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.
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!
Reader rating
“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!!!” —Jeanette
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.
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.
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!
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”!
Reader rating
“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!!” —Erin
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.
Reader rating
“Tried this for the first time and it was amazing!! My wife who isn’t plant based even loved this dish. We’re going to start making it a few times a month.” —Jason
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.
- 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!
GWB says
Could you use large portabella?
Sarah says
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! 😀
Ivory says
OMG, I want this now. Looks so mouthwatering.
Sarah says
Hahah, I wish I could send you some! But it’s quick to make, of course 😉
Sarah says
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.
Sarah says
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?)
Raena says
Can you reheat this after its been cooked?
Sarah says
Yep! I’d recommend to reheat in a saute pan just until warm. Microwave may make for a chewier texture.
Lala says
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.
Sarah says
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).
Lala says
Thanks, I thought of Asian markets after I hit send. Oops.
Jojo says
Can this receive be frozen?
Sarah says
Hi Jojo! I’ve tried this before and the texture isn’t quite as good as when fresh.
Sandra says
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.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Sandra! It’s one of my new go-to’s for weeknight kind of dinners 😀
bonnie laing says
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?
Sarah says
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.
Anita says
Just made this with a quick homemade bbq sauce with gochujang and stuffed into rolls. Delightful!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Anita! 😀
Sarita Shoemaker says
I just finished making these! They were DELISH! I reduced the sodium and found a lower sodium BBQ sauce.
Also, my grocer did not have the king mushrooms so I had little ones. They shredded up perfectly! I wish I had MORE. They were $4.50 for about 1 1/2C pre-baking.
When you bake they sizzle and shrink down a lot. Oh, I also used a total of 1T of EVOO. The paprika and cayenne were awesome.
Thanks for this deeeelish dish. I will be making these again and refining to reduce oils and salts to help get/keep blood pressure in check.
I made vegan mashed potatoes 1:2 ratio of red and russet with skins on.
Chopped carrots and celery.
Overall this dinner ROCKED!! I will be posting and linking at my blog.
Sarah says
Yay, so happy to hear Sarita!! The king oysters will shrink down less than the smaller guys (you might have better luck finding them at an Asian supermarket), though it seems like yours turned out great anyways!
Also, you could try spraying on oil to evenly coat the mushrooms, which could reduce the total oil you need. Happy cooking!!
Maxine says
Wow, what a great recipe. I’ll tag you on Pinterest. I made it today and OMG. I added shitake shrooms to the oyster shrooms to give it that gristle crunch that pork has. Really, really good. Thanks a bunch for the inspo.
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Maxine!! Love the shitake mushroom idea, I’ll have to give it a try next time I make this! 😀
jennifer dawson says
Love this. I kept the barbecue sauce off as I am not a big fan of it. But it was beyond delicious without it and I use it on my tostadas. Tomorrow, I am going to mix in chopped onions and make enchiladas with it.
It is also similar to shredded chicken. I love this recipe. It is a definite keeper.
I am sure it will taste awesome with chili verde sauce.
Sarah says
Yum, so great ideas Jennifer! I’ll have to try it in some Mexican food, that sounds amazing 😀
Paul says
OMG wow! This is absolutely perfect. I’m very omnivore, love food in general. Made this but turned into mushroom pork carnitas for tacos. My wife is veggie and my son thinks he’s going vegan so as the cook for most of our dinners, I’m searching for new tastes and things to replace a lot of the premade veggie meats on the market.
This is very very near pulled pork. I’m in love! Thank you!
Sarah says
Yay, so happy you all liked it, Paul!! The carnitas sounds amazing 😀
Paula says
I’m not even vegetarian – aspiring, perhaps. I got a king oyster mushroom kit off of Amazon, and was looking for recipes for them. So far the kit is awesome, like this recipe. The husband is away for the night and I was trying this out to see if it was tasty enough to cook for dinner for his decidedly non-vegetarian self. Yep! I really like it, although I was a little heavy handed with the cayenne, my fault, not the recipe’s. When I got it in the pan, I didn’t use any additional oil, just the bbq sauce, which will give some additional caramelization if you cook on a high heat. I really liked it, thank you a lot. I might raised that oven temp a little bit when I try it again.
