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Home Eat Dinners

BBQ Pulled Mushrooms (Best Vegan Pulled Pork!)

4.80 from 130 votes
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Dec 06, 2022 190 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

By shredding king oyster mushrooms, seasoning with spices, and baking, you can create a vegan mushroom pulled pork that rivals the real stuff! The perfect pulled pork alternative for sandwiches, tacos, nachos…or whenever you need vegan pulled pork.

Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.

This is one of the most popular recipes on Live Eat Learn. And for good reason! This pulled mushrooms recipe is:

  • Stupid easy, just shred, bake and saute.
  • Meat eater approved, just check the comments!
  • A fun new technique to add to your vegetarian dinner recipe arsenal.

And the thing is, I didn’t even like mushrooms when I first created this recipe back in 2018. But this recipe changed it all for me. Now, mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with, and we have dozens of mushroom recipes on the site.

This vegan pulled pork doesn’t use just any mushroom though. We’re using unique and delicious oyster mushrooms to create a texture and flavor similar to pork. Ready to try out your new favorite vegetarian meat substitute? Let’s cook!

Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.

Ingredients for vegan pulled pork

You just need a handful of ingredients to make this vegan pork.

  • King Oyster Mushrooms: The thick stem shreds into perfectly “pulled pork” pieces. Find king oyster mushrooms in almost any or Asian supermarket and some health food stores. You can substitute blue oyster mushrooms if needed (about 3 heaping cups worth).
  • Spices: The spices can be adapted to what you like, but we tend to use smoked paprika (for that roasted flavor), salt, and a bit of cayenne.
  • BBQ sauce: It’s not a pulled pork alternative without the best BBQ sauce! We love Sweet Baby Ray’s around here, but any will do.

Optional Extras

What’s BBQ without the condiments you serve it with? We paired this BBQ pulled mushroom with coleslaw on burger buns, but it’s also delicious on nachos, in tacos, or even as a filling for bao buns.

Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.

How to make pulled Mushrooms

To make this finger-smacking tasty vegan alternative pulled pork, you’ll just toss the shredded mushroom in spices and bake until the edges are all crispy. Baking first and then sautéing gives the mushrooms a firmer texture that more closely resembles pulled pork.

Step 1: Shred
Wipe dirt off of mushrooms, then shred them into fine pieces using two forks. You can finely chop the caps and incorporate them in to (no waste here!) The more finely you shred the mushrooms, the less chewy they will be once cooked.

Shredding king oyster mushrooms with a fork.
Shredded king oyster mushrooms.

Step 2: Bake
Drizzle with mushrooms with a bit of oil, paprika, salt, cayenne, and garlic. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, really making sure the spices are worked into every piece (I like to mush it around with my hands). Bake bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.

FAVORITE SHEET PAN

This large nonstick sheet pan is one of my everyday favorites!

get it here
Shredded oyster mushrooms on a baking sheet.

Step 3: Sauté
Now to infuse the pulled mushrooms with that BBQ flavor! Transfer the cooked shredded mushrooms to a saute pan and add BBQ sauce. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and fragrant. 

Voila! You now have BBQ mushrooms that you can serve warm on sandwiches, nachos, salads, tacos…or whenever you eat pulled “pork”!

Shredded oyster mushrooms in a saute pan.

More ways to use oyster mushrooms

Now that you’ve fallen in love with oyster mushrooms, here are a few of our favorite oyster mushroom recipes to inspire your vegetarian cooking!

  • Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak made with flavorful oyster mushrooms? Yes please (this went viral on Tastemade!)
  • Buttermilk Fried “Chicken” isn’t chicken…and it’s not even fried. Battered oyster mushrooms cooked in the air fryer!
  • Pulled Mushroom Tacos seasoned with TexMax flavors and loaded with toppings.
Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.
Pulled mushrooms on a sandwich.

BBQ Pulled Mushrooms (Best Ever Vegan Pulled Pork!)

4.80 from 130 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories: 163kcal
Servings: 3 servings
Print Rate
By shredding king oyster mushrooms, seasoning with spices, and baking, you can create a vegan mushroom pulled pork that rivals the real stuff!

Ingredients

  • 4 king oyster mushrooms*
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 mL, divided
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup BBQ sauce 60 g

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 paper-lined baking sheet. 
    Shredding king oyster mushrooms with a fork.
  • Bake: Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the oil, paprika, salt, cayenne, and garlic. Toss around to evenly coat the mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are a bit crispy and brown on the edges.
  • Sauté: Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium high. Transfer cooked mushrooms to pan and add BBQ sauce. Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and fragrant. Serve warm on sandwiches, nachos, salads, tacos…or whenever you eat pulled pork!

