Mushroom Jerky

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In the jerky market, mushroom jerky is becoming very popular as a plant-based substitute. I was eager to try it since we enjoy jerky in general—not just beef jerky.

After cooking up a few batches and perfecting the best mushroom jerky recipe possible, I’m glad to say, mushroom jerky rocks!

A great beef or turkey jerky substitute that shares many of its best qualities, including texture, flavor, nutrition, and versatility, is mushroom jerky.

It’s safe to say that a nutritious treat packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber is mushroom jerky. Vitamins C and D, B vitamins, potassium, choline, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid are examples of these important nutrients. There are many health benefits to eating mushrooms.

This recipe makes a smokey, mildly spicy, and vinegary vegan jerky. I really liked how chewy the mushrooms were. You’ll want to keep having one mushroom after the other with this snack. It’s also pretty easy to make. If you happen to want a more hearty mushroom dish, I recommend our truffle mushroom pasta recipe!

Here are some important points to consider when making homemade mushroom jerky:

Choosing the Correct Mushrooms

When preparing mushroom jerky, there is a large variety of mushrooms to choose from, Portobello, oyster, king oyster, and Shiitake mushrooms are the most widely used types of mushrooms for mushroom jerky.

These mushrooms all have a few characteristics in common that make them suitable for jerky.

They are all larger-sized mushrooms, which makes them easy to slice and prepare. Larger mushrooms are also necessary because the cooking process will produce a 30–50% reduction in mushroom size. After all your effort, you don’t want to be left with tiny, meaningless pieces.

Second, the finished product really highlights the distinctive flavor of these mushrooms. These aren’t your typical flavorless, water-logged mushrooms. Essentially, these are bursting with flavor.

Preparing the Mushrooms

The best way to wash mushrooms is a topic of much debate (including if you should wash them at all).

Traditionalists who merely brush or wipe their mushrooms with paper towels claim that washing them will cause them to absorb the water and become soggy.

Here is the truth: Since mushrooms are over 90% water, they don’t absorb a lot of water unless they are submerged in it for a long time.

The key is to give mushrooms a shower, not a bath.

Put your mushrooms in a bowl of cold water to clean them. With your hands, gently mix them, getting rid of any dirt you can. The dirt will be seen slowly sinking to the bottom of the bowl. Remove them to a clean towel and gently wipe them dry after a few turns.

Use the Stems and Caps

Most recipes say that you should only use the mushroom caps and throw the stems away.

This is because the stems of mushrooms often have a woody, slightly harder texture. However, this is less of an issue when making mushroom jerky because of the cooking and drying steps.

In fact, the purpose of mushroom jerky is to imitate beef jerky by producing a tougher, chewy texture.

The very bottom of the mushroom stem and any dry ends should still be cut off and thrown away.

Slicing Versus Tearing

We experimented with slicing and tearing as two different ways to break down the mushrooms. Both approaches have benefits and drawbacks.

While tearing is simpler and creates rougher, more erratic cuts, slicing requires a little more time and results in cleaner, more equal cuts.

We prefer the tearing method instead of sliced mushrooms for a few reasons.

The more erratic sizes and shapes you get by tearing resemble the appearance and feel of beef jerky.

Additionally, tearing produces rouge edges and gaps that may better absorb the marinade, resulting in a more flavorful taste.

Also, tearing mushrooms is far more enjoyable. Nevertheless, either sliced or torn mushrooms would work well in this dish.

Mushroom Jerky Recipe with Soy Sauce

Extra Information to Consider – Ingredients and Cooking

Because of their high absorption ability, mushrooms truly take on the flavors of the marinade. With the different flavor profiles, you can get creative. It is a very versatile snack.

In general, we advise keeping a few key elements: acid, fat, salt, heat, and a hint of sweetness.

An acidic compound will give the marinade freshness and brightness. Excellent options include lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar.

To give the marinade a little fat and texture, you should add little oil to the mixture. It will also bring everything together. Some good options include grape seed oil, olive oil, or sesame oil.

Every recipe for food requires salt, and making mushroom jerky is no exception. Although there are many places you can buy salt, sea salt, kosher salt, soy sauce, tamari soy sauce, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire sauce are the most popular.

Essentially, you’re in charge of the remaining ingredients! To make the mushroom jerky gluten-free, paleo-friendly, and dairy-free, use organic ingredients or other specific ingredients.

Marinating Mushrooms

You have two great options to marinate the mushrooms. They can be marinated in a plastic bag or a dish.

Although using a zip lock bag will allow you to remove oxygen from the bag and help the marinade truly penetrate the mushrooms, using a bowl is the more environmentally friendly choice. Whichever you choose will be effective based on your preferences.

We suggest allowing the shiitake or oyster mushrooms to marinate for a full 24 hours. It’s best to marinate overnight.

A minimum of 30 minutes will also work if you’re pressed for time. The marinade will start to break down the oyster mushrooms and make them mushy if left in for more than 24 hours.

If you have any excess marinade left over, you can store it in the fridge.

Cooking the Mushrooms

There are no two mushrooms that are exactly the same, just like beef jerky. As a result, the cook times will vary based on the quantity, thickness, and final texture of the mushrooms.

To ensure even cooking, spread the mushrooms out in a single layer.

Starting with a 2-hour cook period and turning the mushrooms halfway through is what we recommend. The cook time can easily be changed to suit your preferences. Every batch will have a different total time.

Want a soft mushroom jerky? Cook them for less. Looking for a crunchy mushroom jerky? Let them go for longer.

Although a dehydrator can be used in place of the oven, this recipe was written for an oven. Simply follow the directions provided by your particular device.

How to Store Mushroom Jerky in an Airtight Container

This mushroom jerky recipe is divine, good luck having any leftovers to save for later.

The best way to keep cooked mushroom jerky if you have any leftovers from your batch is in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container in the pantry. You’re looking for a cool, dry area away from any sunlight. Cooked mushroom jerky will keep for a few weeks. The key is an airtight container.

We advise keeping them in the refrigerator if you plan to keep them for any longer than that. Essentially, we wouldn’t advise keeping them for more than a month.

Get Creative with the Seasoning on Shiitake Mushrooms

Just like our golden mushroom soup, you can add many other flavors; mushrooms are very good at soaking up marinades. Combine pantry essentials like toasted sesame oil or olive oil, sweets like brown sugar or maple syrup, zesty apple cider vinegar, and spices like onion powder, pepper flakes, or garlic powder with special items like liquid smoke or smoked Shyu (soy sauce).

Try a simple black pepper mushroom jerky or a teriyaki mushroom jerky with sweet and sour flavors.

Our favorite flavor is maple syrup!

Conclusion – The Best Healthy Snack

Essentially, we hope this recipe has provided you with the best mushroom jerky recipe! We cannot wait for you to try it and enjoy the mixture of flavors.