Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Easy Vegan Fried Chicken)

This fried oyster mushroom recipe is the perfect way to reveal the savory flavors of mushrooms and make them taste incredible. It combines flour with simple spices and seasonings to make a dish that's not only incredibly delicious but incredibly crunchy too! Plus, the best part about these fried oyster mushrooms is that they take just 10 minutes to prep.

The Best Oyster Mushrooms

If you usually enjoy sautéed oyster mushrooms or really any mushrooms, then just wait until you try them when they're crispy and fried. Seriously, once you have 'em fried, you'll never want to have them another way again.

This recipe takes oyster mushrooms and coats them in the perfect blend of flour and spices. Then, they're fried to golden brown perfection to give them an incredible crunch and served with a spicy chipotle mayo dipping sauce.

They're basically pieces of vegan fried chicken, and they're so good that even if you don't love mushrooms, I'm certain you'll enjoy this recipe! Honestly, oyster mushrooms taste more like fried chicken than actual mushrooms.

Plus, with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep time required to make 'em, they're the perfect side dish or snack to make at a moment's notice. Also, since this dish comes together so quickly, you'll have plenty of time to work on the main course. I personally love serving these oyster mushrooms alongside this artichoke casserole.

Ingredients

As I mentioned before, the ingredient list for these crispy fried oyster mushrooms is super simple. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you have most - if not all - of the ingredients you'll need to make 'em at home already!

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make these fried oyster mushrooms:

• 10 oz. oyster mushrooms
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cup water
• Chipotle mayo, for dipping

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have any extra mushrooms after this recipe, give use 'em to make this air fryer mushroom recipe next. I used white button mushrooms, but pearl oyster mushrooms would work just as well!

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

Now, I always make these deep fried oyster mushrooms with the ingredients listed above, I just think it tastes the best that way. With that said though, there is plenty of wiggle room to put your own spin on it.

For instance, if you don't have enough oyster mushrooms for this recipe, you can use other types of mushrooms. I've also made this recipe with larger mushrooms - like portabellas and king oyster mushrooms - and the mushrooms fry up great. I usually cut the big ones into quarters when I use 'em, though.

Also, just so you know, I've also used white button mushrooms in this recipe, and they turn out delicious too.

By the way, when it comes to dipping sauces, you really can't go wrong with the chipotle mayo I mentioned earlier. But, with that said, this white sauce and this copycat McDonald's big mac sauce are some really tasty options too.

How To Make Oyster Mushrooms

As I mentioned before, it's easier to cook an oyster mushroom than you probably realize.

You basically just clean them, then coat 'em in your flour mixture and fry the vegan fried mushrooms until they're golden brown. Yup, it's really that easy.

Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get into how to fry oyster mushrooms!

Step 1: Clean The Mushrooms

Ok, so the first thing you'll want to do is clean the mushrooms. And since mushrooms are really good at soaking up water, you don't want to rinse them like you would rinse veggies. Instead, you'll want to clean them by gently wiping away any dirt with a damp paper towel and then pat them dry with a fresh one.

Step 2: Combine Flour And Spices

So, now that the mushrooms are clean, you can prepare the breading. To do that, take out a large bowl and mix together the flour with the paprika powder, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric powder, and salt.

Once the flour and spices are well combined, you'll want to take ⅔ of the mix and transfer it into a second bowl. Then, with the remaining ⅓ of the mix, you'll want to add the water to it and combine everything together.

Step 3: Fry The Mushrooms

So, now that the two breading components are ready, you can dip each cleaned oyster mushroom into the wet batter first, then into the dry batter - making sure the mushroom is fully coated on each side. Then, you'll want to repeat this process with the same mushroom so that it gets double-dredged.

Once you've double-dredged all of your battered mushrooms, heat enough oil in a deep skillet or saucepot to cover the mushrooms - you'll want the oil to be around 350-375°F before frying the mushrooms. Then, when the oil is hot, you can add the breaded mushrooms to the pot and cook them until they're golden brown.

Also, you'll want to make sure you don't overcrowd the pot when you're frying your mushrooms. Overcrowding the pot will lower the temperature of the oil, and your mushrooms won't cook up as crispy. So, you'll want to work in batches until you've fried all of your mushrooms.

By the way, I like to keep a plate lined with paper towels next to my pot and transfer the fried mushrooms to the plate when they're done cooking. It's a really great way to catch the grease and ensure the fried mushrooms turn out as crispy as possible.

Step 4: Serve

Once all of your oyster mushrooms are fried to golden perfection, you'll want to let them sit on the paper towel line plate - or a wire rack - for a minute to drain the excess oil.

Then, once the oil has drained off, you can serve them with any dipping sauce you want!

Enjoy!

How To Store Oyster Mushrooms

This recipe for oyster mushrooms makes 4 servings, so it's the perfect snack for a small group of hungry guests.

That said, I wouldn't expect there to be too many leftovers since everyone is going to want to go back for seconds - or thirds!

However, if you do end up with some leftover mushrooms, you can store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days days. Or, if you want to store your fried oyster mushrooms for even longer, you can freeze them in an airtight container - or freezer-safe bag - for 10-12 months.

How To Reheat Fried Oyster Mushrooms

When you're ready to enjoy your fried oyster mushrooms vegan style again, you'll definitely want to reheat them first. And to reheat your fried mushrooms, I recommend using either the oven or air fryer - depending on how many leftover mushrooms you have.

If you're using the oven, you'll want to preheat it to 350°F and then transfer your leftover mushrooms to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then you can heat the fried oyster mushrooms for 7-10 minutes - or until they're hot.

Alternatively, if you're using the air fryer, you'll want to transfer your leftover fried mushrooms to the air fryer basket and heat them at 400°F for 3-4 minutes - or until each iyster mushroom is fully warmed.

FAQS About This Fried Oyster Mushrooms Recipe

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make fried oyster mushrooms!

I know I'm biased, but I think this is by far one of the best mushroom recipes ever. Honestly, I don't know if it's the crispy, crunchy texture of the mushrooms or if it's the balance of delicious spices that makes these oyster mushrooms so good - I just know everyone is hooked on 'em at my house.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these crispy fried oyster mushrooms vegan style - AKA vegan fried chicken - as much as I/we do.

As always, if you make this fried mushrooms recipe be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

If you're looking for more easy appetizer recipes, you're in luck! We have a ton of them on the blog for you to check out next.

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Shrimp egg rolls
• Fried green tomatoes
• Mexican street corn casserole
• Cream cheese dip
• Sour cream dip
• Candied carrots

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube! We post new recipes on them every day.