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    Home > Vegan Entrees

    Crispy Oyster Mushroom Tacos

    By My Pure Plants on 04/26/2022 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    If you are looking for an easy and yummy meatless taco alternative, you need to try this flavorful and delicious Oyster Mushroom Tacos recipe. These mushrooms are just the best vegan alternatives to meat strips (both beef and chicken). Fill up your tacos with salsa, avocado, pan-roasted corn, black beans and enjoy a Meatless Taco Tuesday!

    3 small tortillas folded in half  on parchment paper filled with mushroom shreds, corn, avocado slices, black beans drizzled with red and white sauce.

    We are seriously in love with oyster mushrooms. I am telling you now if you don’t like mushrooms in general, you will love these. They have such a sturdy, chewy, meaty texture that is perfect to make Vegan Shredded Chicken, or Vegan Gyros, or Vegan Philly Cheesesteak. We have even written a Guide to Oyster Mushrooms with the Best 20+ Oyster Mushroom Recipes to give you even more ideas to enjoy this awesome ingredient.

    Table of Contents hide
    1. The Best Mushroom for Tacos
    2. How to make Oyster Mushroom Tacos?
    3. Top tips to make crispy mushroom strips
    4. What else to add to Vegan Mushroom Tacos?
    5. FAQs and substitutions
    6. More Vegan Tex-Mex recipes
    7. Crispy Oyster Mushroom Tacos (The Best Vegan Taco Recipe)

    The Best Mushroom for Tacos

    What can you expect from a mushroom taco? Well, I saw a lot of recipes with portobello or button mushrooms. I get that they are pretty easy to come by and everyone knows them, but they are pale in comparison to oyster mushrooms. No matter how much spice or marinade you add, you can’t get rid of the mushroom taste. Which is fine, if you like mushrooms. If you don’t or just want to try the crispiest and tastiest mushroom taco ever, you have to choose oyster mushrooms. I am talking about pearl oyster mushrooms here, not king oyster mushrooms. You can check out the difference between them in our Guide to Oyster Mushrooms.

    Why you should choose oyster mushrooms for your taco?

    • No peeling or washing as they grow on trees not in dirt.
    • No cutting is needed, just shred them with your fingers.
    • Their spongy texture soaks up the marinade perfectly so it tastes like a whole new ingredient and not mushrooms.
    • You can pan-fry or oven-roast them super crispy just like you would chicken or beef strips.
    Crispy dark brown oyster mushroom shreds in a black cast-iron skillet. A spatula is holding up a handful.

    How to make Oyster Mushroom Tacos?

    Marinate the mushroom shreds

    1. Cut the end of the stem of pearl oyster mushrooms and tear the cap into small strips with your hands. If the stem is soft enough you can shred them as well.
    2. Take a small bowl and mix the marinade (taco seasoning mix* (chili powder, smoked sweet paprika powder, cumin, oregano), onion powder, garlic powder., black pepper, and salt.
    3. Add the oyster mushroom strips to the marinade and mix well. Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

    Pan-fry them

    1. Take a frying pan or a skillet and heat it to high heat. We love using our UnoCasa skillet (pictured).
    2. Add the marinated oyster mushrooms in one layer (work in batches if you plan to make more servings).
    3. Stir with a spatula and fry them until nice and crispy. It took us about 10-15 minutes tops. Add a dash of (1 tsp) olive oil if the mushrooms feel too dry.

    Alternatively, you can bake them as we did in our vegan gyros recipe. Place parchment paper in a sheet pan. Spread the oyster mushrooms strips preferably in one layer. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) and baked them for 40 minutes or until crispy on the edges. Watch how it progresses. Check it after 20 minutes it may already be done if you shredded them thinner than ours in the above picture! Baking time largely depends on the size of the strips. Flip occasionally to make sure all sides are nicely baked and crispy.

