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These oven fried oyster mushrooms taste just like chicken nuggets, are easy to make, and so delicious! For those transitioning to a vegan diet, this recipe is so easy to fall in love with. Crusted with re-purposed coconut pulp from homemade milk, these oven fried oyster mushrooms are juicy, tender, and the best vegan fried chicken ever!
This oven fried oyster mushroom recipe has been tossed with a delicious and easy to make mango habanero hot sauce. Grab the recipe to this sauce here!
What Are Fried Oyster Mushrooms?
Oyster mushrooms are my favorite, mushrooms, on, planet, EARTH!! They are juicy and delicious, meaty, and taste divine whichever way you cook them!
If you’re a new vegan, having old cravings, or straight up just good food, you’ve got to try this recipe! A major reason why people struggle making the full transition to a plant based diet is the cravings of the old meat foods they used to eat. Oyster mushrooms are one of the best plant-based proteins that have such an enjoyable, meaty texture,
What Is Vegan Fried Chicken?
Vegan fried chicken is basically just using a plant based source of protein and using the same breading and cooking method as real fried chicken. There are SO many protein sources you can use to make a meat-y, plant based fried chick’n. Some of these sources include (but aren’t limited to)
Tofu
Baby Bella Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Seitan
Soy Curls
and of course… Oyster Mushrooms!
What you’ll need
- Oyster Mushrooms- These are the meatiest mushrooms (in my opinion). The ones pictured are king trumpet mushrooms but I would suggest regular oyster mushrooms for this recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast– These “cheesy” vegan flakes add a beautiful umami flavor and an added crunch! Use this link to grab a bottle.
- Corn Starch– This will be mixed into the flour to add an extra later of crunch. Feel free to use arrowroot powder however this recipe has not been tested with it. The nuggets will also taste fine without the added starch.
- Breadcrumbs or dried coconut shreds– I used dried coconut pulp instead of breadcrumbs because I had some leftover from coconut milk. It was so delicious! However, if you’re allergic or not a fam, use panko breadcrumbs.
- Nut Milk
- Flour
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- All Purpose
- Garlic/Onion powder
- Oil
How to make
Step One:
Start off by forming your “fried chicken” nugget pieces. I used king trumpet mushrooms for this recipe (in the same family as oyster mushrooms) so I slightly shredded them with a fork to form a “chicken” like consistency. If you have regular oyster mushrooms, simply use your hands to rip them into your desired size pieces.
Combine the dry spices and cornstarch with your flour to form your dry batter. Be sure to have 3 separate bowls or plates for the wet, dry, and breadcrumbs to make dipping easy and seamless.
Step Two:
Set your oven to 430 F 220 C. Meanwhile, dip your nugget pieces into the nut milk, then into the dry batter, then *gently* back into the wet mix, and finally top with the bread crumbs or shredded coconut.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush a generous layer of oil on the bottom so the bottom layer of the mushrooms can cook and not stick to the sheet. Once all the nuggets have transferred to the sheet, use a grill brush to coat the top layer of each nugget with oil. The more oil the crispier the nuggets will be.
Step Three:
Let the nuggets cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping half each one way through. If these are overcooked, the mushrooms will turn rubber and hard, be sure to check on them every so often! Once desired crispiness level has been reached, toss with sauce of choice and enjoy!
Notes for Oven Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Be sure to fully coat each nugget in oil before baking. The oven oil method allows it to be a bit of a healthier alternative to deep frying but little to no oil will have the oven-fried mushrooms dry and not as crispy.
You can also use the air fryer for this recipe! Set your air fryer to the highest setting and adjust time according to your machine and the recipe.
These oven fried oyster mushrooms can easily be deep/shallow fried and take less time. Simply pour oil into your pot/pan and fry until both sides have every cooked and become crunchy and brown.
Don’t let the oven fried mushrooms over cook, they can turn very tough and unenjoyable. If you see your nuggets have cooked and become crispy in less time than the recipe calls for, take them out!
Let’s get Saucy
Looking for a tasty dipping sauce to pair with juicy, crunchy oven fried oyster mushrooms? Plain olde barbecue sauce always does the trick for me. If you want to kick it up with a little spice, I LOVE adding Jamaican jerk paste to drive up the flavor to a different level as well!
Looking for something spicy and homemade? Try out my easy to make Mango Habanero hot sauce that tastes amazing on almost anything.
How to store Oven Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Oven fried oyster mushrooms are so easy to make and great for meal prep. Simply allow them to cool completely once cooked. Store the nuggets into an airtight freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
When you’re ready to re-heat, set your oven to around 375 F 190 C. Allow the mushrooms to warm and regain crispiness, don’t let them re-heat for more than 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
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