Sarah says
Yay! So happy to hear Paula!! 😀 I’ve been dying to try out one of those mushroom kits (and probably should soon given how often we eat this recipe, lol).
Rachel says
Can these be cooked in a pan without an oven? As in, can I fry them instead?
Sarah says
Ooh good question! I somehow haven’t tried this yet, but I’ll give it a go next time. The oven dries them out a bit, which is important for the texture and might not be quite the same if using a pan on the stove. I would probably use very high heat if doing this on the stove to char them a bit. Would love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Connie says
Had this tonight and it was fantastic. Will definitely make it again.
Sarah says
Yay, so happy to hear Connie!! 😀
Dawn says
Thank you for this recipe and especially the note about using regular oyster mushrooms. I made “pulled pork” for 2 friends today, and they both enjoyed the food!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Dawn! 😀
Toni says
Shredded, seasoned with a coffee rub i used to make back in the day, put on the grill. O. M. Gosh. The smokey flavor!!! I’d reconstituted some tvp and didn’t want to mix it and mess up the flavor. Still turned out great. I guess the smoke flavor overpowered the tvp mini flavor. LOL
Sarah says
YUM! I’ll have to try this with a coffee rub, sounds amazing! 😀
Laura says
Thank you for sharing this! What sauce did you pair with the ‘pulled pork’ on the sandwich bun in your video?
Sarah says
I mixed a bit of mayonnaise in with the BBQ sauce (about 1:1 ratio) 😀 Enjoy!
H.t journals says
I made this and it came out great. I had to use a toaster oven because I am oversease, but it still came out good. We used them in wraps.
Sarah says
So happy you liked it! 😀 This is one of our favorites (and so great in wraps like you did!)
Sandra D says
Being a vegetarian for the past 5 years, the one thing I’ve missed occasionally is pulled pork. My husband and I recently went to a vegan restaurant and tried some great mushroom ‘meat’. It gave me motivation to search for an easy-to-do at home recipe and I found this… This recipe is amazing! So quick and easy – and oh-so-very tasty! I made it exactly as the recipe suggests and given the big thumbs up, I won’t be changing it any time soon.
Ps… I found the King Oyster mushrooms in Farm Boy (Canada).
Sarah says
So happy you managed to find the king oysters, Sandra! Also that you liked the recipe – it’s one of my favorites!
Leslie G says
I just made this and it’s freaking amazing. I didn’t wanna drive to the Asian market to get the king oyster mushroom since it’s like a 20 minute drive so I went to Vons since it’s closer and was lucky to find oyster mushrooms. I made tacos out of them with refried beans, baby kale and cilantro. It was super good. I will definitely be making this again but a larger batch next time.
Sarah says
Ah I’m so happy to hear it, Leslie! This is one of my favorite new ones, we make it allll the time haha. Glad you could find oyster mushrooms in your area!
Jane says
Sarah. I LOVE your recipes! Keep them
coming. I tried the 21 day plant food ‘diet’ and I’m hooked on a new way of eating thanks to you. I never was a big meat eater so it was easy for me to do. I really only missed my feta cheese (having no dairy was the biggest challenge). Going to try the shroom recipe I also am on the last phase of making my own kombucha. My Scoby turned out great after waiting (patiently) for 4 weeks. Thanks again! You’re the best vegetarian recipe maker I’ve come across!
Sarah says
Aw Jane this is so sweet! 😀 Thanks so much for letting me know you’re liking the recipes, this makes my day!
katelyn says
This was bomb! Sauteed some onions and added them in as well, but loved it!
