkin underneath

Po’ Boys are a signature sandwich in the South. They come in several variations, from roast beef smothered with gravy or stuffed with fried or grilled seafood. If you’re an oyster lover, you will adore frying up a few plump, briny oysters and layering them in a piece of soft French bread. The hardest decision – do you want your oyster po’ boys dressed?

Table of Contents hide

1 Why is it called a po’ boy?

2 Gathering Your Ingredients

3 Coating the Oysters

4 Frying the Oysters

5 Do you want it dressed?

6 How to Store Cooked Fried Oysters

7 Reheating Instructions

8 Freezing Instructions

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10 Fried Oyster Po’ Boys

Why is it called a po’ boy?

Brothers Clovis and Benjamin Martin are credited with creating the first po’ boy sandwich. The brothers both had careers as streetcar drivers before opening their own restaurant in New Orleans in the 1920’s. In 1929, a four-month strike ensued between the city streetcar workers and the company that employed them.

Naturally, the Martin brothers sympathized with the striking workers and vowed to feed the unemployed workers for free for the duration. They developed an inexpensive sandwich made of long loaves of French Bread and roast beef and gave away the sandwiches out the back door of the restaurant. Hungry workers would yell into the kitchen, “Here comes another poor boy!” Eventually, the name was shortened to po’ boy and became synonymous with the sandwich.

While roast beef po’ boys smothered in gravy remain the original incarnation of this beloved sandwich, it has been adapted to include shrimp, oysters or catfish.

Gathering Your Ingredients

Once I got this brilliant idea I was going to make New England clam chowder with fresh clams? After that experience, I came to the conclusion that I never want to shuck another bivalve again.

I have had good experience with Kellum Brand fresh oysters (not an affiliate link) sold in the seafood section of my local Kroger. The oysters are plump, still in their brine and always smell fresh. If the seafood department of your grocery store does not sell canned fresh oysters, look for canned oysters in the same aisle as the canned tuna. Keep in mind, these oysters are precooked, so they may end up a tad overcooked than if starting with fresh oysters.

oyster po' boy ingredients including oysters, flour, cornmeal, cooking oil, salt and pepper and eggs

You will need one pound (16 ounces) of sucked oysters for this recipe. I recommend waiting to purchase the oysters within a day or two of then you plan to eat them. Store them in the coolest part of your refrigerator — bottom shelf, towards the back – until you’re ready to use them.

Other ingredients include all-purpose flour, plain yellow cornmeal (not self-rising cornmeal), one large egg, oil for frying (such as vegetable or canola oil) and salt and pepper. Traditional po’ boy sandwiches are served on New Orleans style French bread. It’s a little softer and easier to bite into than a French Baguette. However, if you can’t find New Orleans style French bread, hoagie rolls will work.

Coating the Oysters

The secret to achieving a crispy, golden cornmeal crust is to double batter the oyster. The easiest way to do this is to create an assembly line. Start by combining one cup of flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. I find a pie plate or 8 x 8-inch casserole dish works well. In another shallow dish, gently beat one large egg. Place it next to the bowl with the flour. Finally pour one cup of yellow cornmeal into a third dish and set it on the other side of the dish with the egg.

Drain off any excess liquid from the oysters. Working in batches, roll the oysters in the flour first. Once they are coated with the flour, transfer them to the egg and completely coat them with the egg. Finally, move them to the dish with the cornmeal and roll them around until they are completely coated with the cornmeal.

Frying the Oysters

Fill the bottom of a frying pan with approximately two inches of cooking oil. You need enough room for the oysters to float around freely in the pan. I find cast iron skillets are excellent for frying because they heat quickly and evenly. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. A candy/deep fry thermometer is an excellent tool to ensure your oil is the right temperature and stays the consistent temperature throughout cooking.

six oysters frying in a cast iron skillet

Once the oil has reached the optimum temperature, carefully add a few oysters at a time to the hot oil. Adding to many will crowd the skillet and cause the temperature of the oil to drop. The oysters do not need much time at all too cook. About 45 seconds on each side, a minute and a half total.

Immediately remove the oysters from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and place them on several sheets of paper towels, newspaper or paper sacks to drain.

fried oyster draining on a brown paper sack

Do you want it dressed?

If you order a po’ boy sandwich from a restaurant, you may get asked if you want it dressed. Do you want your sandwich served with lettuce, sliced tomato and rémoulade sauce? The answer is yes.

Rémoulade (pronounced rem-you-lod) is a popular mayonnaise-based condiment that also contains ketchup, hot sauce, and/or paprika and prepared horseradish sauce. Down here you can find rémoulade on the condiment aisle of the grocery store. But I find the prepared bottles of rémoulade to be a little too heavy on the horseradish for my taste. Therefore, I prefer to make my own.

To assemble the sandwich, nestle several fried oysters into the bottom of a split bun. Drizzle a little (or a lot) of rémoulade sauce over the top of the oysters. Top with shredded iceburg lettuce and a few slices of tomato.

How to Store Cooked Fried Oysters

This recipe serves four, but when I originally made it, it was just The Husband and myself eating. Naturally, we had a few fried oysters leftover. Rather than throwing them out, I saved them for lunch the next day.

Layer the fried oysters in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Place a layer of paper towels between each layer to absorbs any excess grease. Cover the container and store in the refrigerator. The oysters should be eaten with three to four days.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer the oysters in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes. I found this perfectly heated the oyster through and maintained the crispy cornmeal crust without overcooking the oyster.

Freezing Instructions

To freeze, layer the fried oysters in a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid or a plastic freezer bag. Place paper towels or waxed paper between the layers. If using a bag, squeeze out any excess air before closing. Eat within a month or two for best flavor.

Do not thaw before reheating. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer the frozen oysters in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they star to sizzle and are heated through.

Dressed fried oyster po' boy sandwich wrapped in paper in a red plastic basket with a blue and white napkin underneath

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