Steamed Chilli Mussels in Tomato Sauce without wine, a delightful appetizer that looks posh enough to be served at a fancy restaurant. It's really quick and easy to make with a handful of ingredients like garlic, flaked chilli peppers, Sichuan peppers, tomatoes, butter, olive oil and parsley, and, the very star of this dish, fresh mussels. So simple, absolutely delicious!

One of the perks of living on a small island is the abundance of fresh seafood that's on offer. Freshly-caught, just off the boat, it can't get any better than that. And when you get high quality seafood, you know that half of your job is already done.
Take these fresh mussels, you can steam them on their own, with literally nothing else, and they will still taste amazing. But add a pinch of spiciness and a few extra ingredients, and you get the tastiest and juiciest mussels you can possibly cook.
In a high-end restaurant, a portion of mussels like these would cost you a small fortune. So, why not make them at home? It's way cheaper, trust me, but as tasty. And they are ready in less than 15 minutes from scratch.
I used mussels before in my Mixed Seafood Spaghetti, Mixed Seafood Stew and Mixed Seafood Paella, but these times I have only mussels, with no other seafood. What a treat they are!
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Ingredients used

- fresh mussels - although you can totally make this recipe with frozen mussels too, all the instructions are for fresh mussels, they cook quicker and leave behind less liquid as they cook
- tomatoes - I used tomatoes on the vine, but any ripe juicy tomatoes work as well
- dried chilli flakes - they are fiery and perfect for this dish
- Sichuan peppercorns - optional, if you don't have any, not a problem, just use the chilli flakes, but the Sichuan peppercorns add a floral touch to the sauce
- garlic - feel free to use more if you are a garlic person
- shallots - swap them for a regular onion, either yellow or red
- butter and olive oil - for frying the shallots, you can use either of them, but together they are a great combo
- salt and pepper - to taste, I do like quite a bit of black pepper in this recipe though
- fresh parsley - to garnish
Easy swaps
As mentioned, the Sichuan peppercorns can be optional, and while I do enjoy the kick they give to the sauce, I appreciate it might not be an ingredient that you have in your cupboard.
Chilli flakes can be swapped for red chilli peppers or any chilli peppers of your choice. Failing that, a good pinch of ground chilli would work too.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a large pot, add the butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt
- add the peeled and chopped shallots and garlic and fry until they soften
- add the chopped tomatoes, chilli flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, salt and black pepper and stir

- cook the tomatoes until they turn mushy
- add the water, give it a stir, then add the mussels
- place a lid on the pan and steam the mussels for 5-6 minutes until they are fully opened up
- garnish with fresh parsley

Expert tips
Make sure they mussels are closed when you cook them. Once the cooking time is up, discard of any mussels that have not opened up, those will not be safe for consuming.
Do not discard of the tomato sauce, it's incredibly flavourful and can be enjoyed with any crusty bread of your choice. Just dip the bread into the sauce, it's sheer heaven, I kid you not!
Other seafood recipes
I have a lot of seafood recipe on the blog, check out my category Pescatarian Recipes, you will find fantastic fish and seafood dishes like appetizers and main meals that cater for every occasion.

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Steamed Chilli Mussels in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh mussels ( 450 g)
- 6 tomatoes on the vine
- 2 shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoon butter ( 30 g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns ( also spelt Szechuan)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and chop the shallots and garlic.
- In a large pot, add the butter and olive oil and allow the butter to melt.
- Add the shallots and garlic and fry until they soften up.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, salt and black pepper, give everything a good stir, then leave the tomatoes to simmer until they are mushy.
- Add the water, give it a mix, then add the mussels.
- Place a lid on the pot and leave them to steam for 5-6 minutes until the mussels open up.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Make sure they mussels are closed when you cook them. Once the cooking time is up, discard of any mussels that have not opened up, those will not be safe for consuming.
- Do not discard of the tomato sauce, it's incredibly flavourful and can be enjoyed with any crusty bread of your choice. Just dip the bread into the sauce, it's sheer heaven, I kid you not!
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