Vegan Philly Cheesesteak (Mushroom)

To make the best vegan Philly cheesesteak you should pan-fry shredded oyster mushrooms (not cut, but torn apart). They will have the perfect beefy texture and taste. Fill your hoagie roll with a generous amount of mushroom cheesesteak and vegan cheese. Just look at the below picture, isn’t it mouth-watering?

Since oyster mushrooms are a fantastic meat substitute, if you are looking for more recipes with this ingredient try our vegan gyros, our BBQ vegan pulled pork burger, our vegan fried chicken, or our vegan buffalo chicken wings.

What to expect from this recipe?

You haven’t heard about Philly Cheesesteak? It is originally a stuffed bread with lots of thinly sliced or shaved beefsteak, sauteed onion, and gooey melted provolone cheese. It is called “Philly” because the first place that served this steak and cheese sandwich was in Philadelphia in the early 20th century. Since then it became a popular fast food all around the United States.

You would think that as the main ingredient is beef and cheese, it is impossible to make vegan. You’ll see, I will prove you wrong. Pan-frying shredded oyster mushrooms will give you just the perfect meaty texture you need to mimic thin strips of beef.

We love to work with oyster mushrooms. Our love for this fungi started with this vegan buffalo chicken dip recipe, where we wanted to find a plant-based, soy-free, gluten-free, not to mention a delicious alternative to shredded chicken. And we found it in shredded pearl oyster mushrooms.

Ingredients

The best vegan sliced beefsteak

More and more vegan meat alternatives are discovered every day. I have seen and tried some of them and I can say in all honesty that all of them have pros and cons. It is depending on your taste or medical issues like allergies and intolerance to decide which one suits you the best.

However, to make vegan Philly Cheesesteak, I vote for shredded pearl oyster mushrooms. You can use any other type except king oyster mushrooms which is better for vegan pulled pork.

Why? I have 6 reasons to do that: 

• allergy-friendly -> no soy, no nuts, no gluten 
• pantry staple -> mushrooms are quite a common part of any vegan shopping list
• easy to buy -> usually available in all local stores (unlike jackfruit, seitan, or tempeh) Here is a list of where to buy them or how to grow them at home.
• cheap -> way cheaper than company-branded vegan meat products
• quite neutral in taste -> they soak up any seasoning or marinade you add
• tough spongy texture -> perfect to replicate this gummy, sturdy beefy texture

The best vegan cheese to use

In the classic Philly cheesesteak, the most commonly used cheese is provolone. But which vegan cheese is the best to fill your sub roll?

• When it comes to dairy-free cheese, we usually grab Violife products. And especially for this recipe, we used their smoked provolone cheese slices since they fit perfectly. You can easily melt it on top of the mushrooms and they truly have a smoky cheezy flavor you would expect.
• Try making this homemade vegan provolone cheese. You need only a handful of ingredients like full-fat coconut milk, agar agar flakes, and the right seasoning and you can start chilling your own cheese in 8 minutes!
• Choose your favorite cheese. Who’s to say you cannot use your favorite plant-based cheese? I don’t. Grab whatever you have in your pantry or whichever homemade cheese recipe you usually make and give it a go.

Instructions

Marinating the mushrooms

1. Cut the end of the stem of pearl oyster mushrooms and tear the cap into small shreds with your hands. If the stem is soft enough you can shred them as well. It is really easy to prepare them since they don’t grow in the dirt but on logs.
2. Take a small bowl and mix the marinade (olive oil, vegan and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or one of these 5 gluten-free alternatives, balsamic vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper).
3. Mix this marinade with the oyster mushrooms and leave them for at least 5-10 minutes.

Sauteing the onion

1. Peel and finely chop onions.
2. Take a non-stick frying pan or skillet. Heat it to medium and add 1 Tablespoon of heat-resistant oil like coconut oil or sunflower oil.
3. Sautee onion on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until golden brown, soft and tender. Take it off the heat and place them on a separate plate.

Pan-frying the mushrooms

There are 11 ways to cook oyster mushrooms, but for this vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe, the best method which gives you the right texture and flavor is pan-frying. It is also easy to melt the cheese right on top of it.

