BBQ Vegan Pulled Pork Burger (King Oyster Mushroom)

To make the best vegan pulled pork you should try shredded king oyster mushrooms. Their meaty texture is perfect to roast, grill, or fry until they get crispy edges. In 40 minutes you can have this bbq pulled mushroom burger with a vegan coleslaw right on top.

If you love oyster mushroom recipes where the mushroom is used as a vegan meat alternative, you should also take a look at vegan Philly cheesesteak, vegan gyros, vegan shredded chicken, vegan buffalo chicken dip, and vegan fried chicken recipes.

What can you expect from this recipe?

The classic pulled pork sandwich made of pork shoulder or butt is quite well-known all around the US. It is one of those grab-and-go types of food, which is often offered by food trucks. It is also typical to find among Southern barbeque dishes in spite of the fact that it needs to be cooked for 8-10 hours. So definitely not a quick recipe to prepare.

So is it easy to make vegan pulled pork? I have to say, yes it is. Because there is this wonderfully versatile ingredient called king oyster mushroom which you can turn easily tender and juicy with perfectly crisp edges. And you only need 30 minutes. Here are 5 more reasons you should choose this ingredient:

• allergy-friendly -> no soy, no nuts, no gluten
• easier to buy (compared to other ingredients like seitan) -> here is a quick guide on where to buy them and on how to grow your own at home
• cheap -> way cheaper than company-branded products
• quite neutral in taste -> they soak up any seasoning or marinade
• tough spongy texture -> perfect to replicate pulled pork
• pantry staple -> mushrooms are usually in a vegan grocery or shopping list 

Ingredients

To make a complete vegan grilled BBQ pulled pork burger, you need to make the pulled oyster mushroom flavorful. Hence, we seasoned them with a spice mix before roasting them in the oven. As a final step, we pan-fried them with a homemade BBQ sauce to make them juicy. Here is the list of things you need, but for quantities see the recipe card below.

• King oyster mushrooms
• Homemade vegan barbecue sauce
• Smoked sweet paprika
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Salt

How to make vegan pulled pork?

Prepare the oyster mushrooms

It is quite quick to prepare oyster mushrooms of any type since they don’t grow in the dirt but on tree logs. You don’t need to wash them. If you still see some dirt, just wipe it clean with a cloth and cut off the tip of the stem. Now you can start shredding.

1. Take 2 forks and piece the king oyster mushroom with one at its neck, right below the cap.
2. Use the other fork and pull it along the stem. Push it gently so it pierces the mushroom. Repeat as long as you have a stem to shred.
3. Caps are not easy to shred with a fork. We recommend cutting them as thin as you can with a knife.

Roast them in the oven

Once you are ready with the preparations, you can choose different methods for cooking oyster mushrooms. For this recipe, we roast them in the oven seasoned with a homemade spice mix just like in our vegan gyros recipe.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
3. Spread the shredded mushrooms if possible in one layer.
4. Add seasoning and a bit of oil. Mix until they are well-coated.
5. Roast them for 20-25 minutes. Depending on the size of your strips, you may need short or longer baking time. We recommend checking it halfway and also flipping and stirring them to make sure all edges will be crispy at the end. (See before and after texture on the below photos.)

Make them juicy

If you were to add homemade vegan bbq sauce before baking, the pulled oyster mushrooms will not be as juicy. All you need is a quick 2-3 minutes of frying to really heat up the sauce and get it to stick to the mushroom shreds. See the below photo showing how juicy it can get.

Assemble your bbq mushroom burger

The best part of the whole recipe is building your yummy burger. You can absolutely add other ingredients, but we recommend trying this combination. They are absolutely amazing and delicious together!

1. We started off with a toasted bun.
2. First, we spread a generous layer of sriracha mayo on it.
3. Then, we added the star of this recipe, the bbq pulled oyster mushrooms.
4. Next up, light and easy vegan coleslaw salad.
5. Cover it up with the other side of the toasted bun.

What to serve with it?

If you add many layers to your burger, they will be rich and filling on their own. However, if you need some inspiration for burger side dishes, here are our usual choices:

• roasted potato or sweet potato wedges
• French fries from potatoes or other root veggies like carrots, parsnip…
• brown rice, quinoa, or other cooked grains
• light salad on the side

Let us know in the comments what is your favorite side dish!

FAQs and substitutions

Can you use other mushrooms?

The best mushroom to make vegan pulled pork is definitely king oyster mushroom. However, there are 7 other types of oyster mushrooms you can try. You may not be able to shred them with a fork as thin as king oysters but you can still turn them crispy.

If you have classic button mushrooms or portobello mushrooms, you can certainly make this recipe as the spices and the flavor profile matches perfectly with many mushroom types. However, the texture may not be the same.

We also listed here 13 oyster mushroom substitutes that you can choose from. We especially recommend shredding eggplant or young green jackfruit with a fork in place of king oysters.

How to store them?

You can store them in a fridge for 3-4 days without any problem. We recommend assembling the burger before serving and not storing them as complete burgers.

Can you make them ahead of time?

You can store king oyster mushrooms easily for up to a week in the fridge, or at room temperature for 1-2 days. For more tips, read our how to store oyster mushrooms article. The finished BBQ mushroom strips can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. When you are ready to serve them, reheat them in a frying pan or skillet.

This BBQ oyster mushroom burger recipe is vegan so meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is suitable for a vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free diet. This recipe is not WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) since it is not easy to skip the oil and still end up with the same texture.

More vegan burger recipes

• Chinese BBQ Tofu burger
• Smoky Vegan Beetroot Burger
• Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
• Portobello Mushroom Burger

More oyster mushroom recipes

• Pan-fried Green Herb Oyster Mushrooms
• Teriyaki Oyster Mushroom Steak
• Vegan Hoisin Duck Rice Paper Dumplings
• Veggie Hummus Quesadillas without Cheese
• Thai Oyster Mushroom Noodle Stir-Fry
• Hearty Vegan Breakfast Hash (with Oyster Mushroom Jerky)