These crispy sautéed oyster mushrooms are the perfect weeknight side dish packed with amazing umami flavor. Tossed in a delicious butter garlic herb sauce, this recipe will surely become your favorite way to cook mushrooms.

What Are Oyster Mushrooms?

As the name suggests, Oyster mushrooms are a species of mushroom that has a resemblance to oysters. Specifically, oyster mushrooms have an oyster-shaped cap and no stem.

Additionally, oyster mushrooms have a color similar to that of raw oysters, typically light gray or grayish brown, but other varieties like pink or yellow oyster mushrooms do exist.

They are among the most widely consumed mushrooms on the planet and are easy to grow because they go fast and are tolerant to many growing conditions.

Do Oyster Mushrooms Taste Like Oysters?

Based on the name, you may assume that oyster mushrooms taste like oysters. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. Some think oyster mushrooms have a slight hint of seafood flavor that may resemble oysters. But this might just be a placebo.

Typically oyster mushrooms are thought to have a mild flavor and tender meaty texture. They’re also known for their nutty umami flavor. They also have subtle hints of anise in their flavor profile.

All in all, these flavor-packed fungi don’t need much seasoning and can go a long way with a little salt, pepper, and garlic.

Oyster Mushroom Varieties

Oyster mushrooms grow all over the world in different varieties. Let’s look at some of the most common oyster mushroom types.

Pearl oyster mushrooms are most common in North America, have a slightly sweet body taste, and are typically more tender than shiitake mushrooms.

Blue oyster mushrooms are dark-capped, pale-gilled, blueish-gray oyster mushrooms with a flavor profile identical to pearl mushrooms.

Golden oyster mushrooms are bright yellow and have a complex aromatic flavor.

Pink oyster mushrooms have a ruffled appearance and a bright pink when raw, although the color fades when cooked. They are woody, tough, and pungent in flavor.

Phoenix oyster mushrooms have a similar taste and appearance to oyster mushrooms. However, phoenix oysters have smaller caps and longer stems and are pale in color. They also tend to grow in warmer climates.

King oyster mushrooms are the largest of the oyster mushrooms, with thick meaty stems and brown caps. They’re enjoyed in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, North African, and Asian cuisine.

How To Prepare Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are low maintenance and easy to prep. It only takes a couple of minutes to properly clean and trim oyster mushrooms before you can use them in your cooking.

Cleaning

Cleaning oyster mushrooms is quite easy. Because they grow on tree bark, there’s usually not much dirt on them, to begin with. You can gently rinse them off to remove debris or wipe them down with a soft towel.

However, you should avoid rinsing them for too long or soaking them in water because they can get waterlogged and fall apart.

Trimming

All parts of oyster mushrooms are technically edible, including the woody stem at the base of the oyster mushroom cluster. With that said, The woody stem is quite chewy, so you’re better off trimming it off with a sharp knife.

Prepping

You don’t need to slice an oyster mushroom if you don’t have to. Typically you can break apart the clusters and the large caps with your hands but feel free to slice them for more position cuts.

Tips for Cooking Oyster Mushrooms

• Like other mushroom varieties, oyster mushrooms carry a lot of moisture. So, for sautéed mushrooms, you need to leave extra space in the pan to allow moisture to escape and be cooked off. Crowding the mushrooms in your sauté pen will result in soggy steamed mushrooms rather than sautéed mushrooms.
• When sautéed, oyster mushrooms make fantastic toppings for pizzas, pasta, or soups.
• Oyster mushrooms can be incorporated into any dish that would typically use portobello or button mushrooms.
• It’s best to serve oyster mushrooms as a side dish or incorporate them into a stir-fry.
• Eating oyster mushrooms raw is inadvisable, although possible. When raw, they have an unpleasant metallic taste and a velvety texture.

How to Serve Oyster Mushrooms

Overall, oyster mushrooms are fantastic on their own but are also great served as a side. So let’s take a look at some more ways to enjoy oyster mushrooms.

• Toss your sautéed oyster mushrooms with cooked pasta or egg noodle to add a media umami punch to a vegetarian pasta dish.
• For extra meaty flavor, tuck your sautéed or grilled oyster mushrooms into a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Pile on your sautéed oyster mushrooms to a thick, crusted toast with soft cheese spread on top.
• Enjoy sautéed oyster mushrooms as a side with a roasted chicken or grilled steak dinner.
• Sprinkle them on top of risotto polenta or creamy soup for a wonderful meaty texture and an umami boost.
• Use them as a flavorful pizza topping.
• Add them with your mix of vegetables in a delicious and healthy stir-fry.
• Add them to salads or wraps for a quick grab-and-go lunch.
• Munch on sautéed oyster mushrooms on their own for a delicious low-calorie snack.
  

  Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic Butter Recipe

  These crispy sautéed oyster mushrooms are the perfect weeknight side dish packed with amazing umami flavor. Tossed in a delicious butter garlic herb sauce, this recipe will surely become your favorite way to cook mushrooms.

  Print Recipe Pin Recipe

  Prep Time 10 mins

  Cook Time 10 mins

  Total Time 20 mins

  Course Healthy, Vegetable, Vegetarian

  Servings 4

  Calories 284 kcal

  Ingredients

    

  • ½ lbs oyster mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp cooking olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
  • Salt & pepper to taste

  Instructions

   

  • Prepare your oyster mushrooms by cleaning off any debris with a wet paper towel, trimming the woody stem, and separating the clusters. Slice any larger mushrooms in half so that they’re all roughly the same size.
  • On a large hot skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it begins to shimmer. Then toss the mushrooms in and stir them so that they’re lightly coated in the oil. Once coated, leave the mushrooms in the pan and only stir occasionally to allow them to brown and reduce volume, roughly seven minutes.
  • Once browned, turn off the heat and remove your fried mushrooms from the pan onto a serving dish.
  • In the hot pan with the heat turned off, add the butter, garlic, parsley, and chives. Stir until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant. Pour the butter mixture over the mushrooms and serve.

  Notes

  Nutrition Information

  Calories: 284 kcal

  Total fat: 9.4 g

  Saturated fat: 4.2 g

  Cholesterol: 15 mg

  Sodium: 82 mg

  Total carbohydrate: 32.5 g

  Dietary fiber: 6.1 g

  Total sugars: 0 g

  Protein: 16.3 g