Sarah says
YAY! So happy to hear, Katelyn! 😀
Olga Rakhmail says
I love this recipe! I mix 50/50 with regular oyster mushrooms to make it cheaper and throw in some vegan Worcestershire and Teriyaki sauce when I saute the mushrooms 🙂
Our omnivore friends love it as well!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Olga! I’ll have to try it with the Worcestershire and teriyaki, sounds delish! 😀
Anna says
Super easy, and I‘m halfway through the receipt and it already smells amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Anna! Enjoy! 😀
Mila tellez says
Can you make this a day ahead of time. will it taste as good?
Sarah says
Yep, the leftovers are tasty! Perhaps just bake ahead of time, and before serving then you can throw it in a skillet on the stove to heat it up.
Lindsay says
This is SO good. The texture is almost like shredded chicken and I love that you still get that mushroom flavor. My boyfriend insists on having these pulled mushrooms regularly – we usually create a burger with them! Goes really well with some pickled red cabbage, jalapeño and (vegan) sour cream. Sweet potato fries and some salad on the side and there’s a super indulgent meal! I haven’t been able to find king oyster mushrooms around here but can confirm that regular oyster mushrooms work perfectly. Thanks for this recipe, I absolutely love it!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Lindsay!! You’ve got to try it on tacos too, so yum! Have you checked an Asian supermarket for the kin oysters? I usually have luck there.
Jessica R says
Just made this recipe tonight and It turned out great! First time using king oyster mushrooms and definitely won’t be the last!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Jessica! 😀
Leslie says
How do you suggest reheating? I want to make these ahead for a dinner party.
Sarah says
Oh how fun! I would bake them in advance, then reheat on the stove, adding the BBQ sauce when you reheat. Enjoy! 😀
Joanne Shovelton-Fullick says
Absolutely loved this. Far preferable to Jackfruit.
Sarah says
Yay! So happy to hear it! 😀
Stephanie says
Thank you for this recipe, I always love to find different ways to use my king oyster mushrooms! I added in some crumbled tempeh into this recipe for a little extra plant protein and topped it w/ kale slaw. Loved it – thank you!
Sarah says
YUM! I’ll have to try it with some tempeh, that’s a great idea. And the slaw too! Thanks so much for letting us know how it went 😀
Linda says
Hi, I am from Singapore. There are plenty king oyster mushrooms here and easily available. I had a packet of them for a week and dont know what to do with them besides stir frying them with green vegetables. Also had some wraps in the fridge. Then I googled and came across your site. The result of this was I just had the BBQ pulled pork mushrooms wrap. Added a little mayonnaise , cucumber, lettuce, blue berries (all getting stale if I do not eat them now). Wow, the BBQ pulled pork is simply delicious.. Every bite I took is sheer happiness knowing that there is no meat! Yummy… thank you for sharing your recipes!
Sarah says
So happy to hear you could find this new way of prepping them! I also love them without the BBQ sauce, adding a bunch of spices and treating it like pulled chicken for tacos. YUM! 😀
Lizzie says
Delicious!! I made nachos with them, and as a lifelong vegan who’d never had “pulled pork” anything, I can now say I understand the appeal — of the mushroom verison! I’m already looking forward to the next time I make them.
Sarah says
YAY! So happy to hear it, Lizzie! 😀
Kim T says
I made this recipe tonight. It’s fast, easy and delicious! Thank you for this recipe
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Kim! 😀
Mari says
I never comment on recipe sites, but I just had to let you (and everyone else) how absolutely amazing these are. The cayenne pepper just adds a special something that completely elevates the mushrooms. I had my meals lined up for this week but I’m very tempted to make these again tomorrow!
Sarah says
Aw so happy to hear it, Mari! You should definitely make these again tomorrow 😉
Pam Haynes says
I found this whilst searching for King Oyster mushroom recipes: my husband and son converted our linen closet into a growing room for King Oyster and Lion’s Mane mushrooms – so definitely need various options for their harvest! This was sooooooo tasty and easy! I served it up on toasted garlic sub buns and topped the ‘shrooms wth sliced dill pickle. My college-age daughter and I think it is better than pulled pork… the boys not so much = more for the girls!
