Breaded Mushrooms: The Perfect Pairing For Your Next Dish

what goes with breaded mushrooms

Breaded mushrooms are a delicious snack, starter, or side dish. They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Typically, they are made by coating mushrooms in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs before deep frying. They are often served with a dip—popular choices include garlic and chive mayonnaise, garlic aioli, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dip.

Characteristics Values
Preparation Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth. De-stalk them for a nicer shape.
Coating Flour, egg, breadcrumbs.
For vegan breaded mushrooms, use chickpea flour and plant milk instead of egg.
Season the flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, basil, thyme, and red chili flakes.
Use dried herbs and garlic powder instead of fresh garlic to avoid burning.
For extra crunch, use Panko breadcrumbs.
Frying Use an oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable, sunflower, canola, rapeseed, or peanut oil.
Avoid olive oil as it has a low smoking point.
Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the oil.
Drain on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath.
Serving Serve with dips such as garlic and herb, sour cream and chive, blue cheese, whipped feta, yogurt, or lemon, chive, and mayonnaise.

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Dipping and coating methods

To make breaded mushrooms, you'll need to coat the mushrooms in flour, then dip them in egg, and finally coat them in breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for all the mushrooms you plan to cook.

For the flour, you can season it with salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices like oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, red chilli flakes, basil, and thyme. For the egg, beat it with a small amount of milk. For the breadcrumbs, you can use store-bought dried, fine breadcrumbs, or make your own by blending stale bread. You can also use panko breadcrumbs, which are bigger, lighter, and airier than regular breadcrumbs, resulting in extra crispy mushrooms. Season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried parsley.

Before coating the mushrooms, clean them with a damp cloth, trim any long stalks, and sprinkle them with salt. You can also marinate the mushrooms before coating them. To do this, add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a zip lock bag, shake to blend, add the mushrooms, and let them marinate for 30 minutes to an hour, shaking the bag occasionally to distribute the marinade.

After coating the mushrooms, deep fry them in oil at around 350-375°F (180-190°C) for 2-5 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Use an oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable, sunflower, rapeseed, canola, or peanut oil. Avoid olive oil, as it has a low smoking point and will smoke out your kitchen.

Serve the breaded mushrooms with your favourite dip. Popular options include garlic and herb, sour cream and chive, blue cheese dip, ranch dressing, garlic aioli, and lemon, chive, and mayonnaise.

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Deep frying instructions

Deep-frying instructions

Deep-fried breaded mushrooms are a delicious snack, appetiser, or starter. They are also perfect for beginners because there is no pressure to cook them right through the first time, unlike meat.

Step 1: Prepare the mushrooms

Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Do not rinse them, as they will absorb a lot of water. You can trim the stalks if they are long, but it is recommended to keep them intact.

Step 2: Create a breading station

Set up three bowls. The first bowl should contain flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. You can also add other herbs and spices to the flour, such as oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, red chilli flakes, basil, and thyme. The second bowl should contain beaten eggs, and you can add a small amount of milk to the eggs if desired. The third bowl should contain breadcrumbs. You can use store-bought dried breadcrumbs or make your own with stale bread. Panko breadcrumbs are a great option, as they are big, light, and airy, resulting in extra crispy mushrooms. You can also season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 3: Coat the mushrooms

Take a few mushrooms and shake off any excess marinade. Dip them in the flour, making sure they are fully coated. Then, dip them in the egg mixture, followed by the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for a second layer of coating. Make sure the mushrooms are completely covered in breadcrumbs.

Step 4: Heat the oil

Heat up enough oil in a deep pot or pan to a depth of 1-2 inches. Use an oil with a high smoking point, such as vegetable, sunflower, or rapeseed oil. Do not use olive oil, as it has a low smoking point. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) or until it is hot enough to fry the mushrooms.

Step 5: Fry the mushrooms

Carefully lower the coated mushrooms into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry them in batches of 5-6 mushrooms at a time. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Stir them occasionally to ensure they fry evenly.

Step 6: Drain and serve

Remove the fried mushrooms from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath to absorb any excess oil. Do not place them directly on paper towels, as they will steam and lose their crispiness. Serve the mushrooms with your favourite dip, such as garlic and chive mayo, garlic aioli, or a blue cheese dip.

