What to Serve at An Oyster Roast? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Oysters are the ocean’s clams, real party rockstars if you ask us. We’re talking about throwing an oyster roast, and not just any feast, but one that’ll be the talk of the town.

First up, sides. Ah, the magic makers that can turn the main dish into a symphony. It’s all about balance, folks. We need flavors that complement, not overpower.

Remember the time we thought pickles would be a hit? Spoiler alert: they weren’t. Our bad. Lesson learned; we’re only serving the best companions for our shelled friends here.

Quality over quantity always wins. No filler guests on our plate. Ready to jump in?

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes at An Oyster Roast?

Oysters are delicious on their own, but you can’t make a whole meal only with them, especially if you have guests.

You need a variety of dishes to complete the meal and also suffice all the attendees.

Besides, you can’t cook boatloads of oysters because they don’t come cheap.

Having at least 3-4 side dishes will level up the food table, and everyone can have their fill.

When you serve side dishes, you also get a chance to showcase your cooking talent.

As you see your guests gorging on your food, it’s sure to give you a feeling of satisfaction.

What to Serve at An Oyster Roast? 10 BEST Side Dishes

Check out the ten best side dishes to serve at an oyster roast.

1 – Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder is a dish that originated in the Northeastern United States but is popular all over the country.

It’s a dish that contains clams and is one of several chowder soups that you can find in American cuisine.

It’s a hearty dish with salt pork, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, or cream and clams.

Some variants may also contain celery but no other veggies.

It can also be white or red, depending on whether you use cream, milk, or tomatoes.

An oyster roast usually has clam chowder, as the two pair up nicely.

They’re both mollusks, so you can expect some similarities in the taste and texture.

However, both dishes are cooked in different ways, so you will have a combination of different flavors that will sing and dance on your palate.

2 – Roasted Carrots with Savory Mushrooms

It already sounds tasty, so how delicious will it be when you put the food in your mouth? Roasted carrots with savory mushrooms is a dish you can serve at an oyster roast because they make a great combo.

With only six ingredients, you can create a yummy dish that not only tastes wonderful but also looks appetizing.

All you need are carrots, oyster mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

Roast for about 2 hours, and you’ll have a plate of mushrooms and carrots that everyone will love once you set it up on the dinner table.

3 – Macaroni Salad

Macaroni pasta is a versatile ingredient that you can use in many ways.

You can make a salad quickly to serve at an oyster roast.

You can make a large batch so that everyone can enjoy it with the pork dish.

It’s sweet, sour, creamy, and fresh and balances the pork’s richness.

You can have a complete meal without feeling overwhelmed with either dish.

You will need cooked macaroni, dill pickles, celery, chives, red bell peppers, carrot, and red onions.

For the dressing, you need sour cream, vinegar, mayonnaise, minced garlic, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and little sugar to tone down the acidity.

Mix them and pour over the prepped veggies and pasta and mix all of them once more.

Let it stay in the fridge for some time before serving so that the ingredients absorb the flavors nicely.

4 – Crab Rangoon

It’s one of the most popular appetizers found in American Chinese restaurants.

Crab Rangoon is crispy and delicious and perfect for serving at an oyster roast.

When you bite into a piece, you’ll experience multiple flavors that can refresh your palate when having it alongside an oyster roast.

Crab Rangoon is also called crab puffs, crab pillows, cheese wontons, or crab cheese wontons, and they usually contain crab meat or imitation crab, cream cheese, garlic, and scallions in wonton wrappers.

You deep fry them in vegetable oil till crisp and serve hot or cold.

You can also serve a suitable sauce along with crab Rangoon depending on what you have.

5 – Cocktail Sauce

Sauces add flavor to any food, and when hosting an oyster roast, a cocktail sauce is a popular accompaniment.

It complements the oysters nicely, and the combo is wonderfully tasty.

You can also whip up the cocktail sauce quickly as it doesn’t require any cooking process.

You just need to combine certain ingredients, and you will have a lovely sauce ready to serve with an oyster roast.

Take chili sauce or ketchup and mix with prepped horseradish, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.

You can also use ketchup and chili sauce if you want some kick, sweet and tangy combo.

Serve alongside the oyster roast and see how soon it disappears.

6 – Warm Sweet Potato Salad

You can also serve a side dish containing the yummy sweet potatoes at an oyster roast.

Though people used to grow and consume sweet spuds for centuries, they have become popular only in recent times.

Sweet potatoes are nutritious and easy to add to your diet.

You can roast, bake, steam, boil or fry them to make different dishes.

The warm sweet potato salad is compatible with roast oysters, and you can have a complete meal even with the two items.

It’s also a simple dish to make, even if it requires several ingredients.

You only need to cook the potatoes and use all the other items fresh.

Make the ideal dressing with balsamic vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, chives, salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Pour them over the cooked sweet potatoes, chopped green and red onions, bacon, and toss.

7 – Cornbread Muffins

If you love corn, you will surely enjoy eating cornbread muffins.

These snacks taste great and make a nice combo with an oyster roast.

It’s also a popular side dish at an oyster roast so expect everyone to enjoy the muffins when you serve them.

Cornbread muffins contain cornmeal which comes from grinding corn kernels into a coarse powder.

You can make the muffins sweet or savory, depending on which will taste better with the oyster roast.

8 – Garlic Roasted Green Beans with Bacon

Green beans, also known as string, snap, or French beans, may sound boring.

But they’re delicious, nutritious, and versatile.

Garlic-roasted green beans with bacon is a suitable dish to serve at an oyster roast.

Once you eat this green bean dish, you’ll want to make the legumes a part of your daily diet.

They’re incredibly yummy but don’t make you feel overloaded.

The garlic-roasted green beans with bacon offer crunch from the beans, crispiness from bacon, and a delightful aroma from the garlic.

Serve at an oyster roast and watch how quickly the beans disappear.

9 – Grilled Corn on the Cob

Corn is yet another ingredient that pairs nicely with almost anything.

It’s also readily available, so you can use it for cooking a variety of dishes.

It tastes fantastic cooked in the oven or microwave, but our favorite is just off the grill.

It tastes yummy with a smoky aroma, and yes, grilled corn on the cob is a popular item at an oyster roast.

You can grill the corn to perfection and slather something that you like best.

It can be butter and salt, sour cream, mayo, or cheese.

Add some chili powder for that extra kick.

10 – Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes and potato salad are popular items with most main dishes.

Everyone loves them, but why don’t you add finger-licking, good, crispy smashed potatoes?

They’re perfect for an oyster roast. The dish is also easy to make, and you don’t need many ingredients.

Simply boil the potatoes, smash them and let them steam dry.

Coat butter and a little oil and spread them in a baking tray.

Next, roast the potatoes till they’re golden brown or wait till they become a little darker to get that extra crispy texture.

Conclusion

Since you know at least ten dishes, hosting an oyster roast shouldn’t be a big deal.

Cook at least 3-4 dishes and serve alongside the oysters, and your event will be a blast.

You can choose a different side dish every time you host an occasion, so it doesn’t become monotonous.

When you rotate the dishes, it will feel like you’re enjoying something different and not the same items.