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By shredding king oyster mushrooms, seasoning with spices, and baking, you can create a vegan mushroom pulled pork that rivals the real stuff! This foolproof vegan pork has been devoured in kitchens all over the world (and our step-by-step photos will walk you through how to make it perfectly every time).
save this recipe!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 hundreds of mushroom recipes on the site.
Ready to try out your new favorite vegetarian meat substitute? Let’s cook!
Reader rating
“Invited my meat eater friends over for pulled pork sliders…after a couple of servings someone asked “I thought you didn’t eat meat?” I responded…I don’t but I eat mushrooms!!!” —Diane
You just need a few ingredients
This is just an overview! Jump to the recipe card for full measurements and instructions.
- 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 the smaller version of these mushrooms–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 barbecue sauce! We love Sweet Baby Ray’s around here (it’s a vegan BBQ sauce we always keep stocked), but any sauce will do.
Reader rating
“Absolutely incredible and genius!!! You would never know you were eating mushrooms or anything other than pulled pork or chicken!!” —Erin
Serving
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 vegan nachos, in mushroom carnitas tacos, or even as a filling for vegan bao buns.
Next-Level BBQ Pulled Mushrooms
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 4 king oyster 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.
- Bake: Drizzle with half of the oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 cloves garlic (minced). 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 oil in a large saute pan over medium/high. Transfer cooked mushrooms to pan and add ¼ cup 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! (Our favorite way? On a soft bun with sliced red onion and shredded cabbage!)
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!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.
Could you use large portabella?
Portobello isn’t going to shred into that classic “pulled pork” quite the same. I’ve found it makes for chunkier pieces, but tasty nonetheless! 😀
OMG, I want this now. Looks so mouthwatering.
Hahah, I wish I could send you some! But it’s quick to make, of course 😉
What do you suggest serving alongside to give the meal an extra dose of protein? Because while I definitely will try this, I’m worried it won’t leave me full for long because there is not much protein in it.
Hi Sarah, great question! I love the filling power of chickpeas. You could try slightly mashing chickpeas and putting them on a sandwich/buns along with the pulled mushroom for a pulled pork sandwich (or tacos!) I also have a recipe for vegan nachos using this pulled mushroom here. The cashew/nutrition yeast queso adds a healthy dose of protein (you could also turn this recipe into tacos!) (can you tell I’m craving tacos?)
Can you reheat this after its been cooked?
Yep! I’d recommend to reheat in a saute pan just until warm. Microwave may make for a chewier texture.
Thanks for this recipe, it sounds yummy. One question: where do you find king oyster mushrooms? I’ve only ever seen button or portabella mushrooms at any store I have shopped at.
Such a great question, Lala! It depends on what region you’re in if you’ll be able to find them in “normal” shops. If you can’t find them at your local grocery, try an asian super market. They almost always have them (or they’ll have regular oyster mushrooms, which will also work for this recipe).
Thanks, I thought of Asian markets after I hit send. Oops.
Can this receive be frozen?
Hi Jojo! I’ve tried this before and the texture isn’t quite as good as when fresh.
Made this pulled oyster mushroom sandwich the other night, absolutely loved it. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
So happy to hear, Sandra! It’s one of my new go-to’s for weeknight kind of dinners 😀
is there a concern when buying mushrooms if pesticides were used on them or not.. I buy mostly organic produce and I do know that some produce is ok to buy non-organic. what about mushrooms?
Great question, Bonnie! Mushrooms are actually pretty low in pesticide residue compared to other veggies, so they should be fine to buy non-organic. This article has some good info on it.
Just made this with a quick homemade bbq sauce with gochujang and stuffed into rolls. Delightful!
So happy to hear, Anita! 😀