• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

our recipes + your inbox = the eatmail

Join now

Subscribe for new recipes + 3 fan-favorite ebooks

  • About
  • Contact

Live Eat Learn

Easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time

free ebook

Subscribe for new recipes + 3 fan-favorite ebooks

  • Recipe Index
  • Vegetarian 101
  • Travel
  • Meal Plans
  • Course
    • Breakfasts
    • Lunches
    • Dinners
    • Appetizers
    • Sweets
    • Drinks
  • Diet
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Raw
    • Vegan
  • Season
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
  • Ingredient
    • Avocado
    • Bean
    • Cauliflower
    • Chickpeas
    • Eggplant
    • Mushroom
    • Tofu
    • Quinoa
    • View All
  • Collections
    • All Time Favorites
    • Air Frying
    • Budget Friendly
    • Comfort Food
    • High Protein
    • Meal Prep
    • Meatless Monday
    • View All
  • Visit our kombucha site
    Visit our dog food blog
Home Eat Dinners

Mushroom Carnitas Tacos

5 from 3 votes
Recipe Print Share
Share on:
By: Sarah BondUpdated: Sep 09, 2022 3 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Mushroom Carnitas Tacos are made with oyster mushrooms, pickled onions, and a delicious cilantro sauce. These gourmet tacos are packed with delicious vegetarian carnitas flavor and are ready in just 35 minutes!

Overhead view of four assembled oyster mushroom tacos, two glasses of water, limes, and avocados

Have you ever used oyster mushrooms in any of your recipes? If not, you’re in for a treat! These mushrooms are the perfect substitute for meat, and in our case, carnitas. They’re chewy but crisp and have a texture that’s eerily similar to actual pork carnitas. In other words, I love them.

I was feeling a strong taco craving, and knew that I wanted to somehow incorporate my oyster mushroom stockpile. I decided to go for mushroom carnitas tacos, a savory mix of cooked oyster mushrooms, pickled onions, jalapeños, and a delicious cilantro sauce. Oh, and we can’t forget the splash of lime!

These tacos are seriously mouth watering and have quickly become one of my favorite throw-it-together style meals. They’re tangy, slightly sweet, and mega filling.

Three assembled vegetarian carnitas tacos lined up and ready to enjoy

Here’s what you’ll need

Mushroom carnitas make up the bulk of the filling. And while some vegetarian “meat” substitutes are filled with foreign, fancy ingredients, we’re keeping it simple here:

  • King Oyster Mushrooms: The oyster mushrooms are the star of these tacos. We’ll be shredding them with a fork and then sticking them in the oven. Once sautéd, they’ll have a texture (and flavor) just like pork carnitas! (Find them in most health food or asian super markets.)
  • Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to coat the mushrooms for baking. This will help crisp them up a bit.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: We’ll be using vegan Worcestershire sauce to add flavor to the mushrooms.
  • Spices: A quick blend of common spices take this mushroom carnitas to the next level.
  • Orange Juice: Lastly, orange juice gives these carnitas a tangy, bright flavor. It’s an interesting ingredient to use, but one that I strongly stand behind!

The second major component in these tacos? The sauce! And while you’re free to use whatever sauce you like, the cilantro lovers should definitely give this one a try. It has:

  • Cilantro: To create the sauce, we will of course need fresh cilantro!
  • Greek Yogurt: We will use plain Greek yogurt to add a tangy yet creamy flavor.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds an interesting twist that you’ll love!
  • Olive Oil: We will use olive oil to thicken the sauce and add a bit of texture.
  • Honey: Honey adds a little something sweet that tastes delicious, balancing out the sour vinegar.
  • Mustard: A small amount of mustard (1 tsp) goes a long way and tastes perfect in this sauce.
  • Garlic: Gotta have the garlic! We will use 1 clove.
  • Spices: Finally, we have to add some spices! We’ll be using smoked paprika, cumin, and black pepper.

To assemble, you will need flour or corn tortillas (make your own flavored or plain tortillas), ¼ cup picked red onions, cilantro, jalapeños, and lime juice! As an added option, you can include avocado slices.

Shredding five oyster mushrooms with a fork

How to make these vegetarian carnitas tacos

Carnitas tacos are simple to make, especially when we’re using mushrooms instead of pork. These tacos require just five steps and involve shredding, baking, and sautéing the mushrooms, creating the sauce, and assembling the tacos!

  1. Shred the mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using two forks, shred the stems and caps roughly into pieces. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Bake the mushrooms: Next, add 1 tbsp of oil, Worcestershire, and spices to the mushrooms, and toss around evenly to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.
  3. Create the sauce: Then, while the mushrooms are baking, add the Cilantro Sauce ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth.
  4. Sauté the mushrooms: Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a sauté pan and set over medium/high heat. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and orange juice. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms become slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
  5. Assemble the tacos: Finally, spoon the mushrooms into the tortillas, topping with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and a squeeze of lime.
Baking sheet filled with cooked oyster mushrooms slices

Extra topping ideas

I don’t know about you, but I love to load on the toppings. It’s not unlikely to see me with a plate full of tacos so full that the tortillas will barely close! There are some toppings included in this recipe that I mentioned above (pickled onions, jalapeños, lime juice, and avocado slices), but why stop there?

If you’re like me and love extra toppings, here are some ideas that you can consider.

  • Guacamole
  • Picked red cabbage
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • White onion
  • Corn
Three assembled vegetarian carnitas tacos lined up and ready to enjoy

How to store leftovers

Pro Tip: Don’t store chipotle oyster mushroom tacos pre-assembled! They’ll turn into a soggy mess. Instead, store any extra ingredients individually in securely sealed containers. When you’re ready to dig in to your leftovers, heat up the desired ingredients, and assemble!