Enjoy your delicious, crispy deep-fried breaded mushrooms!

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Oil types and alternatives

Breaded mushrooms are typically deep-fried, requiring a sufficient amount of oil to be heated in a pan. While the type of oil used in the recipes is not always specified, olive oil is mentioned and recommended by multiple sources. One source suggests using a heavy-bottomed, wide pan to achieve the best results when frying with olive oil.

Some recipes call for a specific depth of oil to be used, with suggestions ranging from 1 to 3 inches. It is important to monitor the temperature of the oil, which should be around 350°F to 375°F, and to ensure it returns to this temperature between batches.

While deep-frying is the most common method for cooking breaded mushrooms, it is possible to cook mushrooms without oil. One alternative method is dry sautéing, where the mushrooms are cooked in a hot pan without any added fat, liquid, or sauce. As the mushrooms heat up, they release their juices and cook in their own liquid, concentrating their flavor. Butter can be added at the end of cooking for additional flavor if desired. This method is recommended for fleshy mushrooms with high moisture content, such as cremini, button, portobello, chanterelles, porcini, and oyster mushrooms.

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Vegan breaded mushrooms

Ingredients

  • Mushrooms (chestnut, brown or white button mushrooms)
  • Cornstarch/cornflour or arrowroot powder
  • Flour (all-purpose, gluten-free, or chickpea)
  • Plant milk or water
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Spices (paprika, dried oregano, dried parsley, cayenne, black pepper, salt, red chilli flakes, basil, thyme)
  • Breadcrumbs (fine-crumb, panko, or homemade)
  • Oil for frying (olive, canola, vegetable, sunflower, or rapeseed)

Optional Dip Ingredients

  • Lemon juice
  • Chives
  • Mayonnaise (vegan)
  • Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Ranch dressing
  • Cherry tomato sauce
  • Spicy tahini sauce

Method

  • Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel. Remove the stalks if they are long.
  • Set up three bowls: the first with flour and a pinch of salt and pepper (and any other spices you like); the second with plant milk and beaten egg or chickpea flour; and the third with breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, herbs, paprika, and salt and pepper.
  • Dip each mushroom into the flour, then the wet mix, and then the breadcrumb mix, ensuring they are fully coated at each stage.
  • Heat oil in a deep saucepan or pot to around 350°F (165-180°C).
  • Carefully place a few mushrooms at a time into the oil and fry for 2-4 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Remove the mushrooms from the oil and place them on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
  • Serve immediately with your chosen dip.

Tips

  • If you want to make a dip, simply combine lemon juice, chives, vegan mayonnaise, garlic, and parsley.
  • You can bake or air fry the mushrooms instead of frying them, but they may not be as crispy. Spray them with oil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
  • These mushrooms are crispiest when fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated.

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Dip ideas and recipes

Breaded mushrooms are often served with a dip. Here are some dip ideas and recipes to go with your breaded mushrooms:

Garlic and Herb

A simple yet classic dip for breaded mushrooms is garlic and herb. You can make this dip by mixing vegan or regular mayonnaise with minced garlic, lemon juice, and freshly chopped chives. You can also add other herbs such as parsley or thyme.

Sour Cream and Chive

Another option for a creamy dip is sour cream and chive. This dip combines sour cream with freshly chopped chives and perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice.

Blue Cheese Dip

For something a little stronger in flavor, you could try a blue cheese dip. This dip is made with crumbled blue cheese, mayonnaise, and a dash of milk to thin it out. You can also add other ingredients such as garlic or chives to taste.

Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is a popular choice for dipping breaded mushrooms. While you can buy ranch dressing at most supermarkets, you can also make your own by combining buttermilk, mayonnaise, garlic, and herbs such as chives and parsley.

Garlic Aioli

If you're looking for a dip with a stronger garlic flavor, garlic aioli is a great option. This dip is made with mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice. You can also add other ingredients such as herbs or spices to taste.

Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce is another classic dip that goes well with breaded mushrooms. You can make your own by mixing mayonnaise, relish, and chopped pickles, and adding crushed garlic cloves to taste.

Frequently asked questions

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