If you never knew what to do with king oyster mushrooms before, look no further! These meaty and flavorful mushrooms make a delicious side dish or a wonderfully satisfying meal and is perfect for paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets!
If you're a mushroom fan like I am, you're going to love this recipe.
And if you're not familiar with king oyster mushrooms, you have to give this beautiful variety a try!
As it is with all mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms are full of that satisfying savory umami flavor, but I like them more than other varieties because they're more meaty and are substantial enough to stand alone as a meal.
And really...button mushrooms are quite boring compared to these!
There are a number of ways to cook king oyster mushrooms, of course, but I've come up with a way that is incredibly simple and incredibly delicious.
How Do You Prepare the Mushrooms?
Depending on how extensive the produce department is in your market, they are often easy to locate in Asian markets and grocery stores. They are usually in packages of 3 or 4 and found in the produce section.
After trimming off a bit of the end and any dark straggly bits, I slice the mushrooms into ¼-inch slices (approximately). I slice them at a diagonal, just to make them shapes more interesting, but you can also slice them lengthwise or crosswise.
And with the way this dish is prepared, it's perfect for vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and keto/low-carb diets. Awesome, right??
I make diagonal cuts or scores on one or both side of each slice of mushroom. The edges of the cut end up browning quite nicely in the pan, making them look really nice. The scores can also help making biting into the mushrooms easier.
If you like the idea of scoring the mushrooms, you can also cut a criss-cross pattern into each side or make the parallel scores tighter than what I have shown here. Feel free to use some creative license!
This is an optional step and the mushrooms will still be great without it!
Cooking the Mushrooms
All you're going to need (besides the mushrooms) is sliced garlic, some oil, and salt and pepper. That's it!
Start by heating a skillet over medium-high heat and once it's hot, add some oil and then the garlic. Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds, keeping it moving in the oil so as not to burn, and then it's time to start adding the mushrooms!
All the mushrooms get laid in the pan in single layer. If I score the mushrooms, I lay the scored side down in the pan. I then slide the mushrooms around in the pan to make sure they've got oil on the bottoms.
Let the mushrooms cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the bottoms are nicely browned.
Flip all the mushrooms over and cook for another 3 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and give them a stir. Mix in the chopped green onions and remove the pan from the heat.
And the dish is done! You've got tender yet bouncy king mushroom slices full of umami, served with the golden garlic slices and wilted green onions and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Delish!
How Do You Serve Them?
As I mentioned, king oyster mushrooms are meaty and substantial and make a great meal on their own. That being said, they would also be a perfect side dish to entrees such as:
- Asian Ground Beef Rice Bowls
- Dry Brined Roast Chicken
- Rice Cooker Chinese Sticky Rice
- Chinese Poached Black Cod
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Chicken
Or make the mushrooms the main dish and serve it with a side of Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice or Super Simple Egg Drop Soup!
If you like a bit of spice, drizzle some chili oil over the dish, or simply top it with some chopped Thai chili peppers. Kimchi would also make a great pairing! Top it with some fried shallots or a sprinkling of furikake for a bit of crunch.
I love how the dish comes together so deliciously and beautifully with the simplest of ingredients, and it's quick to make, too! I can easily devour this as a meal and love how it's not only light but satisfying! How can you go wrong?
So next time you're perusing the mushrooms, skip on past the button mushrooms and look for the kings. 😉
~ Lisa.
Pan-Fried King Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients
- ½ lb. king oyster mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2-3 tablespoons extra light olive oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Chopped green onions
Other possible garnishes:
- Sliced Thai chili pepper
- Fried shallots
- Furikake seasoning
- Kimchi
Equipment
Instructions
- Slice king oyster mushrooms into ¼-inch thick slices (at an angle or lengthwise).
- Optional Step: Make diagonal scoring cuts partway into each mushroom slice on one or both sides. Can also make criss-cross cuts.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add extra light olive oil (or any neutral flavored oil).
- Add garlic slices to the pan let them cook about 1 minute, keeping them moving so they do not burn.
- Lay mushroom slices in a single layer in the pan, sliding them around the pan so the bottoms get coated in oil. (Place the scored/cut side of the mushroom down if you have only cut one side of the slices.)
- Let mushrooms fry for 3-4 minutes until they are nicely browned on the bottom.
- Flip mushroom slices over and let cook another 3 minutes.
- Add salt, fresh ground black pepper and stir the mushrooms.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped green onions. Give them a quick stir in with the mushrooms and transfer everything to a serving dish.
- Garnish with more fresh chopped green onions and sliced Thai chili pepper, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- ½ lb. is approximately 3-4 king oyster mushrooms.
- Make sure the pan is set over medium-high heat so that the garlic does not burn.
- Scoring the mushroom slices is optional, but it does make the slices look more interesting with the browned edges. It can also make the slices easier to bite into.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
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