This recipe is for those who miss the flavor and texture of fried chicken since going plant-based. This battered oyster mushroom chicken will blow you away!

Once you thy this battered oyster mushroom chicken, you will have trouble believing it’s totally VEGAN! Oyster mushrooms are definitely underappreciated and underrepresented in western cuisine. Their meaty texture is what makes them so great for plant-based folk who miss their favorite dishes.

Before we get any further, I’m going to address some common “concerns” I receive from people each time I create a recipe that can be used as an alternative to animal products. People in the comments love to say, “But that’s not chicken/fish/cheese/egg! Why call it that?”

The answer is simple. These recipes are created to fill a void. Let’s say someone plant-based feels a craving for something they used to enjoy before being vegan, like a salmon and cream cheese bagel. the easiest way to find it is by searching for “vegan salmon and cream cheese bagel”. If plant-based bloggers simply named their dishes after the ingredients, it would be difficult to find unless you know what that dish is trying to replicate. “Blended cashew paste and seaweed marinated carrot bagel” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it.

The other question I get regularly is why vegans are so keen to imitate the texture, flavor, and shape of animal products. The truth is, most people don’t transition to plant-based diet because they don’t like the taste of meat or cheese. There are plenty of reasons people turn vegan, from animal welfare to environmental concerns. And so, we still want to indulge in eating familiar flavors without the threat to animal life or our own health. Additionally, unless your entire family is plant-based, it’s nice to have something you can all enjoy that isn’t entirely alien to your auntie Sue.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The texture of oyster mushrooms is so similar to chicken, it’s uncanny! This is the best vegan chicken alternative I found so far, and it’s entirely whole-food based!
  • Imagine if fried chicken was not only vegan, but healthy as well! These battered oyster mushrooms are air-fried, which makes them even more superior.
  • Battered oyster mushroom chicken is great party food. Next time you invite your friends to watch a game or host a barbecue, I suggest you blow everyone’s mind with this vegan “chicken”!
  • It’s easy to be put off by some vegan alternative recipes because it’s a lengthy process. Well, not this recipe! You can make a delicious batch of battered oyster mushroom chicken in under half an hour.
  • Oyster mushrooms are a great source of antioxidants and other useful nutrients. Studies suggest that eating oyster mushrooms can boost your immune system and contribute to your longevity.

How to Make This Recipe

Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Line an air fryer tray with parchment paper.

Combine soy milk with apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, and nutritional yeast. Whisk, and set aside for 5 minutes. What you’ll get as a result is a vegan alternative to buttermilk – a thick, batter-like substance.

In the meantime, make your dry batter by combining flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. You can also add salt to this mixture but beware that it will be impossible to remove if you add too much.

Prepare your workstation. Have your mushrooms ready to go, along with the wet and dry batter on standby. Using tongs, dip the mushrooms in the flour mix, then the buttermilk. Repeat again, and then place the battered mushrooms onto the baking sheet. Do it one mushroom at a time, until they are all coated.

Spray your battered oyster mushroom chicken with oil and bake in the air fryer for 12 minutes, flipping the mushrooms halfway through. Enjoy while they are still hot with your favorite dip!

Hack It!

  • You can still enjoy this dish if you are gluten-free. Use gluten-free flour or even gluten-free breadcrumbs in place of all-purpose wheat flour.
  • In terms of serving your battered oyster mushroom chicken, you can dip them into sauce (vegan ranch, anyone?) or you can take it a step further. These mushrooms would taste great in a burger bun, or alongside some rice or noodles.
  • If you can’t have soy, you can use most plant-based milk to achieve the “buttermilk” effect.
  • If you have any dry batter leftover, don’t throw it away. Instead, you can add it to soup, stew, or gravy to thicken them and add extra flavor.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoy simple yet filling recipes like this one, I suggest you get your hands on the PlantYou Cookbook. It has over 140 recipes, all rather affordable and beginner-friendly. In addition, each recipe is accompanied by an infographic to display every ingredient. Perfect for visual learners like myself! So far, the book has received an incredible amount of support, which I am eternally grateful for! Unfortunately, that means that pretty much every online retailer has sold out. Until the next print becomes available in the early summer, please consider checking with your local store or purchasing the Kindle version!

And if you like having a dynamic menu every week, join the PlantYou Planner! It’s an incredible digital meal planner platform that allows you to choose from a huge database of delicious vegan recipes. Once you join, you get access to ALL 550+ recipes, and the best part? You can toggle the number of servings! No more wasted food or sad-looking veggies in your fridge!

Battered Oyster Mushroom CHicken

The Recipe: Battered Oyster Mushroom Chicken

You won't believe this " fried chicken" is vegan!
5 from 8 ratings
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Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 oyster mushrooms

Vegan Buttermilk Batter

Dry Batter

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder

Final Step

  • 1 tbsp spray oil

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Parchment Paper
  • 3 bowls

Instructions 

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400F. Line an air fryer tray with parchment paper.
  • Combine the buttermilk ingredients in a bowl. Whisk, and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Combine all dry batter ingredients in a separate bowl.
  • Set up a batter station, with the mushrooms in a bowl, then the dry batter, wet batter, and baking sheet. One at a time using tongs, dip the mushrooms in the flour mix, then the buttermilk. Repeat again, and then place the battered mushrooms onto the baking sheet.
  • Spray with a little bit of oil. Place in the air fryer for six minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 6 minutes until crispy.
  • Enjoy immediately with your favorite sauces.
Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Author: carleigh