    Crispy dark brown oyster mushroom shreds in a black cast-iron skillet. A spatula is holding up a handful. One small bowl with black beans, one with red sauce and one blue plate with corn

    Top tips to make crispy mushroom strips

    • Use high heat – You need to fry the oyster mushroom shreds on high heat otherwise the liquid they release will not evaporate. In that case, the mushrooms will be cooked rather than fried. They will turn out soft, but not crispy. In our experience, oyster mushrooms release less moisture than button mushrooms, but still, high heat is what you need in this recipe.
    • Adjust the amount of olive oil – It is enough to marinate the mushroom shreds for 5-10 minutes. If you want to or need to marinate longer (like overnight), and the mushroom feels too dry, it means that probably all juices have been soaked up. You need to add a dash of olive oil to the skillet before frying to make sure it will not only get crisp but cooked as well.
    • Cast-iron skillet vs non-stick frying pan – There are several benefits to use a cast-iron skillet, but the one I am most fond of and the one why we chose to use it in this recipe is that cast-iron pans produce a beautiful sear. Not only for steaks though. They make oyster mushrooms especially nice and crispy.

    What else to add to Vegan Mushroom Tacos?

    Obviously, pan-fried or oven-roasted oyster mushroom meat can be a great addition to any Vegan Tacos. In this recipe we used the following taco fillings:

    • avocado slices
    • canned black beans
    • pean-seared canned sweet corn
    • chunky salsa sauce
    • vegan sour cream
    3 small tortillas on parchment paper filled with mushroom shreds, corn, avocado slices, black beans drizzled with red and white sauce. One small bowl with black beans, one with red sauce and one blue plate with corn

    You can make a DIY taco or taco bowl to match your taste with ingredients like:

    • fajita veggies (bell pepper and onions),
    • jalapeno peppers or other hot peppers
    • sweet potato rice,
    • cilantro brown rice,
    • chopped tomatoes,
    • fresh tomato corn salsa,
    • hot salsa,
    • shredded lettuce,
    • guacamole,
    • vegan nacho cheese sauce,
    • vegan queso dip,
    • shredded vegan cheese,
    • spring onion, chives, cilantro,
    • lime
    • tortilla chips
    • flourless tortilla
    A hand is holding a small tortillas filled with mushroom shreds, corn, avocado slices, black beans drizzled with red and white sauce.

    FAQs and substitutions

    How long to marinate?

    You can marinate them for 5-10 minutes, but you can leave them in the marinade overnight as well. If you decide to leave it long, pay attention to the incredible sponge texture of the mushrooms as the marinade will be soaked up completely. If the mushroom shreds feel too dry, you need to add a dash of olive oil to the skillet before frying to make sure it will not only get crips but cooked as well.

    Will other types of mushrooms work as well?

    There are certainly several different types of mushrooms, although none of them beats the meaty and sturdy texture of oyster mushrooms. We tried this recipe with portobello mushrooms and button mushrooms as well. The seasoning will bring you the taste, but the texture and the shape will be less meaty and you will for sure can tell that you eat mushrooms.

    How to store them?

    You can store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days tops. Mushrooms can go bad easily as well as they can dry out. We recommend eating them sooner rather than later.

    3 small tortillas on parchment paper filled with mushroom shreds, corn, avocado slices, black beans drizzled with red and white sauce.

    This Crispy Mushroom Tacos recipe is vegan (so meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free) and vegetarian. It is gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. It is not compliant with WFPB (whole foods plant-based diet) because you need oil to make them this crispy.

    More Vegan Tex-Mex recipes

    • Vegan Taco Soup
    • Mexican Sweet Potato “Rice” Bowl
    • Copycat Chipotle Veggie Bowl or Veggie Burrito
    • Vegan Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
    • Vegan Bean Chili
    • Loaded Vegan Nachos
    3 small tortillas folded in half on parchment paper filled with mushroom shreds, corn, avocado slices, black beans drizzled with red and white sauce.

