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!
Brenda DeLaTorre says
Could this be made in an air fryer?
Sarah says
While I haven’t tried it, I think it would work! Just keep an eye that it doesn’t burn.
Kristin says
This made my husband actually want to eat mushrooms! That never happens!
Sarah says
SO AWESOME! Happy to hear it, Kristin! 😀
steve says
aaah! How many grams in 3 heaping cups – https://www.convertunits.com/from/cup+%5BCanada%5D/to/grams UK, US and Canadian cups differ!
Please! Your recipes are amazing – stop using inaccurate measurements.
Sarah says
Happy to hear you’re liking the recipes! I usually provide metric units as well, but for this recipe it’s a bit difficult. I will say this recipe is also quite flexible, so don’t get too wrapped up in the exacts. I usually do 3 handfuls of mushrooms and season to taste! 😀
Barbara says
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Susana says
It looks amazing!
I have a question, whay did you bake them instead of making it directky in the pan?
Thank you
Sarah says
Baking makes them dry out a bit and become crispy, which transforms the flavor from chewy mushrooms into “pulled pork”! 😀
steve says
By the way, in case it’s not clear…your recipes are amazing! My frustration over the imprecise measurements are more my issue than yours.
I return to your site time and again because they are so very, very good and you are a real inspiration in this time of insanity. Stay safe, thank you and be well.
Sarah says
Aw, I’m so happy to hear that, Steve! Happy cooking! 😀
Stephannie says
I’m just gonna say you’re a genius. I’ll treasure this recipe for ever! My first time ever trying this out. I couldn’t find king oyster mushrooms luckily found regular oyster mushrooms in Whole Foods. This tasted just like pulled chicken. Took me back to summer days with the barbecue sauce. Thank you so much for this recipe. New to your site and definitely going to stick around.
Sarah says
I’m so happy to hear it, Stephannie! Enjoy! 😀
Laurie b says
Do you have an Asian store in your area? That is an alternative place to find these kind of mushrooms.
Julia says
I don’t even like mushrooms but WOW this was so good I will be making it again!!
Geri says
It taste amazing and it’s easy to make too. The texture taste like pulled pork and my teenager daughter who is very much a vegan absolutely love it. We make this for taco and burritos too. Love it 😍
Lucy says
The degrees were far too high and burnt them to a crisp before 15 minutes had gone by. I made another batch and put it in for a shorter time and the result was underwhelming but edible. I feel terrible about leaving a review less than 5 stars which I never do, I just don’t understand how so this many people rave about this recipe.
Sarah says
Sorry to hear it, Lucy! Everyone’s oven is a little different, so indeed just bump down the temp a bit next time. You might try another BBQ sauce, because this recipe should be delish! 😀
Jen says
I do this one very often and it is always a crowd pleaser!
Sienna Wolgast says
This stuff is amazing!
Quin says
Really good . The mushrooms really cook down but it was delicious. We topped with vegan slaw. Very quick and easy to make .
cal says
I had a mushroom bbq sandwich at Low Life in Folly Beach some time ago, and have been wondering how they made such a convincing pulled-pork ersatz ever since. This is it!
I think the oven time/temp needs to be adjusted a bit to get those crispy ends (maybe convection would help?), mine wound up taking about 35 minutes in the oven, with the last 6-7 min cranked to 475 to get some browning and crisping. Loved the results, though, and am so happy I found the right mushroom. Now, if only those mushrooms were easier to find!
Sarah says
Thanks for the note, Cal! We’ll triple check this recipe to fine tune it. Enjoy! 😀
DEV says
I used really big portobello mushrooms and grated them. Worked beautifully
Merilee estes says
I was wondering if Portobello mushrooms would work! Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
The texture won’t be the same, but I bet it would taste great! 😀
Kanchan chhatwani says
Tried this superb n easy recipe and I’m craving to have it again
Peggy Soto says
Pulled pk sounds delicious!
I w try to mk it.
Cindy says
Delicious and easy make.
Allen says
Definitely a good choice for a novice cook like myself. Kids and the wife loved it and that made me feel so good.
Andre says
Made it! Loved it!
