Learn how cook oyster mushrooms using this helpful guide! Like other types of mushrooms, oyster mushrooms can be roasted, sautéed, grilled, stir-fried or simmered in broth or sauce.
Two of the best ways to cook oyster mushrooms are sautéing and roasting. This blog post shares a flavorful recipe for sautéed oyster mushrooms with garlic, including helpful tips for buying, preparing and storing oyster mushrooms. Or, you can try roasted oyster mushrooms with garlic and thyme.
Oyster mushrooms taste fairly mild and share the same earthy flavor of other mushrooms. What sets them apart is a delicate flavor and aroma that is reminiscent of seafood.
All parts of an oyster mushroom are edible. The mushroom cap has a very satisfying meaty texture that is tender but not limp or overly soft. The stem is more firm and chewy.
Oyster mushrooms don't necessarily need to be cooked, but when eaten raw they have an unpleasant texture and flavor. For this reason, It's best to cook oyster mushrooms before eating them.
If you love mushrooms, you should also check out my recipes that use common button or cremini mushrooms, like miso mushroom pasta or Instant Pot vegetable stew with mushrooms.
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How to Buy and Store Oyster Mushrooms
When purchasing mushrooms look for fresh and soft caps that don’t have dried edges. The color should be light, not dark and wilted.
Keep in mind that mushrooms shrink quite a bit when cooked. A full pound of oyster mushrooms will cook down to 2 larger servings or 4 very small servings.
The best way to store mushrooms is in a paper bag, which allows the mushrooms to breathe and prevents moisture from building up. Plan to cook the mushrooms within several days of buying them. One cooked, mushrooms taste best if eaten within 2 to 3 days, although they stay fresh for up to 5 days.
How to Clean Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are usually cleaner than other types of mushrooms and have less dirt clinging to them. However, it's still a good idea to clean them before consuming.
You have two options. You can brush the mushrooms off with a dry or damp paper towel. Or, for a more thorough cleaning, use water.
Oyster mushrooms are like sponges and it's easy for them to get waterlogged. For this reason, it's not a good idea to soak them in a bowl of water. Instead, the best way to clean oyster mushrooms is to fill a bowl with cold water, then hold the stems and swish the cluster of attached mushroom caps in the water to remove dirt from the caps.
After washing, immediately pat them dry with a towel. Even after this step, the mushrooms will remain a bit wet. The moisture will steam from them as they cook. If the mushrooms are really moist, it might take them longer to cook than you expect, especially if you want a browned, crispy texture.
How to Trim and Prep Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are sold in clusters of attached mushrooms. They cook best when they are gently pulled apart into individual mushrooms. You can do this with your hands, but sometimes it's easier to use kitchen shears to simply snip the mushrooms free from the bottom stem that holds the cluster together.
Before cooking, you can leave the individual mushrooms whole, or you can tear them into pieces or slice them with a knife. In most cases, the mushrooms are left whole because they look more impressive than chopped up pieces of mushrooms.
How to Cook Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms can be cooked like any other type of mushroom. They can be roasted, sautéed, grilled, stir-fried or simmered in broth or sauce.
To sauté the mushrooms, follow these simple steps (see the recipe card at the end of the post for detailed instructions and ingredient amounts).
Step 1: To saute oyster mushrooms, spread the mushrooms out evenly in a hot skillet with oil or melted butter. Cook for 3 minutes without stirring.
Step 2: Lightly salt the mushrooms and turn the heat down slightly. Saute for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Helpful Tip: Start with a higher heat on the stove to brown the mushrooms, but then lower the heat so the mushrooms have time to soften without burning.
Another cooking method that I love is roasting oyster mushrooms. Toss the mushrooms in oil and season with salt. Spread the mushrooms out evenly on a sheet-pan and roast at 425F. Check the mushrooms frequently. It's hard to give an exact cooking time, because the size and thickness of the mushrooms vary, although they usually take around 20 minutes to roast. You can leave them in the oven longer if you want a really crispy texture.
For a detailed recipe, check out this recipe for roasted oyster mushrooms with garlic and thyme.
Helpful Tip: If you clean mushrooms in water, they will absorb moisture that will release when the mushrooms are cooked. This creates a steaming affect that can make the texture of cooked mushrooms limp and soggy. The best way to fight this is by spacing out the mushrooms in a saute pan or on a sheet-pan. Allowing plenty of space helps quickly evaporate excess moisture. If you want browned mushrooms with crispy edges, make sure not to crowd the pan!
Serving Suggestions
Oyster mushrooms are satisfying as a vegan/vegetarian main course or can be served as a versatile side dish. There are many different ways to serve them!
Pasta: Saute or roast the mushrooms, then toss with your favorite pasta or buttered egg noodles. You can also simmer them in bolognese or red sauce. They are also delicious in a cream sauce.
Polenta: Pile on top of sliced polenta or creamy oven baked polenta.
Bread: Pile cooked mushrooms onto sliced, toasted bread. Add fresh herbs, sea salt, or cheese for more flavor.
Fish: The delicate seafood flavor of oyster mushrooms pairs well with grilled or roasted fish. Try them with miso-butter salmon.