1. Take the same skillet you used before for sauteeing the chopped onion and heat it to medium-high heat.
2. Add the marinated oyster mushrooms in one layer (work in batches if you plan to make more servings). The amount in the recipe card is to make 4 vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, so we made them in two batches.
3. Stir with a spatula and fry the shredded oyster mushrooms until nice and crispy. It took us about 10-15 minutes tops. Add a dash of (1 teaspoon) oil if the oyster mushroom feels too dry. When they are ready, they should look like the ones in the below photo.

Can you bake them instead?

Absolutely. You can follow the instructions described in our vegan gyros recipe.

1. Place a parchment paper in a sheet pan or baking tray.
2. Spread the shredded oyster mushrooms preferably in one layer.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) and bake them for 40 minutes or until crispy on the edges. Watch how it progresses, and flip occasionally to make sure all sides are nicely baked and crispy. In any event, check at 20 minutes, as the size of the strips determines the baking time.

Melting the cheese on top

1. Use the same skillet you have been using and take it down to low-medium heat. Divide the mushrooms and the onions by the number of servings. Add 2 servings to your skillet and mix them well.
2. Divide it by two and place each one on each side of the skillet.
3. Place 2-4 slices of vegan Provolone cheese on top of each and cover it with a lid.
4. When the cheese has melted, place the bread loaf cut in half (even better if you toast them in advance) and use a slotted turner to flip it over. Now, your vegan Philly Cheesesteak sandwich is ready. Enjoy!

Top tips to make them perfectly

• 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 or even portobello 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 all juices have been soaked up. You need to add a dash of oil to the skillet before frying to make sure it will not only get crisp but cooked as well.
• Don’t fry together onions and mushrooms – Onion needs medium heat as they will burn on high heat, while mushrooms need high heat to get them crispy. You can use the same skillet though as they can soak up each other’s juices.
• Take into account the size of your loaf – When you decide on the size of the serving, take into account the size of your loaf. We form these mushroom-onion hills in the skillet based on how long our hoagie roll was.
• Melt more cheese on top – To make it even more decadent, add some shredded vegan cheese on top of your sandwich and place it under the broiler to melt it. So yummy! Like a double cheese cheesesteak. 🙂

What else to add to your sandwich?

The basic Philly Cheesesteak sandwich consist of a crusty Italian loaf, shaved beef steak, sauteed onion, and melted Provolone cheese. However, there are other toppings you can choose from:

• jalapeno, pepperoncini, or other hot pepper slices
• sweet red or green bell pepper slices
• pickles
• crispy fried onion
• vegan bacon bits
• tomato and lettuce to turn into a cheesesteak BLT 🙂
• ketchup, hot sauce, or steak sauce (make sure you choose vegan and gluten-free ones)
• Vegan nacho cheese sauce or any other vegan cheese sauce you like

What to serve with it?

Of course, you might not need anything else besides a sandwich bread and the vegan beef and cheese filling or maybe some toppings from the list above. However, here are some ideas you might like:

• French fries
• Onion rings
• Chips or Nachos
• Vegan coleslaw salad or other fresh salad

FAQs and substitutions

How long to marinate the mushrooms?

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 oil to the skillet before frying to make sure it will not only get crisp 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. There are 7 other types of oyster mushrooms but except for king oysters, all of the others would work to make vegetarian cheesesteak. We also listed here 13 oyster mushroom substitutes that you can choose from.

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 it?

You can store pan-fried oyster mushrooms in an airtight container in a fridge for 3-4 days without any problem. Mushrooms may lose their crispiness as time goes by or dry out. We recommend eating them sooner rather than later.

Can you make it ahead of time?

You can store oyster mushrooms easily for up to a week in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for 1-2 days. For more tips, read our how to store oyster mushrooms article. When you are ready to serve them, reheat them in a frying pan or skillet.

More oyster mushroom recipes

You can choose from more than 30 oyster mushroom recipes from all over the world so you can pick the perfect one to try first or check out one of the these below

More vegan sandwich recipes

You can browse through our quick & easy vegan meals or check out

UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in February 2020. More tips, info, FAQs, and details were added and it was republished in June 2022.