Seafood

Oysters nutrition, before and after the heat.

6 medium oysters is 43 calories and 4.8 g of protein. In USDA’s database this is “Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, raw”. Cook it differently and that moves: the spread across the forms below is 51 to 199 calories per 100 g. Set the serving below and the panel works it out, with the full nutrient table following your choice.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (171981, 171978, 171979, 175171, 171980); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

Oysters calories by portion

The short answer is 43 calories for 6 medium oysters. By weight that is 51 per 100 g, and the table gives the other common portions.

How much protein does oysters provide?

There are 4.8 g of protein in 6 medium oysters, or 10 percent of the 50 g the FDA uses as a daily reference. 45 percent of its energy is protein. That is lean by any reasonable standard, without being extreme.

The calorie breakdown runs 47 percent protein to 31 percent fat to 22 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is a protein food.

How preparation changes oysters

There is a 290 percent spread between raw oysters (51 calories per 100 g) and fried (199). The cause is oil or butter taken up during cooking.

To keep it fair, all figures are for 84 g.

Treat the fried figure as an average. Nobody’s database knows how much fat your pan left behind, a point our piece on AI calorie accuracy goes into.

Kitchen notes on oysters

Buy native flat oysters or rock oysters, always alive in their shells. The shells must be tightly shut. If a shell gapes, tap it; if it does not close immediately, discard it. Seek out heavy shells that rattle with the weight of internal seawater, indicating freshness. Avoid any with cracked or damaged hinges.

Gentle heat is essential because high temperatures turn the delicate flesh rubbery and dry. Shucked oysters need brief poaching in their own liquor until the mantle edges just begin to curl. The most frequent error is overcooking, which destroys the delicate, briny liquor and toughens the tender bivalve.

Serve them raw on crushed ice with lemon juice, shallot vinegar, or a splash of hot sauce. In British cooking, bake them into beef pies to enrich the gravy. Alternatively, coat them in cornmeal and fry them for traditional coastal sandwiches, or poach them gently in cream.

The complete oysters breakdown

Measured against FDA Daily Values, the strongest lines for 6 medium oysters are vitamin B12 (306 percent of the Daily Value), zinc (300 percent of the Daily Value), selenium (30 percent of the Daily Value). Adjust the panel at the top and these rows recalculate.

Oysters and your daily targets

On a 2,000 calorie day, 6 medium oysters is 2 percent of the budget and 10 percent of the protein Daily Value. Whether that is a lot depends on your own numbers rather than on 2,000: the TDEE calculator gives you what you burn, and the macro calculator turns a target into grams.

Recipes that start with oysters

These are the Calorie Counter Team’s recipes for oysters. Their nutrition panels are arithmetic: ingredient weights multiplied through USDA records, divided by servings.

Lunch · American

Traditional Oyster Stew

A warm, milk-based soup with shucked oysters and butter.

20 min · serves 2

295kcal

14gprotein

21gfat

14gcarbs

Ingredients

• Shucked oysters with liquid 250 g
• Whole milk 400 g
• Unsalted butter 30 g
• Raw celery, finely chopped 40 g
• Table salt 3 g
• Black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped celery and cook for five minutes until soft.
3. Pour in the milk, salt, and black pepper, then heat until steaming but not boiling.
4. Add the oysters and their liquid to the saucepan.
5. Simmer gently for three minutes until the oyster edges curl.
6. Divide the stew into two warm bowls and serve immediately.

Figures are per serving and come from 6 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Dinner · French-American

Baked Oysters with Spinach and Breadcrumbs

Oysters baked in their shells with spinach, breadcrumbs, and butter.

25 min · serves 2

254kcal

8gprotein

19gfat

15gcarbs

Ingredients

• Oysters in the shell 150 g
• Fresh spinach 100 g
• Unsalted butter 40 g
• Dry breadcrumbs 30 g
• Fresh parsley 10 g
• Table salt 2 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven grill to high.
2. Cook the spinach in a dry pan for two minutes until wilted, then squeeze out the water and chop it.
3. Mix the chopped spinach, melted butter, breadcrumbs, parsley, and salt in a small bowl.
4. Place twelve shucked oysters on the half shell on a baking tray.
5. Spoon the breadcrumb mixture evenly over each oyster.
6. Grill for five minutes until the topping is brown and the oysters are cooked through.

Figures are per serving and come from 6 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Snack · British

Pan-Fried Oyster Fritters

Crispy shallow-fried patties made with chopped oysters, egg, and flour.

15 min · serves 2

329kcal

12gprotein

19gfat

26gcarbs

Ingredients

• Shucked oysters, drained 200 g
• Wheat flour 60 g
• Whole raw egg 50 g
• Baking powder 3 g
• Vegetable oil 30 g
• Table salt 2 g

Method

1. Drain the oysters and chop them into one-centimetre pieces.
2. Whisk the egg, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl to form a thick batter.
3. Fold the chopped oysters into the batter.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
5. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry for two minutes on each side.
6. Drain the fritters on paper towels before serving.

Built from 6 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Putting oysters on a plate

One way to build a meal around oysters, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Oysters against other seafood

Here is how oysters sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

Questions about oysters

How many calories are in 6 medium oysters?

43 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central: the record is “Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, raw”, FDC 171978. That works out at 51 per 100 g.

How much protein is in oysters?

5.7 g per 100 g, so 6 medium oysters supplies 4.8 g. Against the Daily Value that is 10 percent.

Does cooking change the calories in oysters?

It does. The same 84 g is 43 calories raw and 167 fried, with the other preparations listed here falling in between.

Does oysters fit a calorie deficit?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on oysters. For planning: 6 medium oysters is 43 calories and 4.8 g of protein, 45 percent protein by energy, which is a favourable trade when calories are tight.

How should fresh oysters be stored at home before shucking?

Place them deep-shell down on a tray, cover with a damp cloth, and keep them cold. Never store them in airtight containers or fresh water, as this kills them. Keep their natural juices inside by keeping them level.

What is the easiest way to shuck an oyster safely?

Wrap your hand in a thick cloth. Insert a strong shucking knife into the hinge at the back, twisting firmly until the lock snaps. Slide the blade along the upper shell to sever the muscle, then lift.

Sources

• Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171978
• Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171980
• Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, cooked, dry heat — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175171
• Mollusks, oyster, eastern, cooked, breaded and fried — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171979
• Mollusks, oyster, eastern, canned — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171981
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9