Steak or chicken: Mushrooms are a perfect side dish for steak or chicken.
Vegetables: You can roast oyster mushrooms on the same sheet-pan as other vegetables. Or, serve them to a stir-fry.
Oyster Mushrooms FAQs
Many grocery stores sell oyster mushrooms year round, or you can buy them at a farmers' market. Some experienced foragers like to harvest oyster mushrooms in the wild or you can buy mushroom growing kits and cultivate them at home.
In the wild, they can usually be found in the fall and early winter. In some climates, you will see them growing in late spring or summer. Whenever foraging in the wild, make sure you’re completely certain about your identification. Some types of mushrooms are poisonous and should never be consumed.
At my local grocery stores, the price of oyster mushrooms is usually between $6.99 and $7.99/pound. Sometimes they are sold loose by the pound and sometimes they are packaged.
However, how much oyster mushrooms cost depends on where you buy them. I've seen them cost slightly less than $6.99/lb and I've seen them sold for quite a bit more. Generally, they are more expensive than button or cremini mushrooms, but typically less expensive than morels, chanterelles or other speciality mushrooms.
The dried version of this mushrooms is very mild and lacks the flavor and texture of fresh ones. However, they can work well in soup and stew because they quickly hydrate in liquid.
There are around 200 species in the oyster mushrooms genus (Pleurotus ostreatus). King oyster mushrooms are simply a variety that has wider stems and thicker caps than regular oyster mushrooms. They are also known as King Trumpet mushrooms.
Mushroom are fungi, not plants.
Oyster mushrooms are actually considered carnivorous! They can break down and consume microscopic nematodes and use the nutrients to supplement the low levels of nitrogen available in wood and trees that they grow on and consume.
There are a few reasons. The name "oyster mushroom" comes from the way the mushrooms grow in attached clusters, just like oysters in the ocean. In the wild, the mushroom clusters attach to trees and logs just like real oysters attach to rocks. Also, the shape of the mushroom cap slightly resembles the shape and color of an oyster. Lastly, when you cook oyster mushrooms, you might notice a delicate seafood aroma, which is another way this mushroom got its name.
Yes, you can eat the entire mushroom. You will, however, want to trim off the bottom part of the stem that connects oyster mushrooms in a cluster so that the cluster can be separated into individual mushrooms.
More Recipes for Mushroom Lovers
If you try this Sautéed Oyster Mushroom recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how the recipe turned out in the 📝 comments section below. I love hearing from readers!
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Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms Recipe
The trick to sautéing oyster mushrooms is starting with medium-high heat to brown the mushrooms, then turning the heat down so the mushrooms will get tender without burning. Also, make sure to space the mushrooms out evenly in the skillet!
A pound of oyster mushrooms will shrink down to 2 servings after cooking, or just barley enough to toss with a pound of pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: side dishes
- Method: saute
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pound oyster mushrooms, cleaned and pulled apart (see the notes section below or the blog post above for more details about cleaning and prepping the mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or salted butter (or a combination of the two)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
If mushrooms are crowded into a skillet, the moisture that releases will steam the mushrooms and they won't brown nicely. To prevent this, you'll need to saute a pound of mushrooms in two batches. When fewer mushrooms are in the skillet, the moisture will release and then evaporate.
- In a wide skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of either oil or butter over medium-high heat.
- When the skillet is hot, add half of the mushrooms in an even layer, spread out across the skillet. Mix well to coat the mushrooms in oil then cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes. This gives the mushrooms a chance to brown. If the skillet seems dry, add a little bit more oil or butter.
- Season the mushrooms lightly with salt, then toss and gently mix. Turn the heat down to medium or medium low.
- Continue to saute the mushrooms until they are tender, have shrunk in size, and are lightly browned around the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Take the cooked mushrooms out of the skillet. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter or oil to the skillet along with the remaining mushrooms. Saute the second batch of mushrooms the same as the first.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Add all of the mushrooms back to the skillet along with the garlic. If the skillet seems dry, add a little bit more oil or butter.
- Saute for an additional minute or two, until the garlic is cooked.
- Taste the mushrooms and add more salt to taste.
Notes
Cleaning
Oyster mushrooms are usually cleaner than other types of mushrooms and have less dirt clinging to them. However, it's still a good idea to clean them before consuming. You have two options. You can brush the mushrooms off with a dry or damp paper towel. Or, for a more thorough cleaning, hold the stems and swish the caps in a bowl of water. Shake excess water from the mushrooms then use a towel to blot the mushrooms mostly dry.
Trimming and Prepping
Oyster mushrooms are sold in clusters of attached mushrooms that can be gently pulled apart into individual mushrooms. You can also use kitchen shears to snip the mushrooms free. Once separated, you can leave the individual mushrooms whole, or tear them into pieces or slice them with a knife.
Roasted Oyster Mushrooms
To roast the mushrooms, follow my recipe for roasted oyster mushrooms with garlic and thyme.
Tuki Toussaint
tasty tasty tasy!
Jenny
These are my favorite type of mushroom!