If you're here to learn how to prepare and cook shiitake mushrooms, you're in the right place. I'm going to show you the safest and easiest way to prepare, clean and cook nature's most umami-rich food. Plus, I'm going to share my favorite simple shiitake mushroom recipe!
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Most of us who are looking to reduce or eliminate meat in our diets find ourselves find ourselves cooking with mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms are the finest! This popular vegan meat substitute has a meaty, woodsy flavor that makes them a great addition to ramen, stir fry, pasta and risotto recipes.
Are Shiitake Mushrooms Healthy?
If you're wondering if shiitake mushrooms are healthy, the answer is a definite yes! These little nutrition powerhouses are low in fat and calories, and high in fiber and vital minerals that can be hard to get from other sources.
While they're not high in protein (providing 2.3 grams per cup), they're rich in all the essential amino acids. They're also valuable sources of B vitamins, copper, iron and selenium.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Dried shiitake mushrooms are the truffles of East Asian cooking. They're used to create rich vegetable stocks for ramen and added to soups and stir fries.
When dried, these mushrooms have a different texture and aroma to fresh shiitake mushrooms. They're also prepared and cooked differently.
To prepare dried shiitake mushrooms, first rinse them under cold water, and cover them in boiling water. Cover the bowl with a tea towel to prevent the steam from escaping. They'll expand to twice their size. Drain and slice them, discarding the tough stems, and use them in your recipe. Be sure to save the soaking liquid. It makes a great addition to risottos or the perfect addition to a broth.
How To Clean And Prepare Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms For Cooking
- Wash the mushrooms under cold water, or clean them with a damp paper towel.
- Remove the stems with a paring knife. They're too tough to pull off. Reserve them to use in broths.
- Cut the caps into thick, meaty slices . Next we'll go over how to use your shiitake mushrooms in one of my favorite recipes!
How To Cook Perfect Shiitake Mushrooms
- Now that you've prepared your shiitakes, it's time to cook them!
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Throw all of your mushrooms into the pan. Don't worry if the pan seems over crowded; the mushrooms will reduce in size very quickly. Saute them for 5-7 minutes, or until they've released all of their juices and are to beginning to turn golden.
- Take your mushrooms out of the pan and put them in a bowl.
- Heat your sesame oil in the same saute pan, and saute your garlic for 1 minute. Add your brown sugar and saute until it begins to get sticky and caramelized. Now add your soy sauce, mirin, hot chili sauce (if using) and cornstarch slurry. Simmer until your sauce begins to get thick and glossy.
- Return the mushrooms to the pan and give everything a good stir. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy and the mushrooms are heated through.
- Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most recipes advise you to discard the woody stem as it's too fibrous. However, you can save the stems to use in broths.
No, all you need to do is wash them and clean them with a paper towel before cooking.
If You Liked This Recipe, You Might Also Like
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📖 Recipe
How To Prepare And Cook Shiitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup tamari *or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce *I used Sriracha (omit if you don't like spicy food)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms and wipe them dry. Remove the stems with a paring knife and cut the caps into thick slices.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Saute the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes or until they've released their juices and are beginning to turn golden. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. *see note 1.
- Heat the sesame oil in the same saute pan. Add the garlic and saute for a further minute. *see note 2.
- Add the brown sugar and saute until it begins to caramelized.
- Add the tamari, rice wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce and cornstarch. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens (about 2-3 minutes)
- Return the mushrooms to the pan and allow them to heat through. Serve with rice, garnished with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Don't worry if your pan seems overcrowded when you first put the shiitake mushrooms in the oil. They will quickly reduce in size.
- Don't cook garlic at too high a temperature, or for too long. It will burn and taste bitter.
EJ
I only had .3 lb of mushrooms so I halved all the ingredients and probably didn’t add quite enough sugar. It was still really yummy over rice. Everyone liked it. Will make it again for sure. Thanks.
