Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms

Who wants a meaty, healthy, protein-loaded dinner with no meat in it? Look no further. Combined with onion, peppers and garlic, these Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms make a wonderful vegetarian meal. You will be amazed by the delicate flavor. 

White button mushrooms, which are the most common type in our area, don’t have a big role in our kitchen because I am not a big fan of it. I sometimes buy them because they are healthy and easy to cook. And our favorite recipe with them is Creamy Mushroom Pasta. A fast, healthy and yummy dinner for us. But how about oyster mushrooms? They are always a hit for my family. The other day I was walking around the food market in my neighborhood looking for what to buy. Then I saw those velvety and fleshy oyster mushrooms. I LOVE cooking oyster mushrooms for an easy dinner. I bought a kilo of those bright ones with no wilts right away and turned back home with this sauteed oyster mushroom recipe on my mind.

What are oyster mushrooms?

They are a very rich type of fungi with a silky texture and fleshy tender flavor. They can appear in many shades of color like a creamy beige color, whitish-brown or even violet -grey. It’s a great delicacy nature offers us in abundance.

These mushrooms are called oyster mushrooms for a couple of reasons. First, their edges make them look like an oyster lying in its shell. Then the color of raw oysters is similar to that of these mushrooms. Also, cooked mushrooms have a silky texture like oysters and a very slight seafood like flavor, which you rarely detect.

They grow in medium or large clusters in the wild on fallen hardwood logs or trunks of trees. They are generally grown commercially. Wonder when it is the best time to eat oyster mushrooms?  Good news! They are almost never out of season. You can find them all year round.

How to Store Mushrooms

You’ve bought some mushrooms and wanna cook them later in the week?

Keep your mushrooms in the refrigerator up to 5 days but you have to be careful with one thing. Moisture makes mushrooms go bad so store your mushrooms in paper bags. If you wash your mushrooms before storing, make sure you dry them completely with paper towels and then store it.

Can they be eaten raw? 

There is no consensus on this. Some people say that we can eat oyster mushrooms in salads while others say because people cannot completely digest chitin inside mushrooms – which is also found in lobster and mollusk shells- we cannot not get the nutrients that oyster mushrooms offer. There is one thing everybody agrees on though. Cooking oyster mushrooms brings out a way better taste and texture.

You can always add cooked mushrooms to soups, sauces or use in sandwiches.

Why cooking oyster mushrooms?

Are these mushrooms good for you? Hell, yeah.  Besides the tender flesh and a rich flavor, they offer a whole lot of health benefits. First off, they are very rich in vitamins. They are low in calories and high in vitamin D, B1 and B2, iron, calcium and folic acid. 5 percent of recommended daily intake of protein and fiber can be taken per serving. All these properties make oyster mushrooms a great substitute for meat. Another good thing about these mushrooms, along with other kinds of fungi, oyster mushrooms are the only sources supplying ergothioneine which makes them antioxidants. 

How to Prepare Oyster Mushrooms

 First, separate the mushrooms from the large stem in the center using a sharp knife. Then cut off the rubbery ends of each as you see in the picture above. You don’t want to eat those parts.

Second, clean the mushrooms either under little water or with a wet kitchen towel to remove the dirt. Don’t soak them. Otherwise, you water-log the mushrooms and they get too watery when cooking. This will even cause them to lose flavor.

Third, pat the mushrooms dry with a kitchen towel or paper towel.

Finally, make thick slices, about ½ inch. They are ready to cook now.

How To Make Sauteed Oyster Mushroom Recipe

This is one of those easy one-pan recipes. Unlike Fried Oyster Mushrooms, you can saute all the mushrooms in a pan in one go, which will save you time.  Plus, there are different ingredients in this oyster mushroom recipe like pepper, onion and garlic.

Saute everything in the same pan starting with onions. When they get translucent, add in red and green pepper slices and garlic cloves. If you want to add chicken, you can add sliced chicken breast at this step. Cook until they get tender, stirring occasionally.

Next, add in the mushroom pieces and give a gentle stir. Make sure the pan is big enough for mushrooms to have space. So, they can let their moisture off. They will saute better this way. Cover the pan and cook your mushrooms over medium low heat. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Then, season with salt and black pepper and remove from heat.

You can garnish this meal with any fresh herb your like. I always use parsley as they go very well together.

It is ready to serve. Now just dive in and enjoy!

How To Serve Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms

We prefer to have this meal vegetarian since mushrooms already have lots of protein, so it makes a wonderful meal when served along with Rice With Orzo.  However, if mushrooms are not meaty enough for you, you can serve it as a side dish along with a chicken meal like Roasted Chicken Pieces, one of the most popular recipes here.

You have some leftover chicken from yesterday? Go ahead and mix them with sauteed oyster mushrooms.

When you have king oyster mushrooms on hand, no worries. Give Maggie’s Asian Inspired Teriyaki King Oyster Mushroom recipe a try.

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