Tips & Tricks

*You can use regular oyster mushrooms if you can’t find king oysters, though you will need many more (about 3 heaping cups). Button or champignon mushrooms don’t work well in this recipe.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 163kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 15.4g (5%) Protein: 0.3g (1%) Fat: 10.2g (16%) Saturated Fat: 1.3g (8%) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 448mg (19%) Potassium: 71mg (2%) Fiber: 1.8g (8%) Sugar: 6.9g (8%) Calcium: 10mg (1%) Iron: 0.2mg (1%)
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  1. Jeanette says

    Posted on 1/24 at 11:12 am

    Holy moly! It looks like pulled pork, it tastes like pulled pork, it’s only a little spongier in texture but it’s SO GOOD. I will definitely be using this recipe again!!! I only had a small bunch of mushrooms but I wish I had more so I could have leftovers.5 stars

    Reply
  2. brit says

    Posted on 1/26 at 9:43 am

    I’ve made this before but I couldn’t find the exact recipe and this is the first thing that comes up on Google. The cook time was not near long enough for me. Did the 20 minutes and cooked in the pan but the mushrooms were hard to chew and had an unpleasant texture. I cooked them longer a different day and now it’s great! But I had to double the time3 stars

    Reply
  3. David belfonte says

    Posted on 3/10 at 7:39 pm

    Super easy and delicious!5 stars

    Reply
  4. Geraldine says

    Posted on 3/13 at 6:51 am

    I made this recipe, though I’ll admit I didn’t bother with the frying part as I loved it how it was after being in the oven. Will definitely make again!5 stars

    Reply
  5. Theshia says

    Posted on 5/5 at 6:30 pm

    This was absolutely delicious! Easy to make and tasty!!5 stars

    Reply
  6. Jen says

    Posted on 5/17 at 5:10 pm

    Amazing! We made this for dinner, hubby had his on a sandwich and I made a BBQ salad. We’ll definitely use this recipe in our regular rotation!5 stars

    Reply
  7. Jan says

    Posted on 5/20 at 9:29 pm

    Crazy good! Added a bit of onion power and a couple dashes of liquid smoke for a bit more flavor and served on toasted brioche buns. So good!5 stars

    Reply
  8. Bev says

    Posted on 6/27 at 7:43 pm

    I love it ! Thank you ! It’s a keeper !5 stars

    Reply
  9. Carol says

    Posted on 7/7 at 8:48 am

    Can this be adapted to a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 7/7 at 10:46 am

      I haven’t tried this in the crockpot so I can’t say for sure. I think I would prefer oven though because it gives us those crispy, dried out pieces (similar to pork)

  10. Amy Leventhal says

    Posted on 9/23 at 2:43 pm

    Winner, winner, pulled pork dinner! LOVED this. I added a whole caramelized onion for a little extra zing and to try and add a little more quantity to the mushrooms to make sure we had enough to feed 4 and it worked like a charm. Thanks for this great recipe! Can’t wait to try it in a taco, and as a sandwich. This time, I just sauteed up some bok choy for a little green crunch.5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 9/23 at 6:11 pm

      YAY! So happy to hear it, Amy! Enjoy! 😀

  11. Lynn says

    Posted on 9/29 at 3:21 pm

    OMG. This was so good. Will definitely make it again. I’m not vegan but trying to eat more plant based foods. Salad gets boring all the time.

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 9/29 at 8:25 pm

      I’m so happy you liked it, Lynn! Oyster mushrooms are pure magic. Enjoy! 😀

  12. Jorn says

    Posted on 11/24 at 1:17 pm

    Tried it out and completely convinced this is now going to me a regular at our place.5 stars

    Reply
  13. Harriet says

    Posted on 1/16 at 9:24 am

    Really tasty, but no where near enough to fill 3 burgers! Full quantities was just enough for 2 small buns. Maybe a rough weight guide would be useful for the mushrooms?4 stars

    Reply
  14. Erin Disy says

    Posted on 1/21 at 6:11 am

    Absolutely incredible and genius!!! My husband and I have been vegetarian for over a year now and always looking for new recipes and ways to prepare different veggies. My husband has always hated mushrooms but was willing to start giving them a chance and boy, was he happy he did!! You would never know you were eating mushrooms or anything other than pulled pork or chicken!! Crisping it in the oven was what made this what it is!! We are now going to try using this way to try the oyster mushrooms differently now! Thank you so much for expanding our dinner options!5 stars

    Reply
  15. Kerry Jordan says

    Posted on 3/1 at 7:30 pm

    Can I ask what was the last condiment (sauce) you put on the burger in the video? Mustard or thousand island? I have eaten this at our local vegan cafe and now I will be trying this out myself.

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 3/6 at 9:43 am

      I think that one was a combination of mayo and BBQ!

  16. Bernie says

    Posted on 3/21 at 9:16 pm

    Wow this is a great recipe I ran out of time had to go look after my Grandson so threw the mushrooms on the burger after the oven bit and was impressed. So easy to make will definitely do it again.

    Reply
  17. Palme says

    Posted on 3/24 at 9:53 am

    OMG – I made this for dinner along with pickled red onions and a simple cabbage slaw and had the leftovers for breakfast. It was amazing!!! I shared the recipe with a couple of my vegetarian/vegan friends. I will keep this in my weekly rotation. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
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