Enjoy leftovers within 2 days to maximize on the freshest flavors.

Tortillas filled with oyster mushrooms, picked onions, and other taco fillings

More ways to use oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are so versatile, which is why they’re one of my favorite ingredients! For more delicious mushroom recipe ideas, try these:

  • Oyster Mushroom Philly Cheesesteak
  • King Oyster Mushroom Pulled Pork
  • Buttermilk Fried Mushrooms
  • Corn Pulled Mushroom Vegetarian Tacos

Or for a fun twist on carnitas, try our jackfruit carnitas!

Mushroom carnitas tacos on a blue background

Vegetarian Carnitas Tacos

5 from 3 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories: 250kcal
Servings: 2 people
Print Rate
These gourmet tacos are packed with delicious vegetarian carnitas flavor and are ready in just 35 minutes!

Ingredients

Mushroom Carnitas

  • 4 to 6 king oyster mushrooms 2 mushrooms per person, or sub 3 cups regular oyster mushrooms
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil divided, 30 mL
  • 1 tsp vegan Worchestire sauce 5 mL
  • ½ tsp each garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ cup orange juice 60 mL

Cilantro Sauce

  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 60 g
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 30 mL
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
  • 1 tsp honey 5 g
  • 1 tsp mustard 5 g
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ tsp each smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper

Assembly

  • Flour or corn tortillas
  • ¼ cup pickled red onions
  • Cilantro, jalapeno, lime

Instructions 

  • Shred Mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using two forks, shred the stems and caps roughly into pieces. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake: Add 1 Tbsp of oil, Worchestire, and spices to the mushrooms. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.
  • Sauce: Meanwhile, add all Cilantro Sauce ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth.
  • Saute: Transfer cooked mushrooms to a saute pan and set over medium/high heat. Add remaining 1 Tbsp of oil and orange juice. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms become slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes.
  • Assemble: Spoon mushrooms into tortillas, topping with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and a squeeze of lime.

Tips & Tricks

Store any extra ingredients individually in securely sealed containers. When you’re ready to dig in to your leftovers, heat up the desired ingredients, and assemble! Enjoy leftovers within 2 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1taco Calories: 250kcal (13%) Carbohydrates: 21.7g (7%) Protein: 2.6g (5%) Fat: 17.6g (27%) Saturated Fat: 2.8g (18%) Cholesterol: 3mg (1%) Sodium: 324mg (14%) Potassium: 132mg (4%) Fiber: 2.5g (10%) Sugar: 4.8g (5%) Calcium: 50mg (5%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did You Make This?

Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Pin on Pinterest

More vegetarian Mexican recipes you’ll love

17 of our favorite vegetarian Mexican recipes to bring to your Cinco de Mayo dinner party, including everything from plant-based tacos to protein-packed bean dip.

You may also like...

  • Collage of healthy mushroom recipes
    17 Healthy Mushroom Recipes
  • Oyster Mushrooms 101
  • These vegetarian tacos are loaded with adobo-spiced pulled mushrooms (which have the same texture and taste as pulled pork) and a fresh corn ceviche that adds sweet crunch. Best vegetarian taco recipe of all time? Quite possibly.
    Corn and Pulled Mushroom Vegetarian Tacos
  • Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.
    BBQ Pulled Mushrooms (Best Vegan Pulled Pork!)
Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Rate this Recipe:




  1. Charles McMeekin says

    Posted on 12/25 at 1:00 pm

    This has become a house staple for the two of us who are trying to reduce the meat in our diet. Hurray for oyster mushrooms, and the treatment in this recipe keeps us coming back for more!5 stars

    Reply
  2. Jaymee says

    Posted on 12/3 at 3:28 pm

    This looks fantastic. Thank you for all these wonderful recipes. I can not wait to get cooking!5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 12/5 at 9:47 am

      Yay! I’d love to hear how it goes, Jaymee! 😀

Primary Sidebar

Hello

I'm Sarah

A flavor-loving nutritionist and sensory science specialist showing you how to make easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time.

Let's Meet

Freebie alert!

3 reader-favorite cookbooks delivered straight to your inbox.

Get in now!

Subscribe for new recipes + 3 fan-favorite ebooks

Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

Plate full of crispy chickpeas with a wooden spoon.

15 Minute Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas

Personal size mozzarella pizza cooked in an air fryer

Air Fryer Pizza

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Brussels sprouts on a plate with wooden serving spoons.

The Best 15 Minute Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Kale chips on a white plate.

10 Minute Air Fryer Kale Chips

Dinner This Week

Vegan tikka masala with naan and rice in a white bowl

M

Chickpea Tikka Masala

Roasted Chickpea Gyros

T

Roasted Chickpea Gyros

Vegan Thai red curry in a bowl on a red background

W

Thai Vegetarian Coconut Curry

Vegan nachos on a black plate on a white background - These vegan nachos are piled high with easy mushroom BBQ "pulled pork" and a cashew-based queso cheese sauce that will knock your dairy-free socks off.

R

BBQ Mushroom Pulled Pork

Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos

F

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

Lemon risotto in a bowl with basil on a yellow background

S

Lemon Basil Risotto

As featured on:

3 bonus books!

Join our Eatmail newsletter to get free copies of our top 3 cookbooks, new recipes, exclusive meal plans, and more!

Follow Along

  • Easy Vegetarian Facebook Group
  • Kombucha Brewers Facebook Group
Back to Top
  • Web Stories
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Collaborate
© 2023 Live Eat Learn
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Support by Foodie Digital
328 shares