Vegan Oyster Mushroom Burgers (Oven-Baked)

These crispy oyster mushroom burgers are so amazingly delicious and also easy-to-make! They are baked in the oven (not deep-fried!) for a healthier recipe and they make for a nourishing and filling dinner your whole family will rave about. Completely vegan, egg-free, dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free.

If you are looking for a new tasty meat substitute to make vegan burgers, then here is your next recipe to try: oyster mushroom burgers.

My most recent delicious vegan burger recipe on the blog is made with jackfruit (vegan jackfruit burger patties), but since I have a weakness for all things mushroom, I am now so very much obsessed with this mushroom version.

I have tested it a few times to get the breading right and every time we savored them. Even our kids who are not usually that much into mushrooms, they devoured their burger. This recipe is going to be coming back often in our meal rotation and I cannot wait for you guys to try it too!

Mushroom burgers are more often made with portobello mushrooms, but trust me, using oyster mushrooms instead of portobello is much better! In this recipe, the oyster mushrooms are breaded with simple ingredients and then baked in the oven, which gives them such a chewy yet amazing crispy texture. All this without having to deep-fried them. Actually, they are made completely oil-free!

And even though this vegan oyster mushroom recipe obviously does not taste like meat, the texture shockingly feels like fried chicken. The middle is juicy and shred-y and very meaty and the outside is SO crunchy and filled with savory spices. The mushroom itself provides a tons of amazing umami flavor, giving it a super satisfying bite. We cannot believe how delicious these meatless burgers are!

Plus, they are fairly easy to make! Simply bread the mushrooms in 2 easy steps and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes. So fast and simple!

I also paired them with quick homemade cucumber pickles and they were perfect. The trick is to start by combining the pickle ingredients first in a jar, which will be done in 5 min, and then let them marinate in the fridge while you make the rest. By the time you are ready to build your burgers, the homemade pickles are perfectly tenderized, sweet and tangy. They are optional, but I highly recommend making them!

Pair with a cilantro-lime pasta salad, buffalo tortellini pasta salad, roasted zucchini and broccoli or simply a beet watermelon salad for such an amazing summer dinner recipe!

Let me know if you tried them! ❤️

What are oyster mushrooms and where to find them

If you are new to oyster mushrooms, then this recipe is a great place to start! Oyster mushrooms are amazing: full of nutrients, easier to find than it seems and so easy to cook with. They have a milder flavor compared to other mushrooms, which is a great choice if you are not a fan of mushrooms in general. You can eat all parts of the oyster mushrooms: the caps, stems and gills are all edible!

Oyster mushrooms ("pleurote" in French) are called this way for their shape similar to oysters (the seafood). They grow on trees in many parts of the world and they can be any shade of color in between white and grey.

They have various sizes and shapes with some being larger while other can look more like a cluster of delicate smaller mushrooms.

As a side note, oyster mushrooms (most delicate, smaller and sweeter) are different compared to king oyster mushrooms (larger stems and more dense), so be sure not to swap them and choose the right one!

If you want to read more about them, then My Pure Plant has a great article on oyster mushrooms you should read!

Highlights of this recipe

• Easy recipe using simple ingredients
• Quick weeknight dinner recipe
• Great alternative to veggie burgers that easily fall apart while eating
• Unbelievable "fried chicken" texture
• Juicy middle with great umami flavor
• Healthier recipe made without oil
• Loaded with good-for-you mushrooms
• Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free and can easily be made gluten-free

Ingredients you will need

For the baked oyster mushrooms

• Oyster mushrooms: you will need oyster mushrooms for this recipe and NOT king oyster mushrooms. They are quite different and king mushrooms are more sturdy and thick, so they would need to be prepared and cooked differently.
• Ground flax seeds: when mixed with water, it creates a gel (similarly to egg whites) that helps the panko mixture stick to the mushrooms.
• Panko breadcrumbs: better than regular breadcrumbs in this recipe as they will give the mushrooms such an amazing crispy texture.
• Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt give flavor to the panko breading.

For the quick pickles (optional)

• English cucumber: I love English cucumber for pickling because they are seedless and their skin is thin, which makes it a great choice for a speedy pickling made under 30 minutes. If using a more sturdy kind of cucumber, such as the ones from the garden, then you might want to remove the seeds and let them marinate for a little longer.
• Rice vinegar: good choice for a quick pickling because it is sweeter and milder. You can also use regular white vinegar if you prefer.
• Maple syrup: works great for pickling without warming up the brine as it dissolves better in a cold liquid compared to granulated sugar. Agave nectar or brown rice syrup would be good choices too.

For the burgers

Use your favorite burger fixings, but here is what I used:

• Buns: I used onion burger buns, which worked out so well. You can choose whole wheat buns for a healthier and more filling burger recipe OR even, simply use any bread you would use for sandwiches.
• Vegan mayo: use store-bought or make your own healthier vegan mayo using cashews.
• BBQ sauce: I used store-bought BBQ sauce for convenience, but feel-free to swap for ketchup.