Merilee estes says
This freezes excellent, made some a year ago for a Surprise Reunion. Froze what was left. Found a over looked package today, had it for lunch. Was no different that the day it was made. ❤️
Sarah says
That’s great to know! Thanks for popping in with the tip, Merilee! 😀
Lisa says
I cooked this for my vegan sister in law, and everyone loves this. You can’t tell it’s not meat, and wonderfully tasty. I also used a smoked bbq sauce. Great recipe. Thank you. Lisa
Anon name says
Really enjoyed this recipe, thanks. Put some homemade coleslaw on top and really loved it
Liz says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Once cooked can the mixture be frozen?
Sarah says
I haven’t personally tried this, but another reader said they had success with freezing!
Kelly says
This is the most fantastic recipe! I follow it to a T and it turns out amazing every time.
Rene Keizer says
we loved it soo much
francine Pecoraro says
This recipe is a real wow! The first time I made it every single bite I took I kept saying wow wow. I made it again tonight but could only find baby Bella mushrooms. It was very good but even better with the oyster mushrooms. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Megs says
This recipe is amazing. As a vegan i always look for the next best easy simple recipe…this is just delicious easy and simple. Thank u for sharing!!
Myiya says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I added a couple additional seasonings but it turned out so delicious!! So glad I found it and can’t wait to make it again soon!
carla wade says
So excited to try this recipe. I am growing the oyster mushrooms but do not care for them much myself. However I’ve never seen a mushroom cooked like that! I love pulled pork!
DA says
Delicious. I used Diane’s honey garlic BBQ sauce. Awesome.
Rose M Hodges says
I used oyster mushrooms in place of fried chicken. Yummy!
Jennifer Mosley says
This turned out AMAZING!!!
Cris says
Can you save some oil and make this in the air fryer?
Sarah says
I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but it may be possible! Would love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Jason says
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.
Paul says
I made the recipe with oyster mushrooms that I picked on my hike today it was delicious
Debi Oss says
Love this more than regular pulled pork! I like it alittle crispy.
Karen says
Can this be made ahead? And if so, how should it be stored?
Sarah says
You can make this ahead, I would just stored it in the fridge in an air container!
Patty says
Hi! Is this 4 cups of King Oyster Mushrooms?
Thanks!
Sarah says
Nope, just 4 whole king oyster mushrooms! 😀
Jennifer Carrick says
so easy and tasty
Emmet Gibson says
Better than pulled pork!
Adriana says
Do have have a homemade recipe for tortilha wraps
Sarah says
Sure do! Here are unflavored and flavored tortillas.
Julia says
I will definitely try this!! Looks amazing
Lindsey says
This was great!! My mushroom hating son’s words were ‘wow, this is absolutely delicious’. I also cooked it for a bit longer and cranked up the oven heat at the end to get more crispy bits but that’s my personal taste. For those in the UK I used Red’s Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce which is vegan. Definitely a winner recipe in our household- thanks for creating it!
NOEL CARRASCO says
Delicious easy to make timely
LIndsey says
This turned out really well. I used these to make BBQ pulled mushroom nachos and they were delicious!
Lea says
This is such a great idea! I don’t love jackfruit (I always taste lingering sweetness in it) so musing mushrooms seems so smart! I can’t wait to try
Christina says
Flavor was fine, but the texture was still rubbery mushroom-it was as if you were eating cartilage. Even my husband, who likes mushrooms, did not like the texture. I am going to put it in the food processor and try to turn it into veggie burgers since I don’t want to put it in the garbage.
Sarah says
Sorry to hear it, Christina! Usually when that happens it’s a combination of the shreds not being thin enough, and the cooking time needing to be longer.
MP says
So I was really excited about this recipe andIt came out quite yummy!! But the 4 mushrooms shrank so much was only good for 1 burger bun, shame these mushrooms are so expensive in my country!
Thanks so much for sharing<3
Sarah Bond says
They do shrink quite a bit! Hope you can find a cheaper source, they’re so fun to cook with! 😀
Stacey says
Hi, these look great. I’m wondering how long the pulled mushrooms will last in the fridge. I’m wanting to make it ahead of time for Christmas. Thanks
Sarah Bond says
They’re best within 2 to 3 days!