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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.
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Hello
Can I use Almond Milk instead of soy milk to make the butter milk?
Yep that should be fine! 😀
I made this using a batch of rather large oyster mushrooms and added old bay to the seasoning. Wow! Served it will cocktail sauce and it was amazing. It actually reminded me very much of fried oysters.
Maybe it was my buttermilk? it was SOUR – way beyond a nice tang. unpleasant aftertaste. but i do love ‘shrooms and they were nice and crispy. great texture – almost like calimari. (I’ve just tried them reheated, in hopes the sourness would maybe mellow. no joy.) i may try these again with own greek yogurt i make. i so wanted to love them…
It could be the buttermilk you used! Was it fresh or powdered? Greek yogurt would work well!
You should try this recipe with Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus/Laetiporus sulfurous) or Maitake aka Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) mushrooms instead of Oysters. It would be almost identical to fried chicken. This batter is great!
This was great!!! I did this in my convection toaster oven in lieu of an air fryer, amped the heat and duration a bit but ….YUM! Served over a bed of mixed greens with some homemade ranch. Will definitely repeat!
I’m so happy to hear it, Bj! Enjoy! 😀
Best fried mushrooms! Has a nice southern fried flavor. I can’t wait to make them again, next time for guests.
Definitely want to try this, but why are you saving the buttermilk?
You use it for dipping to get the flour to stick! 😀
My son is total VEGAN and I’m so thankful to find your site. It’s so hard to prepare food when he comes over, but now I can WOW him with all of your wonderful recipes I can look through. Many thanks and may God richly bless your life!!!
I know that the air fryer is the healthiest way to frying the mushroom but I wanted to know do you get a crunch like you would if you fry it in a pot in the stove?
It’s not *quite* the same crunch, but pretty close! This recipe can easily be fried though if that’s what you’re hungry for!