Emily Johnson
Portobello mushrooms are a popular choice for vegetarian burgers, offering a meaty texture and a savoury taste. To make a grilled mushroom burger, you'll need to prepare the mushrooms by cleaning and seasoning them, then grilling them to your desired level of doneness. You can add a variety of toppings, such as cheese, caramelised onions, avocado, spinach, and tomato. For a vegan option, use vegan cheese and a dairy-free sauce. For a classic mushroom burger with a beef patty, cook the patty separately and top it with sautéed mushrooms and onions.
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the mushrooms
Next, remove the stems from the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a bowl or on a plate and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tamari or soy sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and use your hands to rub the seasonings into the mushrooms, ensuring they are coated on both sides. You can also add dried herbs and spices to the mix, such as oregano, basil, and smoked paprika.
At this point, you can leave the mushrooms to stand at room temperature for around 20 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even coating. This step helps the mushrooms absorb the flavours and creates a more intense taste.
Finally, place the mushrooms on a preheated grill, gill side up, and cook for around 5-7 minutes on each side, or until tender and lightly charred. You can brush the grill with oil before placing the mushrooms to prevent sticking.
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Marinating the mushrooms
Firstly, prepare the mushrooms by cleaning them with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel. Avoid rinsing them under running water, as mushrooms tend to absorb water and become waterlogged, which will affect their ability to soak up the marinade. After cleaning, remove the stems of the mushrooms.
Next, prepare the marinade by whisking together your chosen ingredients. A classic combination is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs or spices such as dried oregano, basil, and smoked paprika. You can also add ingredients like soy sauce, rosemary, and Montreal steak seasoning for a heartier flavour. Place the mushrooms, cap sides down, in a dish and pour the marinade over them, ensuring they are evenly coated. Use your hands to rub the marinade into the mushrooms if necessary.
Let the mushrooms sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure all sides are well-coated. If you are short on time, a minimum of 15 minutes will still impart flavour to the mushrooms.
Once the mushrooms have finished marinating, you can preheat your grill to medium heat and brush the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking. Place the mushrooms on the grill, cap side down, and reserve the remaining marinade for basting.
Grill the mushrooms for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, or until tender, brushing them frequently with the reserved marinade. The grilling time may vary depending on your desired level of doneness and the thickness of the mushrooms.
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Grilling the mushrooms
Once the mushrooms are clean, it's time to season them. Drizzle them generously with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tamari (or soy sauce), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the seasonings into the mushrooms, ensuring they are fully coated. This step will make your mushrooms more flavourful.
Next, heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grill grates with oil to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Place the mushrooms on the grill, gill side up. Grill for 5-8 minutes per side, until grill marks form and the mushrooms are tender. You can brush them with the marinade frequently while they cook.
If you want to add cheese to your mushroom burgers, place a slice on top of each mushroom during the last minute of cooking. The residual heat will help melt the cheese. Once the mushrooms are tender and lightly charred, your mushroom burgers are ready to be assembled and served!
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Preparing the buns
Brush the buns with a little olive oil and place them on the grill grates or a griddle for about 1 to 2 minutes until toasted. You can also toast the buns in an oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F/191°C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the buns on it. Put them in the oven and toast them for a few minutes.
If you're grilling the buns, it's best to do this once the mushrooms are done and before loading them with the other ingredients.
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Assembling the burger
To assemble a mushroom burger, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, prepare your burger buns. You can paint the insides of the buns with olive oil and toast them on a griddle or grill for around 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, you can toast them on the grill once the mushrooms are done.
Next, place your mushroom patty on the bun. If you are making a vegan or vegetarian burger, this could be a Portobello mushroom that has been marinated and grilled. You can marinate the mushrooms in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and spices such as rosemary, Montreal steak seasoning, or dried oregano. Grill the mushrooms for around 5-8 minutes on each side, brushing with marinade as they cook.
If you are making a non-vegan burger, you can use a beef patty and add sautéed mushrooms as a topping. To do this, dry-sauté your mushrooms until they release their water, then add onions and olive oil, and continue to sauté.
Now, add your toppings. For a vegan burger, you could add vegan cheese, sliced tomato, red onion, avocado, spinach, or pickles. For a non-vegan option, you could add Swiss cheese, grilled red onion, and sautéed onions.
Finally, top with the other half of the bun and serve.
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Frequently asked questions
Portobello mushrooms are the most popular choice for mushroom burgers. They are thick and meaty, making them a great vegetarian or vegan alternative to beef burgers. Cremini mushrooms are also a good option, but they are better suited as a side dish.
First, clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel. Then, remove the stems and drizzle the caps with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tamari (or soy sauce). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and rub the seasonings into the mushrooms, coating them on both sides.
Place the mushrooms on a preheated grill, gill side up. Grill for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until grill marks form and the mushrooms are tender. If you are using a marinade, brush it on the mushrooms frequently while grilling.
Mushroom burgers can be topped with cheese, usually Swiss, mozzarella, cheddar, or vegan cheese. Other popular toppings include grilled onions, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, arugula, pickles, and sauces like aioli or pesto.
