These fried oyster mushrooms are the vegan answer to fried chicken. Spiced panko breadcrumbs create a crunchy exterior for meaty king oyster mushrooms.
Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce for a real crowd pleasing platter of vegan fried chicken!
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If you've seen my shiitake mushrooms recipe or my tahini pasta recipe, you'll know that mushrooms are among my favorite vegan ingredients! They're so versatile. And now, I'm excited to introduce you to my favorite new mushroom recipe.
If you've ever had a craving for fried chicken, you'll love these fried oyster mushrooms. That's because tender, juicy king oyster mushrooms are the perfect substitute for chicken. Really! Think of them as vegan chicken wings.
And, because they're fried in an air fryer, these crunchy vegan chicken pieces have much less fat than if you deep fried them. Plus, you won't be sacrificing the crunchy batter that makes them so yummy. However, if you don't have an air fryer, no problem. I'll also give you instructions for how to deep fry oyster mushrooms.
Top Tip: If you like crispy comfort food that can be made in your air fryer, you'll want to check out my Panko Crusted Tofu.
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
Air frying is much healthier than deep fat frying, so this recipe is much lighter in saturated fat and calories.
Kids love this recipe!
It's budget friendly.
It only takes 35 minutes to make fried oyster mushrooms.
No air fryer? No problem. See below for instructions on how to deep fry these oyster mushrooms.
👨🍳How To Make Fried Oyster Mushrooms In An Air Fryer
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set it aside to curdle for at least five minutes. This will make vegan buttermilk, which adds a nice sour, creamy flavor while acting as the perfect egg replacer. It's important to use soy milk rather than another plant based milk. Soy milk is higher in protein than other vegan milks, which aids in the curdling and thickening of vegan buttermilk.
- Wash your mushrooms with a damp paper towel. There's no need to rinse oyster mushrooms; they absorb water quickly and can become water logged and lose their flavor. Slice the mushrooms vertically into 3-4 pieces.
- Combine your flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt in a large bowl. Put your panko breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
- Put your king oyster mushrooms in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over the them. Mix until all the mushrooms are coated in olive oil.
- Now, quickly move your mushrooms to the flour bowl, and shake until they're evenly coated. Transfer them to a clean plate.
- Pour your vegan buttermilk into the bowl with the remaining flour. Stir until a batter forms. If your batter is too thick, add a bit more milk.
- One by one, dredge your mushrooms into the batter. Let the excess batter drip off, and then dredge them in your panko breadcrumbs.
- Grease the insert in your air fryer.
- Transfer your mushrooms to the air fryer. Brush them with a little bit of oil to aid browning. Air fry them at 355 F (180 C) for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to over crowd the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Try my vegan garlic aioli , vegan BBQ sauce or my vegan chipotle sauce.
🍽️How To Make Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Without An Air Fryer)
- Combine your soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Clean your oyster mushrooms by washing them with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cut them into 3-4 pieces vertically.
- Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt in a large bowl. Put your panko breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
- Put the King Oyster mushrooms in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over the them. Mix until all the mushrooms are coated in olive oil.
- Dredge the mushrooms in the flour mixture and set aside on a plate.
- Add the soy milk/apple cider vinegar mix to the bowl with the remaining flour. Stir until a batter forms. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more milk.
- Dredge mushrooms in batter until evenly coated. Now, dredge in panko breadcrumbs.
- If you're frying on the stovetop, you'll want to heat at least 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large pot. If you're using a mini fryer, you'll need to fill it with oil and heat the oil to 375 F.
- Using tongs, drop your oyster mushrooms into the heated oil. Fry for approximately 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they cook.
- Remove your fried oyster mushrooms from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! In terms of taste, king oyster mushrooms have a mild, nutty flavor, while regular oyster mushrooms have a mild, slightly sweet flavor. King oyster mushrooms are larger with bigger stems than regular oyster mushrooms. So, if you use regular oyster mushrooms, you'll end up with chicken nugget size pieces, but the recipe will still work.
No, they aren't. If you need them to be gluten free, you'll need to use gluten free flour in the batter and gluten free breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can omit the panko breadcrumbs, and the recipe will still work.
Yes, you can freeze fried mushrooms! However, it's important to properly store them in order to maintain their texture and flavor.
Here's how to freeze fried mushrooms:
1. Allow the fried mushrooms to cool completely.
2. Place the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until they are solid, which usually takes about an hour.