Sarah says
Wait wait wait you can GROW these things?! I need to learn more about this, so tired of spending a fortune on them! Thanks for the tip (and happy to hear you liked them!)
Crystal says
Just made this but mine came out slightly rubbery/chewy. Would that be from over or under cooked. I feel like I followed the instructions pretty well so idk what went wrong.
Sarah says
Hi Crystal! It sounds a little undercooked. When they’re done, they should be tender and the edges a bit charred! 😀
Rishi Bharathan says
This turned out awesome. Next time just need to factor in how much the mushrooms whittle down. Thanks for creating this.
Sarah says
Yep they do shrink down quite a bit! Enjoy 😀
Alyssa says
Thought I had already commented – oops. I made your recipe and it came out really well! My oven HOT, so baking it for about 15 minutes was perfect. Thank you!!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Alyssa! This is one of our favorites 😀
Kimberly morris says
OH MY HEAVENS!!!!! we are new to the plant based vegan world…and yessssss!!!! Best recipe I’ve made to DATE. We ate it up! We made sandwiches with avocado, tomato, caramelized onions, and vegan mayo…mmmm cannot get enough!
Sarah says
Aw so happy to hear it, Kimberly! Enjoy!! 😀
Patti says
Tried this recipe and have to say it was easy and tasty!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Patti! 😀
Amir says
I tried thus recipe but the mushroom was too tough to eat. I’m curious where u went wrong. The flavors were really good but I just actually chew through them. I bought the king oysters, roasted on 400 for 25 min, finished in the pan. I don’t know. Should I have only used the middle of the mushroom? Maybe roasted longer? Helpppppppp lol
Sarah says
Hi Amir! I would try shredded them into thinner pieces, then roasting until they are tender (so perhaps a little longer than 25 min). With that said, I have noticed after trying mushrooms from a few different places that sometimes they are just a little tougher. If they’re too tough, I chop them up a bit more finely after cooking. Enjoy! 😀
Peyton says
Looks SO good! I would love to make this ahead and bring camping. What are your thoughts on eating it cold the next day on toasted buns? I am unsure how easy it would be to pan reheat?
Thank you for any feedback!
Sarah says
Yep that would work! Just bake it then wait to saute until you’re ready to eat 😀
Bluesgirl says
ALTERNATIVES ARE LIFE SAVING
Sarah says
So happy to hear it! Enjoy! 😀
Jeanie says
I found some huge king oyster mushrooms at the Asia store and followed the recipe, but although the flavor was good it was very tough and rubbery! Where did I go wrong? Maybe the mushrooms were too big? They were 5-6 inches
Sarah says
If it’s rubbery then next time just shred them more finely + increase the cooking time (until they’re soft and crispy at the edges).
Mary Lynn says
Just saw this recipe and wondered if I could use lion mane mushrooms instead. If so how much?
Thank you,
Mary Lynn
Sarah says
Hi Mary! I had actually never hear of lion mane but looked it up – it seems so fun! I’m not sure how much you would substitute, but it looks like the texture would work well.
Sarah says
OMG!!! Loved this! I’ve been using these mushrooms to make faux oysters with great delight and wanted some other ways to make use of these meaty mushrooms! This was a real winner! I will be making again and will use this for inspo to make other “shredded meat” meals. It does shrink and may need an addition of protein to make this a more complete meal…but yum yum. Thank you so much!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Sarah! I use these shredded mushrooms for all kinds of “meat” now too. Enjoy! 😀
Mira says
The best
It is now our first choice for nachos.
Easy and quick to make and it is enough for 3-4 people.
Thank you
Sarah says
Yay! I love this stuff on nachos. Enjoy! 😀