15 Meaty Oyster Mushroom Recipes, From Tender Steaks to Rich Stroganoff

Make the most of wild, mild oyster mushrooms with seafood, skewers, and side dishes.

Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero
Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

Oyster mushrooms, named for how their shape grows in an array of colors — blue, yellow, gray, and pink — have a mild flavor, making it less earthy than other mushrooms and a great vehicle for sauces and seasoning, according to former F&W editor Margaret Eby. In her guide to mushrooms, she describes oyster mushrooms as chewier than lion's mane, with a texture almost like chicken, noting that they stand up well to the grill and make a great addition to pasta or rice. Here, oyster mushrooms stand in for bacon and beef, too, with their meaty firmness and savory flavor. Make the most of the wild mushroom by using them in appetizers, pasta, tacos, tamales, side dishes, seafood mains, and more recipes for oyster mushrooms.

Oyster Mushroom Tamales with Mole Encacahuatado

DYLAN + JENI
DYLAN + JENI

Mexican cook and writer Paola Briseño González roasts oyster mushrooms, concentrating their flavor, for a hearty vegetarian tamale filling to pair with velvety, intensely aromatic, and deeply savory peanut mole, or mole encacahuatado.

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Smoky Mushroom Skewers with Labneh and Salsa Verde

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Feathery oyster mushrooms get nice and crispy for these quick-cooking kebabs. Pile into warm pitas with a smear of tangy labneh and a drizzle of intensely herby salsa verde.

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Mushroom Conserva

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Marinated in a blend of Champagne vinegar, olive oil, toasted fennel seeds, garlic, and thyme, tender beech, cremini, and oyster mushrooms are a winning appetizer waiting to take your next meal to the next level.

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King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade

Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero
Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

Chef Julia Sullivan prepares these tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks at Henrietta Red in Nashville, serving them with a rustic French sauce.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons

David Malosh
David Malosh

Bacon, the usual star in recipes like this, is replaced with lardons made from king oyster mushrooms, making this an ideal vegetarian side dish that everyone will enjoy.

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Sugar Snap Peas and Oyster Mushrooms in Sherried Cream

© John Kernick
© John Kernick

North Carolina chef Ashley Christensen sautées oyster mushrooms for this super-easy, two-step dish.

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Wild Mushroom Crostini

© Lucas Allen
© Lucas Allen

Chef Ford Fry tops toasts with creamy ricotta, a mix of garlicky oyster and shiitake mushrooms, and a handful of herbs.

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Roasted Salmon with Oyster Mushrooms in Red Wine

© David Malosh
© David Malosh

Pacific Northwest chef Jason Franey browns oyster mushrooms before simmering with shallot, garlic, thyme, seasoning, wine, and broth to complement this roasted salmon beautifully.

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Salmon with Oyster Mushrooms and Peppers

© Cedric Angeles
© Cedric Angeles

2005 F&W Best New Chef Maria Hines, chef and owner of the now-shuttered Tilth in Seattle, has her own version of salmon with oyster mushrooms, adding local heirloom peppers in the summer.

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King Oyster Mushroom "BLT" with Basil Mayonnaise

© Con Poulos
© Con Poulos

Philadelphia chef Richard Landau mimics bacon with the firm, meaty texture and flavor of king oyster mushrooms, also known as king trumpets or royal trumpets, on this BLT.

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Slow Cooker Mushroom Stroganoff with Egg Noodles

© Sarah Bolla
© Sarah Bolla

San Diego recipe developer Sarah Bolla replaces the traditional beef in this dish with button, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. She sautés the mushrooms with both butter and olive oil to add a bit of richness that you can't get from oil alone.

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Crab Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms

© Chris Court
© Chris Court

Oyster mushrooms pair well with shellfish; 1993 F&W Best New Chef Nancy Oakes folds in Dungeness crab, which is abundant in the Bay Area.

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Sunchoke-Kale Hash with Farro

© Con Poulos
© Con Poulos

2009 F&W Best New Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo sear silky oyster mushrooms until they are browned for this soul-satisfying winter hash.

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Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms

© Lisa Linder
© Lisa Linder

Concentrate the rich flavor of thick, meaty slices of king oyster mushrooms by roasting in the oven for 50 minutes.

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Baked Apples with Oyster Mushrooms

© William Meppem
© William Meppem

Jane Sigal cooks a mixture of the chopped apple with a half pound of sliced oyster mushrooms, garlic, and mixed herbs to stuff apple cups and cook with apple cider for a sweet and savory fall dish.

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