Oh wow, when you try these crispy crunchy Air Fried Oyster Mushrooms you are never going to want mushrooms in any other way. They are so addictive, easy to make and pretty healthy too! With their crunchy seasoned panko crust, they're somewhere between vegan fried chicken or vegan calamari.
I'm obsessed with making traditionally fried things in the air fryer, not just because it's healthier, but also because it's way less messy and much safer (no oil splatters, yay!). I'll be serving these crispy panko-crusted oyster mushrooms up on game days for halftime snacks, with some of my favourite Garlicky Vegan Mayo and a twist of hot sauce. It's going to be so much easier to make these than trying to keep an eye on something frying. If you're after more mushrooms made snackable, you can't go past my Mushroom and Lentil Pate.
I'm also planning to make these delicious crispy air fryer oyster mushrooms to go in tacos or as an alternative in these Easy Vegan Hoisin Seitan Ch'kn Bao. I can't wait to experiment with them some more.
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🍄Ingredients
- Oyster Mushrooms- Oyster mushrooms are fan-shaped clusters of mushrooms that shred slightly when you pull on them, which is why they make a great substitute for chicken. Choose fresh clusters of oyster mushrooms for the best result. They can be grey, white or pink oyster mushrooms.
- Potato starch or corn starch- (In the UK also called cornflour) - Potato starch is the best starch for creating a crispy outer shell, however you can also use cornstarch.
- Panko breadcrumbs- These light and flakey breadcrumbs are my go-to when I want a crispy crunchy outer. I buy mine in bulk
- Seasonings- I used dried oregano, white pepper, chili flakes, thyme and smoked paprika for this recipe, however, you can choose your favourite combinations.
- Olive Oil - a dash of oil in the panko crumbs creates that golden fried effect.
- Hot Sauce- optional. I like to add tabasco or Franks Hot Sauce to the potato starch for extra SPICE!
- Good Flakey Sea Salt. -essential for sprinkling!
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Making these crispy air fried oyster mushrooms is pretty easy really, follow these step by step instructions for the perfect crunchy bite!
- In a wide bowl, mix your potato starch and water to form a thick slurry. You can add some hot sauce here too if you want a spicier 'shroom.
2. In a separate wide bowl, add the spices into the breadcrumbs and a dash of olive oil.
3. Scronch the oil into the breadcrumbs with your hands, mixing thoroughly and being sure to get the oil evenly distributed. This gives the golden 'fried' effect once cooked.
4. Pull the mushrooms apart, then dunk in the potato starch slurry. Make sure to coat them thoroughly.
5. Then dip the mushrooms in the panko mix, the crumbs will stick nicely to the mushrooms.
6. Pop the mushrooms into your air fryer basket and give a little spritz of vegetable oil. Then air fry at 180c/ 356F for 10 minutes until golden.
Hint: Don't miss out on scronching the oil into the Panko breadcrumbs, otherwise they don't colour up into that lovely appetizing golden 'fried' effect.
🌶Substitutions and Variations
These deliciously crunchy air fried oyster mushrooms are already totally vegan, egg and dairy free!. They taste kinda like vegan fried chicken, so you can do everything you would with those flavourings.
- Gluten Free - choose gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can even purchase gluten free panko breadcrumbs now.
- Spicy- Add more chili flakes or hot sauce to the coating.
- Not Spicy- omit the chili and hot sauce from the coating.
- Calamari Style- the texture of the mushrooms once cooked is super close to calamari rings. Add some crumbled up nori flakes to the panko and serve with a squeeze of lemon and tartare sauce.
- Deep Fried- you can deep fry these oyster mushrooms instead of air frying them. Make sure to have your oil nice and hot, then just fry in batches until golden (about 4 minutes).
Serve these crunchy fried oyster mushrooms with your favourite dipping sauce. I make mine with vegan mayo, a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
🔪Equipment
This recipe is designed for an air fryer. I love my Ninja Foodie Grill and Air fryer, so can personally recommend that!
🥫Storage
These air fryer oyster mushrooms taste best crispy hot. You can however make them the day before and part air-fry them, then give them another 5 minutes in the air fryer to finish off. This would be very useful for making game-day or half time snacks!
This recipe will not freeze well or store for more than a day.
❗Top tip
Check the mushrooms after about 8 minutes in the air fryer as they do vary. The mushrooms are done when the coating is crispy and golden.
❓FAQ
Yes, you can. You will need vegetable oil and a deep pan. Get the oil nice and hot and fry in batches until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Oyster mushrooms have a great texture that is a bit like chicken when fried. You can choose chestnut or other mushrooms, but the texture will not be the same.
Potato starch is similar to corn starch. It makes a really crunchy coating that is perfect for air frying or frying. You can purchase it at Asian supermarkets and other specialty food stores. You can use corn startch (UK, cornflour) instead if you can't find it.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.29 oz) Oyster Mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (in a spray bottle if you can.)
For the Potato Starch slurry
- 3 tablespoon potato starch
- 125 ml (½ cups) water
- dash of hot sauce (optional)
For the Panko Coating
- 65 g (1 cups) panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the potato starch, water and hot sauce if using to form a slurry. You might need to add more water as you go.3 tablespoon potato starch, 125 ml water, dash of hot sauce
- In another bowl, add all the panko crust ingredients.65 g panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt
- Mix the panko crumbs and seasonings with olive oil. Scrunch well with your fingers to coat the panko in the oil. This creates the lovely golden colour.
- Pre-heat your air fryer to 180c/ 356F and put 15 minutes on the timer.
- Pull the mushrooms apart into bite size pieces.150 g Oyster Mushrooms
- Coat the mushrooms in the potato slurry, make sure they are all covered.
- Then coat the mushrooms in the panko mixture.
- Add the mushrooms in a single layer into your air fryer basket and spritz with a little extra oil.1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Put your mushrooms into the air fryer and cook for 7-8 minutes. Check, on them then if needed, cook for up to 12-15 minutes. The mushrooms are done when the coating is golden and turning slightly brown.
- Serve hot with your favourite dipping sauce!
Notes
- Don't miss out on scronching the oil into the Panko breadcrumbs, otherwise they don't colour up into that lovely appetizing golden 'fried' effect.
- Air fryer baskets vary in size, so be sure not to overcrowd the basket for the best result.
- Check the mushrooms after 7-8 minutes, as air fryers vary in how quickly they cook.
Tam says
This was absolutely delish. I'll definitely make it when I can find those mushrooms. I made some Raising Cane's Sauce (never tried before) to dip them in and yum. I even loved the crumbs!!!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
I haven't tried that sauce yet but it sounds like the perfect dip! I'm so happy you love the recipe as much as I do x
Cathleen says
I love my air fryer, and now I love making this in my air fryer! Thank you so much for sharing, I am definitely going to be making this over and over from now on 🙂
Kathleen says
Simple and tasty snack or appetizer. Love that you used oyster mushrooms. Looking forward to trying these.
Mandy Applegate says
These oyster mushrooms are so crispy and delicious! I was really surprised at how well they turned out!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I have had all kinds of mushrooms and I haven't had these, big mushroom fan here and going to now look for these thanks for sharing!
Janessa says
Such a delicious appetizer! I love how crispy these mushrooms turned out.