Keri Bevan
Hi Ej,
I'm so pleased you liked the mushrooms! Thanks for coming back to let me know.xx
K hendrick
Looks interesting. I plan to try it as a topping for bruschetta.
Keri Bevan
Hi there, I think it would be a great topping for bruschetta. I also have a mushroom bruschetta recipe that you can find on this site.
TK
Hi, I was reading through the recipe and noticed that under "How To Cook Perfect Shiitake Mushrooms" you say to add mirin to the sauce, but under ingredients for the recipe there's no mention of mirin, only rice wine vinegar, and that is also mentioned on the instructions so I assume rice wine vinegar is correct ingredient for this recipe. Thought to let you know if there's other confused people too...
PS. I was googling recipes on how to cook fresh shiitake mushrooms which is why I was reading the recipe so carefully - might try it in the future!
Keri Bevan
Thank you, TK - you're right - it's rice wine vinegar. I will change that. I hope you try the recipe, it's one of my most popular and I make it all the time:)
Ursula Misangyi
Excellent recipe! Thank you.
Made it exactly to recipe.
And served it over tri-color Quinoa with baked salmon.
So very good.
Keri Bevan
Hi Ursula, So glad you liked the shiitake mushrooms. Thank you so much for letting me know!
MMK
I loved it it. was new taste for me, but i think it was a tad too sweet for me. Also I added broccoli and half cooked it yuumy. it was good with sushi rice and bonito flakes with ssu eggs
Gijs
This time I replaced the shitake mushrooms by zucchinis. Put it on top of instant noodles. Still delicious.
Gijs
Great recipe. Had to improvise. Used white sugar and cheap balsamico. Had no sesame oil but added sesame seed. It was delicious.
Keri Bevan
Thank you for sharing your improvisations!I'm glad it worked for you!xx
Geetanjali
I love shiitake mushrooms.Will try this recipe for sure.
Amy Liu Dong
This is so easy and delicious!
I made this last night and my kids love it. Yum!
Dee
Wow. Very thorough and informative. I love shitake mushrooms, well all mushrooms for that matter!
Elizabeth
Such an informative guide! I really appreciated learning more about shiitakes.
Keri Bevan
Thanks, Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed the info.
Jere Cassidy
Great recipe and so easy to make. I served these mushrooms over mashed potatoes and was a great hit with the family.
Keri Bevan
Sounds perfect!x
Erin
I love mushrooms, but I've never cooked with shiitake mushrooms. This recipe made me hungry now I must try it!
Keri Bevan
Hi Erin, Me too! Hope you enjoy it!
megane
Thanks so much for all your wonderful tips and recipe. This is the best recipe I have tried. I cant wait to try them in salads for summer too. Thanks Keri.
nancy
Thanks for these easy instructions on how to make shiitake mushrooms!
Keri Bevan
Hi Nancy! You're welcome! I'm glad you found it useful.
Juliette
This recipe for how to prepare and cook shiitake mushrooms is becoming a dinner favourite of mine, it’s so simple and delicious 😋. thank you.
Keri Bevan
Thank you, Juliette! I really appreciate your feedback, and so happy that you enjoyed the recipe.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
We love mushrooms, but I have to admit, we often forget about shiitake! This recipe is beautiful! Pinned.
Keri Bevan
Hi Helen, It's a favorite at our house too! Thank you so much for your comment. x
Alyssa
I love all mushrooms, but have never tried shiitake mushrooms. This recipe looks really yummy I cant wait to try!
Keri Bevan
Hi Alyssa, Let us know how it goes! x
ToscasKiss
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I can’t find a list of ingredients here, or, for instance, how to make this slurry mentioned. I’d really like to prepare this, but where are these things?
ToscasKiss
Oops—I finally found that list.
Keri Bevan
Hi there, glad you found what you're looking for! Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Cindy
Love shitake mushrooms & this recipe!
Jacqui
Give the shiitake such a fantastic flavor!
Keri Bevan
Thank you, Jacqui!x
Joanna
Great way to use shiitake mushrooms