    Crispy Oyster Mushroom Tacos (The Best Vegan Taco Recipe)

    Nandor Barta
    If you are looking for a meatless taco alternative, you need to try this flavorful and delicious Oyster Mushroom Tacos recipe. These mushrooms are just the best vegan alternatives to meat strips (both beef and chicken). Fill up your tacos with salsa, avocado, pan-roasted corn, and black beans, and enjoy a Meatless Taco Tuesday!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 143kcal

    Equipment

    • Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)
    • our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 7 oz Oyster mushrooms
    • 4 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 + ½ Tbsp Taco seasoning mix
    • ¼ tsp Onion powder
    • ¼ tsp Garlic powder
    • ⅛ tsp Black pepper
    • ⅛ tsp Salt

    Other taco add-ins

    • 4 Small tortillas
    • ½ Avocado
    • 4 Tbsp Vegan sour cream
    • 8 Tbsp Sweet corn (canned)
    • 8 Tbsp Black beans
    • 8 Tbsp Chunky salsa sauce
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    Instructions
     

    Marinate

    • Take your pearl oyster mushrooms. Cut the end of the stem off. Tear both cap and stem with your hand into shreds.
    • Take a bowl and make the marinade by mixing olive oil, taco seasoning mix, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
    • Mix this marinade with the oyster mushrooms strips. Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

    Sautee

    • Take a skillet and heat it to high heat. Add the marinated oyster mushrooms in one layer (work in batches if you plan to make more servings).
    • Stir with a spatula and fry them until nice and crispy. It took us about 10-15 minutes tops. Add a dash of (1 tsp) olive oil if the oyster mushroom feels too dry.
    • Alternatively, you can bake them in the oven as we did in our vegan gyros recipe. Place parchment paper in a sheet pan. Spread the shredded oyster mushrooms, preferably in one layer. Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) and bake them for 40 minutes or until crispy on the edges. Watch how it progresses. Check it after 20 minutes it may already be done if you shredded them thinner than ours in the above picture! Baking time largely depends on the size of the strips. Flip occasionally to make sure all sides are nicely baked and crispy.

    Assemble

    • Take a small tortilla and add sauteed mushrooms, pan-seared corn (we just sauteed them after the mushrooms in the skillet without seasoning), black beans, avocado slices, chunky salsa sauce, and dairy-free sour cream. More serving ideas are in the Notes section.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    You can make a DIY taco or taco bowl to match your taste with ingredients like:
    • other canned beans
    • fajita veggies (bell pepper and onions),
    • jalapeno peppers or other hot peppers
    • sweet potato rice,
    • cilantro brown rice,
    • chopped tomatoes,
    • tomato corn salsa,
    • hot salsa,
    • shredded lettuce,
    • guacamole,
    • vegan nacho cheese sauce,
    • vegan queso dip,
    • shredded vegan cheese,
    • spring onion, chives, cilantro,
    • lime
    • tortilla chips
    • flourless tortilla

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Crispy Oyster Mushroom Tacos (The Best Vegan Taco Recipe)
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving of oyster mushroom meat)
    Calories 143 Calories from Fat 126
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14g22%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 158mg7%
    Potassium 213mg6%
    Carbohydrates 4g1%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 112IU2%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 3mg0%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    1. CasSandra l

      August 29, 2022 at 7:10 pm

      Can I air fry? if so, how long do you think?

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        September 05, 2022 at 7:06 am

        I don’t have an air fryer, but unbreaded mushrooms are usually fried in an air fryer between 10-15 minutes depending on how many you add at the same time.

        Reply
    2. Hadley

      April 19, 2022 at 1:25 am

      I follows this recipe exactly, but I opted to bake them instead of pan frying, but still followed those instructions. I took them out at 20 minutes to flip, and then took them out at 30 minutes and they were burned beyond belief. I’m so sad. I think 425 and 40 minutes is not an accurate baking temp/time combo. Just fyi.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        April 26, 2022 at 8:37 am

        Hi Hadley, we are so sorry to hear that. We will adjust the instruction saying to check the oven from time to time. It can happen that 40 minutes is too much if the shredded mushrooms are thinner than ours in the picture.

        Reply
    3. Pia

      March 22, 2022 at 1:20 am

      5 stars
      I have so many taco filling recipes, this is one of the easiest I’ve found and the YUMMIEST. Also used the marinade for some capsicum and zucchini which I cooked the same way as the mushrooms. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about these tacos and can’t wait to make them again. Will try your gyros next. Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        March 22, 2022 at 9:05 am

        Hi Pia, we are so glad you liked our taco recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience.

        Reply

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