Crispy Air Fried Oyster Mushrooms (or Oven Roasted)
How to make crispy air-fried oyster mushrooms - these crispy oyster mushrooms are easy to prepare and perfect for serving up as a vegan chicken substitute! Plus, I've included an oven-roasted and air-fried version, adaptable to tons of seasonings, no matter the dish.
Combine the cornstarch with your spices of choice and the salt and mix. At the same time, prepare the vegan buttermilk by combining the milk and lemon juice (it's best to let this sit for 5-10 minutes).
Place the cornstarch bowl next to the buttermilk bowl, next to the breadcrumb bowl, next to your baking tray or air fryer basket to create a simple "dredging station."
Step 2: Batter the oyster mushrooms
Prepare and clean the oyster mushrooms (read FAQs for tips) and allow them to dry if needed.
Cover the mushrooms with the cornstarch mixture before dipping each mushroom into the vegan buttermilk and then the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat it well. Repeat until all the mushrooms are fully coated.
Step 3: Cook the oyster mushrooms
For this recipe, I’ve tested air-frying and roasting the oyster mushrooms, so you can do either.Drizzle or spray some oil (spray is best if you have one) over the mushrooms, then arrange them in a single layer within your Air Fryer basket or an oven tray (to roast). It’s best to lightly grease the pan/air fryer tray to make sure none stick.
Air-fryer: cook the mushrooms, untouched, for 12 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC.Oven: roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC.Once cooked, you should have golden brown and super crispy oyster mushrooms ready to enjoy!
How to Store
Fridge: store any leftover crispy oyster mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, lined with a paper towel. They will soften over time - however, you can re-crisp them up somewhat when reheating.You may also be able to freeze the leftover fried oyster mushrooms for later and reheat with an air fryer/oven - though I haven’t tried, so I can’t guarantee results.Reheat: while technically you can microwave these, the results will be soft. For that reason, I recommend broiling them
Notes
Remove the tough ends: my oyster mushrooms came pre-chopped with the tough end removed and some remaining stem. However, if yours have the stem attached still, you can remove it, just frying the "fan" pieces of the mushroom. For crispier pieces, you could even separate the fans into several 2-3cm pieces.
Make sure not to overlap the mushrooms: they won’t become crispy enough if you overlap them too much as the residual heat from the shrooms will essentially "steam" everything around it rather than allowing them to crisp up. You may need to cook these in batches.
For battered "fried oyster mushrooms": if you prefer a simple battered mushroom instead of breadcrumbed, dip the mushrooms in the starch mixture then buttermilk and repeat once more for a thick "batter" coating them cook as recommended.
Using less oil: I ended up drizzling the mushrooms with oil before air frying them. However, for even less oil, you can use a "spritzer." It will help coat the oyster mushrooms more thoroughly, yet with less oil overall - it's a win-win!
Be generous with seasoning: these oyster mushrooms are neutral in flavor, so seasoning is important.
Check the blog post for more tips and answers to top FAQs.