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These fried oyster mushrooms are about to revolutionize your vegetarian cooking! Featuring air-fried mushrooms and a crispy coating, they taste just like fried chicken! With over 100 5-star reviews, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
save this recipe!KFC…But Better
Making vegetarian fried “chicken” with mushrooms is no small feat. And on top of that, we nixed the deep-frying completely for an even healthier option. It shouldn’t have worked, but oooh it did.
There are a few tricks that make it work. We’ll briefly marinate the oyster mushrooms in buttermilk to infuse them with a tangy flavor. Then, we’ll bread them in a spiced flour mixture plus more buttermilk.
Finally, we’ll throw them into the air fryer! Air frying these mushrooms gives them that distinctly crunchy, Kentucky Fried Chicken texture (with way, way less fat). Introducing the best fried oyster mushrooms you’ll ever taste.
Reader rating
“Gurl, I’m dead. Just made these and am floored by how good this was. It gave allll the KFC vibes I was looking for.” —Uma
Here’s What You’ll Need
Be sure to jump to the recipe card for the quantities.
- Oyster Mushrooms: Oyster mushrooms have a distinct shape and texture, making them a great meat substitute. While you can use a different type of mushrooms, this variety is hands down the best!
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is used to tenderize the meat in traditional fried chicken recipes. We’ll use it for its flavor to help mimic fried chicken! You can veganize this recipe by making a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Flour and Spices: A quick blend of all-purpose flour and spices will give the coating a crunchy texture and loads of flavor. I like to keep it simple with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin. Adjust the spices to your liking!
Making These Fried Oyster Mushrooms Is Easy Peasy
Here’s a quick overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.
- Marinate the oyster mushrooms in buttermilk for a tender texture.
- Bread them in a spiced all-purpose flour blend and more buttermilk.
- Cook the mushrooms in your air fryer until they’re golden and crispy.
Recipe Tips
- Skip the Water Bath: We don’t need any soggy shrooms! Ditch rinsing them under water and use a damp paper towel to wipe off any dirt. Trust me here—it makes a world of difference.
- Space is Key: Don’t crowd the air fryer basket (work in batches if needed). Give the mushrooms space to keep them from sticking together and ensure they crisp up evenly.
- Batter Up: Running low on batter? No problem! Just mix up more flour and spices, and add more buttermilk to keep those mushrooms coming.
- Go Gluten-Free: Many of our readers have had success making this fried oyster mushrooms recipe with different types of flour (see the comments)!
more mushroom-tastic recipes
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
15 minutes
Vegan Pulled Pork (With Mushrooms!)
30 minutes
Easy Gourmet Mushroom Risotto
30 minutes
Fried Oyster Mushrooms (Fried Chicken Dupe!)
Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups oyster mushrooms, 125 g
- 1 cup buttermilk, 240 mL, see notes for vegan substitute
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 200 g
- 1 tsp each salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin
- 1 Tbsp oil*, 15 mL
Instructions
- Marinate: Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F (190 C). Clean mushrooms then toss together with buttermilk in a large bowl. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Breading: In a large bowl combine flour and spices. Spoon mushrooms out of the buttermilk (save the buttermilk). Dip each mushroom in the flour mixture, shake off excess flour, dip once more in the buttermilk, then once more in the flour (in short: wet > dry > wet > dry).
- Cook: Grease the bottom of your air fry pan well, then place mushrooms in a single layer, leaving space between mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, then roughly brush all sides with a little oil to promote browning. Continue cooking 5 to 10 more minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Hi Sarah i was wondering what dipping sauce you use in this recipe looks unbelievable cant wait to make it
I love it with Ranch dressing! 😀
This was good. First air fryer recipe I’ve tried. Next time I’ll shake flour on instead of rolling in flour.
Happy to hear it went well! Regardless of how you do it, be sure to shake off any excess flour before dipping in egg 😀
I this tonight using almond flour and arrowroot combined. They turned out really, really well.
If we don’t have an air fryer, if is there a way to simply fry these? Recommended oil?
I haven’t tried frying these, but I think it would work! I’d use a high heat frying oil, like soybean oil.
i thought you not to but and oil in the air fryer.?i use nothing when i use mine. i di but one time have oil and i had a big smoke coming from it wow.never use anything since.
Most models of air fryer should allow you to put oil in. We like to use some oil with this recipe to perfectly replicate that fried “chicken” texture.
Fail. Maybe the low fat buttermilk at Schnucks (only option) was the problem.Tried double dip and single dip in batter. Something is amiss. Also a miss.
Sorry to hear it, Michele! If you let us know exactly what was wrong with it we may be able to help troubleshoot.
This is an excellent recipe! The texture reminded me of fried chicken!
Amazing texture and delicious. Had to pair with salty dip because I don’t think the recipe accounts for it. So use more salt or garlic salt.
Gurl, I’m dead. Just made these and am floored by how good this was. It gave allll the KFC vibes I was looking for and I only had to tweak slightly bc I didn’t have almond milk. For the wet batter, I used chicken broth, fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice, bay leaf and a dash of umami. Dry batter followed your recipe including cumin (which was clutch). Crazy how well these turned out. Bravo!
YAY! So happy to hear you liked them! 😀
I SAW THIS RECIPE AND I MADE FOR MY FAMILY. IT WAS A HIT.