Vegan Fried Chicken (Fried Oyster Mushrooms)

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I’m not joking when I say this vegan fried chicken recipe is the best, and easiest you’ll find! The ingredients are so simplified, yet they come together to make such a beautiful and mouth-watering dish. Fried oyster mushrooms are THE perfect meat replacement for vegan fried chicken!

Whether you went vegan for ethical, personal, or health reasons, there still may be moments where we miss our old favorite foods.

I think we all had our moments of loving on some finger-lickin’ fried chicken or crispy chicken nuggets. I wasnt necessarily the biggest fan of fried chicken before I went vegan. However I was a staunch fan of Chick Fil A’s chicken nuggets.

Seriously not to toot my own horn, this recipe is incredible. Even my meat-eating mom who HATES mushrooms tasted exaclty like fried chicken. The texture is one of the closest you’ll get to chicken with a plant-based alternative and the breading is out of this world.

What are Oyster Mushrooms? Vegan Fried Chicken

Oyster mushrooms are one of my favorite mushrooms by far. They have such a deep, meaty, umami flavor and soak up seasoning incredibly well. Their texture is also that of silky, shredded chicken and is one of the best vegan, chicken replacements if you ask me.

Where to find Oyster Mushrooms?

Oyster mushrooms can be found in health food stores like Whole Foods or sprouts, but they tend to be incredibly expensive there. If you’re located in the USA, I always get my mushrooms from Asian farmers markets like H-Mart or Nam Dae Mun (Georgia). They tend to be half the price and double the amount!

Enoki mushrooms as vegan fried chicken

If you prefer it, you can also use enoki mushrooms for this recipe. My first time trying a genuinely delicious vegan fried chicken sandwich had enoki mushrooms and I was fully convinved it was the real thing.

I purchased one pack of oyster mushrooms for $6 whereas one pack of enoki mushrooms was $1.99 so if you’re trying to save a buck enoki is a great option.

What you’ll need- Vegan Fried Chicken

All Purpose Flour
Chickpea Flour
Corn Starch– Added to make batter extra crispy, can also use arrow root powder
Water
Garlic Powder
Nutritional Yeast
Onion Powder
Paprika
Black Pepper
Salt
High Heat Oil- I used avocado oil, use this link to get your own bottle.

How to make vegan fried chicken (fried oyster mushrooms)

Step One:

Go ahead and heat oil in a pan/pot and allow that to heat up for about 10-15 minutes. The oil needs to be extremely hot. Cut off the bottom of the oyster mushrooms and pat them clean with a damp paper towel. It’s very important to not wash or submerge these in water as they get water-logged easily and may not fry well. Set to the side for a moment while we prepare the wet/dry batter.

Combine the flour, dry batter seasonings, and corn starch into a large bowl. In a seperate bowl, combine the chickpea flour, wet batter seasonings, and slowly pour into the water, mixing to thoroughly combine everything.

Step Two:

Separate your mushroom pieces into your desired chicken-sized bites and dip into the wet batter. Drip off any excess because it doesn’t need to be soaking/dripping.

Now, dip it into the dry batter and make sure each and every single crevice is covered! The dry batter acts as the “skin” and the crispy layer. You can also double batter so it gets even crispier if you wish, but I only did single batter and it was still incredibly crispy.

Step Three:

Once the oil is hot enough GENTLY place each mushroom into the oil. I personally did shallow frying instead of deep frying so it took just a tad longer which is fine by me. Allow them to cook on each side for about 3-7 minutes. It all depends on your stove/ fire strength and how much oil you use. Make sure to not turn it around until the side is perfectly brown, golden, and crispy.

Carefully take out each vegan fried chicken piece and allow it to cool on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Serve immediately with sauce of choice or as is and enjoy!

Notes for making vegan fried chicken

Don’t wash your mushrooms/submerge them in water– I never wash my oyster mushrooms, only pat off the dirt with a damp paper towel because they get waterlogged easily.
Make sure the oil is super duper hot– When making this recipe, I allowed the oil to heat for 5-10 minutes before putting the mushrooms in, we don’t want them soaking up a bunch of lukewarm oil.
Oven baked will NOT have the same results– I know, I know, deep frying is not ideal when living a healthy lifestyle. But this recipe has not been tested in the oven and may not have the same results.
These can be frozen and re-heated– Can’t finish at one time? No problem! Simply allow these to cool on a paper towl and store them in a ziploc bag. Reheat in the oven/ airfryer for about 10-15 minutes and you’re good to go.
Seasoning your batter properly is key– It’s hard to add seasoning once everything is already fried. Don’t skimp out on the seasonin’, kay?
Allow only a few mushrooms to cook at a time– Overcrowding the pan will lower the oil temperature and prevent the mushrooms from cooking properly.
Enoki Mushrooms also work like a charm– They are typically cheaper than oyster mushrooms and can shred like chicken as well. Instructions for this mushroom will be listed below.
This recipe calls for chickpea flour– However, I’m aware some people may not have this ingredient. I’ve found this is the best flour to mimic and “egg” wash, but I suppose you can use regular flour for this wet batter. Regular flour has not been tested in the wet batter to be forewarned.

How to store vegan fried chicken (fried oyster mushrooms)

Good news! This vegan fried chicken recipe can easily be stored and saved for meal prep or a quick and easy snack. Simply wait until the mushroom is fully cooled and store in a ziploc baggie.

When you’re ready to reheat, set your oven to 400 F 204 C and allow to heat for 10-15 minutes. It will be just as crispy as it was in the beginning!

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Oven Fried Oyster Mushrooms with habanero mango hot sauce

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