Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Name: Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 36 min
Ingredients: 2 cups oyster mushrooms; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup plant-based milk (plain flavored) ((soy milk or oat milk work best)); 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; 1/3 cup flour ((or GF flour mix)); 1/4 cup corn starch; 1/4 cup cornmeal; 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon creole seasoning ((or a few dashes of cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of salt)); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 2 cups oil ((or enough to allow mushrooms to float in the oil in your pan))

by Monica on Oct 16, 2021 (updated Sep 16, 2024) 20 comments

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5 from 7 rating

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These deep-fried oyster mushrooms make a delicious vegan fried chicken. Battered, seasoned to perfection, and fried to a crispy golden brown, these fried mushrooms will satisfy your comfort food cravings!

Deep fried oyster mushrooms with small pieces of parsley on top.

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Why make fried oyster mushrooms

These crispy fried oyster mushrooms are full of flavor with a crunchy coating and tender meaty center. It’s a great plant-based fried chicken alternative, plus it’s easy to make this recipe gluten-free and soy-free as well, so anyone can enjoy them.

I like to make vegan fried chicken alternatives from chicken seitan like in my “chicken” nuggets or “chicken” patties. I also love vegan popcorn chicken made from Butler Soy Curls, but this oyster mushroom chicken recipe is the only one that can easily be made gluten-free and soy-free too.

Ingredients and substitutions

Oyster Mushrooms – you can find these at most large grocery stores. However, I find the best deals on them at my local Asian market.
Salt – for flavor and to draw out the moisture from the mushrooms.
Plant-Based Milk – any plain flavored plant-based milk will work. I like to use soy, Ripple, or oat milk since they have higher protein and will get thicker when you add vinegar to them.
Apple Cider Vinegar – or you can use white vinegar or lemon juice. You just need a small amount to add to the milk to make it curdle and become thicker.
Hot Sauce – to add the milk mixture to give it a little extra flavor and spice.
Flour – I use all-purpose white flour, but any grain-based flour will work.
Corn Starch – this makes the mushroom batter extra crispy. You can use potato starch instead, but don’t omit this or it won’t be as crispy.
Corn Meal – this adds texture to the batter. It’s an important ingredient for the texture of the batter, don’t leave it out.
Oregano – for flavor.
Garlic Powder – for flavor.
Onion Powder – for flavor.
Paprika – for flavor.
Black Pepper – for flavor.
White Pepper – this gives it a nice authentic fried chicken flavor, but feel free to omit it.
Creole Seasoning – for a little spice and flavor. I like to use Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning, but you can use a few dashes of cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the creole. You can also swap it out for Old Bay seasoning if you wish.
Oil – for frying. Any neutral-flavored oil will work. Canola oil or vegetable oil with a high smoke point works best.

Helpful tools

A Deep Fryer – is helpful but you can use a pan that’s deep enough to hold about 2 inches of oil. You can also use an air fryer instead.
Tongs – or a skimmer basket to get the hot mushrooms out of the oil.
Paper towel – or clean tea towels to drain any excess oil.

How to make deep-fried oyster mushrooms

Step 1 – Lay clean oyster mushrooms on a paper towel (or tea towel) and sprinkle them with salt. Turn them over and sprinkle the other side with salt as well.

Oyster mushrooms on a paper towel being sprinkled with salt.

Step 2 – Let the mushrooms sit for 30 minutes to draw out some of the moisture.

Prepare your breading

Step 3 – While the salted mushrooms are sitting, put 3/4 cup of plant-based milk in a shallow bowl with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of hot sauce. Give it a stir and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to let it thicken.

Step 4 – In a separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp creole seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp black, and white pepper.

Step 5 – Once the mushrooms have sat for about 1/2 hour, place them in a colander and rinse the salt off of them, then pat them dry with a paper towel.

Oyster mushrooms being washed in a metal colander.

Step 6 – Heat oil to 370° F (187° C) either in a deep fryer or in a pan. (Use a thermometer or test a small mushroom to make sure you have the correct temperature. It should bubble as soon as it hits the oil and become golden brown after about 2-3 minutes of cooking.)

Bread the mushrooms

Step 7 – Dip the washed and dried mushrooms into the milk solution and then into the flour mixture and coat it well. Then quickly dip the mushrooms back into the milk solution and coat a second time with the dry flour mixture. Set aside until you have about 5-6 mushrooms ready to fry.

Two shallow bowls next to each other. One bowl filled with the milk solution and one filled with the dry breading and seasonings to make vegan fried oyster mushrooms.

Deep fry the oyster mushrooms

Step 8 – Place the mushrooms in the hot oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes until the bubbling slows and they become golden brown. (Fry in small batches so they have enough room to float in the oil without touching.)

Step 9 – Take them out of the oil with a skimmer basket or tongs and cool them on a paper towel.

Step 10 – Repeat until all of the mushrooms are cooked.

Step 11 – Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Vegan fried oyster mushroom cooling on a paper towel after they have been fried.

Healthier alternatives

If you don’t want to deep fry the oyster mushrooms you can bake them or use an air-fryer instead. They won’t be quite as crispy and juicy as if you use the deep-frying method, but it’s a lower-fat healthier alternative.

A note about deep frying – Deep frying may seem like the use of an excessive amount of oil, but just because you are frying in a lot of oil doesn’t mean that you are consuming that much oil. The process of deep-frying actually cooks the food at a hot enough temperature that less oil is being absorbed than if you were to pan-fry it. Cooking food in hot oil (above 325° F) makes food crispy without absorbing much oil. That is why I also frequently deep-fry certain foods instead of pan-frying them. You can read more about deep frying in this article by Jessica Gavin.

Baked oyster mushrooms

Preheat your oven to 475° F (246° C).
Place the breaded pieces of mushroom on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and spray with a light coating of spray oil (optional).
Bake at 475° F (246° C) for 8 minutes, take out of the oven, flip, and bake for 8 more minutes.

Air-fried oyster mushrooms

Place battered mushrooms in the air fryer leaving a little room between each one.
Spray the mushrooms with a little oil if desired.
Cook at 350°F (180° C) for 16 minutes turning the mushrooms after 8 minutes.

Dipping sauces for fried mushrooms

Fried oyster mushrooms on a white plate with one being dipped into chipotle mayo. — Fried oyster mushrooms dipped in vegan chipotle mayo.

Pro Tips

You can omit the process of salting the oyster mushrooms if you want, but I find the taste and texture to be much improved with this method. If you don’t salt them first, the moisture from the mushrooms gets the batter soggy quickly.
The cornstarch in this recipe is key to making the coating crispy and the cornmeal is key to giving it texture. I don’t recommend omitting those ingredients.
For a lighter coating, only dip the mushrooms in the milk and seasonings 1 time instead of twice.

How to make them gluten-free

To make these fried oyster mushrooms gluten-free, simply use a grain-based gluten-free flour mix instead of regular flour, and be sure to use gluten-free cornmeal as well. All other ingredients are gluten-free. (Note – check the labels on your spice to ensure that they are gluten-free as well.)

Storage and reheating

These are best served hot and fresh. I recommend only making as much as you can eat in 1 sitting. If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, but they will not be as crisp and fresh. You can bake them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400° F for 10 minutes to reheat them.

A piece of a vegan deep fried oyster mushroom ripped open to see the inside.

Mushrooms can be used to make other faux meats and vegan seafood too. I love to use king oyster mushrooms to make mock shrimp, vegan scallops, and vegan linguine with clam sauce.

More vegan comfort food