Perfect Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

A hand is holding a closed bread loaf stuffed with brown mushroom shreds and melted cheese wrapped in a white paper

Perfect Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

The best vegan alternative to make Philly Cheesesteak is, without a doubt, shredded oyster mushrooms (not cut, but torn apart). You will have the perfect beefy texture and taste. Fill your hoagie roll with mushrooms and a generous amount of vegan melted cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Greek, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword oyster mushroom recipe, vegan cheesesteak, vegan philly cheesesteak

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 267kcal

Author Nandor Barta

Equipment

Ingredients

Vegan sliced beefsteak

10 oz Oyster mushrooms not king oyster, but pearl oysters
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Soy sauce or tamari
¼ tsp Balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garlic powder
½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
1 tsp Oregano
½ tsp Ground cumin seeds
½ tsp Salt
⅛ tsp Black pepper

Other ingredients

3-4 oz Vegan Provolone cheese we used Violife
1 Onion (medium)
1 Tbsp Olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate oyster mushrooms

Take your pearl oyster mushrooms. Cut the end of the stem off. Tear both caps and stem with your hand into shreds.
Take a bowl and make the marinade by mixing olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce or tamari, balsamic vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix this marinade with the oyster mushrooms. Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

Sautee onion

Peel and finely chop onion.
Take a non-stick frying pan or skillet. Heat it to medium and add 1 Tbsp olive oil.
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.

Sautee oyster mushrooms

Take the same skillet you used before for sauteeing the chopped onion and heat it to high heat. 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 for 4 bread loaves, so we made them in two batches.
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 tsp) olive oil if the oyster mushroom feels too dry.
Alternatively, you can bake them 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 the oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) and bake them for 20-40 minutes or until crispy on the edges. Watch how it progresses, and occasionally flip to ensure all sides are nicely baked and crispy. Depending on the size of the shreds, they may already be ready after 20 minutes.

Assemble your vegan cheesesteak

Divide the mushrooms and the onions by the number of servings. Add 1-1 serving to each side of the skillet.
Place 2-4 slices of vegan cheese on top and cover it with a lid.
When the cheese has melted, cut the bread loaf in half (toasted even) and use a slotted turner to flip it over. Your vegan Philly Cheesesteak sandwich is ready. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Top tips to make Perfect Vegan Cheesesteak

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.
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 is.
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. :-)

Nutrition