With melted sharp cheddar, the perfectly meaty texture, and best-ever Fancy Sauce, these panfried Portobello Mushroom Burgers are the vegetarian recipe that’ll have you craving mushrooms for dinner.
I have a history of featuring spotlight ingredients that I actually don’t like in the hopes that by cooking with them nonstop for a few weeks I’ll grow to like them (see tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon).
And mushrooms? They were on the top of the list of “Foods I Don’t Eat”. Because I truly thought I didn’t like mushrooms.
But unlike tomatoes and melon, which took some practice to find the right cooking methods/ingredient pairings that would make me appreciate them, mushrooms took no time to love.
And how, you might wonder, did this newfound appreciation (love? fervor?) for mushrooms come to be? These Portobello Burgers.
I’m not saying this to talk up these burgers, guys. I’m saying this because it’s the fact! The cold hard fact. I woke up thinking I didn’t like mushrooms, decided to give portobello mushroom burgers a go, and went to sleep dreaming of all the ways I could continue cooking up mushrooms. So like…let’s make some burgers shall we?
How to make portobello burgers
The key to a really delicious vegan or vegetarian portobello burger recipe is in the marinade! We’ll brush the mushrooms with soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and spices. The mushrooms are basically sponges that will soak up al that flavor!
Then just cook your portobello burgers on the stove or grill and serve with your favorite burger toppings!
Serve these portobello burgers with:
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- Crispy Asparagus Fries
- Summer Veggie Salad
- Avocado Mango Salad
- Carrot Hot Dogs
Feeling adventurous? Grill halloumi cheese and throw it on top of the mushroom for an ultra-filling burger!
And for more classic recipes turned vegetarian with the help of mushrooms, be sure to try our Mushroom Meatloaf and Mushroom Pulled “Pork”!
Ingredients
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- ¼ cup olive oil 60 mL
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice 30 mL
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp each oregano, smoked paprika, salt, pepper
- 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 or 4 toasted burger buns depending on if you want double cheeseburgers
- Toppings: sliced tomatoes, lettuce, sliced red onions
Fancy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 30 g
- 2 Tbsp ketchup 30 g
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ⅛ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prep Mushrooms: Clean portobellos gently with a damp paper towel. Remove stems (and gills, if you don’t like the texture). In a small bowl, combine olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings. Brush liberally onto the tops and bottoms of the mushrooms.
- Cook Mushroom Burgers: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until slightly softened, brushing with remaining marinade to add more flavor. Alternatively, cook on the grill for 5 minutes per side until grill lines appear. Add cheese in the last minute of cooking.
- Assemble & Serve: Combine all “Fancy Sauce” ingredients in a small bowl. Serve mushroom burgers on toasted buns with fancy sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion.
GW says
I’ve had Portobello burgers twice at nice restaurants and neither compared to this recipe. thanks
Sarah says
Yay, so happy to hear! I’d tried a few different versions of portobello burgers before, but this is by far my favorite (especially with a thick slice of melted cheddar)
Kelli B says
We just enjoyed this meal for dinner. Everyone loved it! The sauce was amazing and I may use it just for my french fries. I will be remaking this for sure. Grateful for a new recipe to get us out of our dinner rut. We omitted the cheese due to lactose intolerance.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Kelli! Breaking the dinner rut is what I’m all about, so your comment put a big smile on my face! 😀
V says
Yep…this recipe is a keeper…
Def will try it again and may doctor it up n make it my own yet this was a great intro….thank u for sharing.
Sarah says
So happy you liked it! The seasonings can definitely be tailored to your taste, go crazy with it! 😀
Mary U says
Super tasty flavor! This recipe is a definite keeper, and we will make these often. 1/2 Tablespoon of harissa added to 1/4 cup of mayonnaise is another sauce alternative. We also added bread and butter pickles to our burger. Excellent portobello burgers!
Sarah says
Yummm that harissa mayo sounds heavenly. Thanks for the tip (and for your review)!
Melly says
My hubby is a vegetarian and I never have have any idea what to cook for him. This looked pretty easy so I tried it, my first time cooking a mushroom. He LOVED it. He said it was SO good!! Thanks for the easy recipe!!
Sarah says
YAY! So happy to hear it, Melly! 😀
Vinna says
First time trying portabella mushrooms in a burger. I used the mushrooms as buns but the sauce and the marinade still tasted great on the mushrooms and patty. I added in sautéed onions. The mushroom did release some water so it was little messy eating but it was delicious. I chose this recipe because it was simple and fast to make. I’m glad l did. Thanks,
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Vinna! Thanks for popping in to let us know how it went!
Niki says
Excellent recipe👌 Didn’t know you could eat the gills..yum😛
Gregory Shullek says
Good.. but way way wAy way too salty
PAUL SKENDER says
Didn’t miss the meat they were yummy.
Tiggywinkle says
These are soooo good.
Jan says
I finally convinced my hubby to add some vegetarian options to our diets, and we have designated Monday as “meatless.” Neither one of us was too sure about eating a portobello mushroom burger, but we gave it a try and WOW we were surprised and delighted. These are delish! I’ve made them a couple of times now and they never disappoint. Love the “Fancy Sauce,” too. Just yummy!
Jenelle says
I like to cook portobello caps on the grill. The marinate I use is oily Italian salad dressing and is good. Can’t wait to try this marinate.
Phyllis says
I don’t have Portobello mushrooms BUT can I substitute with button mushrooms sautéed in pan with olive oil, soy sauce, lemon, etc.? Grill buns and melt cheese on top and finish with the sauce? I would love to prepare this for my husband who loves mushrooms.
Sarah says
I think that would work! Maybe melt a slab of cheese onto the mound of mushrooms 😀
Tasha says
I am carnivore (omnivore) and this smells and tastes like a fabulous, expensive beef burger!
This is delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Chelsea Smith says
This is LEGIT!!!!!
IM NOT GOING BACK TO TURKEY BURGERS!!!
karen says
sooo good