3. Transfer the frozen mushrooms to an airtight container or freezer bag and label it with the date.
4. Store the frozen mushrooms in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When you're ready to eat the frozen mushrooms, simply thaw them in the refrigerator and reheat them in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. Be aware that the texture of the mushrooms may change after being frozen, and they may become slightly softer.
Craving More Easy Vegan Recipes?
Crispy And Spicy Bang Bang Cauliflower
Homemade Air Fryer Pizza Rolls With Puff Pastry
📖 Recipe
Air Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 pound King Oyster mushrooms
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil *plus more for brushing
- 1½ cups all purpose flour or gluten free blend
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.*see note 1
- Clean the oyster mushrooms by washing them with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cut them into 3-4 pieces vertically. *see note 2
- Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt in a large bowl. Put your panko breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
- Put the King Oyster mushrooms in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over the them. Mix until all the mushrooms are coated in olive oil.
- Dredge the mushrooms in the flour mixture and set aside on a plate.
- Add the soy milk/apple cider vinegar mix to the bowl with the remaining flour. Stir until a batter forms. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more milk.
- Dredge mushrooms in batter until evenly coated. Now, dredge in panko breadcrumbs.
- Grease the insert in your air fryer. Transfer the mushrooms to the air fryer and spray or brush with olive oil. Air fry for 20-25 minutes at 355° F (180° C), turning them over at the half way point and spraying again with olive oil. *see note 3
Notes
- It's important to use soy milk in this recipe. It has the highest protein content, and it's that extra bit of of protein that will help the milk curdle when it comes into contact with the vinegar.
- Don't rinse the mushrooms. They absorb water quickly, and can become waterlogged and lose their flavor.
- Be careful not to over crowd the air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches.
- If you're frying on the stovetop, you'll want to heat at least 1 inch of vegetable oil in a large pot. If you're using a mini fryer, you'll need to fill it with oil and heat the oil to 375 F.
- Using tongs, drop your oyster mushrooms into the heated oil. Fry for approximately 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they cook.
- Remove your fried oyster mushrooms from the oil and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.
- Enjoy!
Sarah
Wow! These were delicious. Recipe was simple enough to follow, mushrooms cooked perfectly albeit slightly less time needed, and the kitchen smelled amazing while they were in. Only thing missing was a homemade aioli. Next time!
Keri Bevan
Hi Sarah, so glad you liked them! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Holly
Hi
Could I use crackers that have been crumbled in place of the Pablo breadcrumbs?
Thank you
Keri Bevan
Hi Holly, you could definitely do that! Any kind of breadcrumb should do the trick.
Holly
Hi! Thank you for the response. Also, what temp do you air fry ? Thank you!
Holly
Never mind! Just saw temp ! 😆
Keri Bevan
Hi Holly, Glad you figured it out! Hope you enjoyed the recipe.
Genevieve
I've never thought to air fry oyster mushrooms before, this recipe sounds perfect for a weeknight appetizer!
Agnieszka
I really want to try this recipe. It looks easy and I have an air fryer. I don't know where to buy oyster mushrooms though. Do you have any recommendations?
Keri Bevan
I hope you like it!
Xtina
I'm not sure where you are located, but here in the US it can be found at the farmer's market, Asian grocery, and whole foods.
Jerika
These air fried oyster mushrooms are one of my favorite finger foods already! Yum!:) It's a perfect substitute for chicken indeed. Thanks!:)
nancy
this recipe is well loved in our household . i make it so many times, i can almost recite it!
Jean
oysters are my chicken, this easy to make and appetizing
Kayla DiMaggio
These air fried oyster mushrooms were so delicious! The perfect treat!
Keri Bevan
Thank you, Kayla!
Lucas
This is the most exciting recipe I’ve seen lately! I am looking to Air fry something different with breadcrumbs and oyster mushrooms are the most brilliant idea ever! Thanks for this recipe!
Keri Bevan
Thank you Lucas, hope you enjoy the recipe!
Natalie
Oh I have to make this. Looks delicious. Another great recipe to try in my new air fryer. Thnaks!
Keri Bevan
Thanks, Natalie. Hope you like them!
Jayden
We loved these! Tastes exactly like chicken 😋
Keri Bevan
Thanks Jayden!
Divi
So Good! And the recipe was so easy to follow. I nailed it the first time!
Thank you
Keri Bevan
Hi Divi, we love these at my house! So glad you liked the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.x