See below for more yummy ideas to fill your burgers with!

How to make oyster mushroom burgers

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 375º.

Make the quick pickles (optional)

Start with the pickles so it has enough time to marinate (about 30 minutes).

Add the rice vinegar, water, maple syrup and salt to a jar and then, add the sliced cucumber. Seal and shake/tilt to combine the brine. Transfer to the fridge until ready to use, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms usually aren’t that dirty, so just remove any dirt using a humid paper towel. Then, you can slice off just the very tip of the stem (but keep the stem on, they are edible!).

If there are large clusters of mushrooms, you can also break them off roughly just so they are easier to bread and they will cook more evenly that way too.

Bread and bake the oyster mushrooms

Add the ground flax seeds with the water to a large shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Then, set aside to set and thicken, which should take 5-10 minutes.

To a second large shallow bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the spices and salt.

Then, one piece of oyster mushroom at the time, dip in the flax seed mixture making sure all of its surface is completely covered. This will ensure that the breading sticks to the mushrooms evenly.

Then, transfer to the bowl with the panko mixture and cover completely as well. Use your fingers to make sure all the surface and cracks of the mushroom are uniformly coated with the breading, you should not see any areas of the mushroom anymore!

Place the breaded mushroom on the prepared baking sheet and keep going with the remaining mushrooms.

Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.

Build the burgers

When the mushrooms are ready, then you can build the burgers.

Simply toast or grill your buns as you wish and then, spread your favorite burger sauce on each side. I used vegan mayo on one side and BBQ sauce on the other side. Ketchup would work well too (see below for more ideas!).

Then, layer a few slices of marinated cucumber over one of the bun and top with the baked oyster mushrooms. Top with the other bun and enjoy right away!

Watch how to make them

Helpful tips

• For a pleasant juicy burger, then make sure not to over-bake the mushrooms so they don't dry out. If you have very delicate and thinner oyster mushrooms, then you might not need to bake them for the whole 20 minutes, so watch carefully.
• Don't leave any spots without the breading, this is the secret for a super crispy burger! Make sure the flax mixture goes all over the surface or the panko won't stick to it.
• Your oyster mushrooms might look different then mine as there are so many different kinds, but that's fine, they all work well. BUT don't use king oyster mushrooms and if yours are in large clusters, then you can roughly break them up so they are easier to handle and bake.

Serving suggestions

I served mine simply with the marinated cucumber: they are quick and easy and add such a fun tangy flavor and crunchiness to the sandwich. Plus, they marinate while you make the rest, super easy! But, here are other burger fixing ideas you could include:

• Lettuce
• Pickled red onions
• Tomatoes
• Mango corn salsa
• Roasted red pepper
• Marinated carrots lox
• Sprouts
• Balsamic red onions
• Sweet onions or caramelized onions
• Vegan cheese
• Vegan coleslaw (see how I make it in my BBQ chickpea bowl recipe)
• Avocado
• Marinated jalapeño
• Tempeh bacon

Also, for the sauces, I think BBQ sauce + mayo is amazing in this oyster mushroom sandwich, but here are other sauces that would work well:

• Vegan walnut pesto
• Ketchup
• Guacamole
• Dijon mustard
• vegan buffalo sauce
• Spicy mayo (mayo + sriracha to taste)
• Chipotle mayo

Variations to the recipe

There are many ways you can change up things in this recipe to make it your own. First, if you cannot find oyster mushrooms, then you can use another kind, especially shiitake or maitake. I actually tried this recipe using maitake mushrooms because that's all they had at the grocery store and they were great too!

Also, feel-free to season the panko breading to your taste. I like to simply add onion powder, garlic powder and paprika, but use smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cajun spices, dried herbs, etc if you prefer.

Storage

Like most baked recipes, the vegan mushroom pieces are best when enjoyed right away as they will lose their crispiness while storing. That being said, I did have some leftovers while testing more mushrooms than we needed and the leftovers were great!

Keep any extra in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days and to reheat, I highly recommend using the oven or even better, a small toaster oven. If you reheat using a microwave, then the mushrooms might turn softer and a little soggy.

FAQ's

More vegan burgers and sandwiches to try

• Vegan chickpea and oat burger
• Vegan buffalo tofu sandwich
• Jackfruit burger patties
• Creamy beet and pickle sandwiches
• Balsamic tofu sandwich wraps
• Vegan black bean burrito
• Vegan chickpea gyros
• Smoky tofu sandwich
• Chickpea avocado sandwich
• Crusted tofu sandwich wraps
• Tofu scramble breakfast sandwich
• Broccoli white bean burgers

I hope you like this vegan oyster mushroom burger recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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