Air fryer mushrooms are one of our favorite quick and easy side dishes. A blend of baby portobello and shiitake mushrooms are coated in a delicious garlic soy sauce then air fried to perfection in just 20 minutes.

*This post is sponsored by Nature’s Rise. All content and opinions are my own.

Mushrooms are the one “vegetable” (I know they’re technically a fungi) I buy every single week.

I just adore them.

And I don’t discriminate with varieties, I love them all. But baby portobellos (also know as cremini or crimini mushrooms) and shiitake are the two types you’ll find in my refrigerator on a consistent basis.

It was honestly just a matter of time before I tested them out the air fryer.

And just like all the vegetables I’ve air fried before, from air fryer frozen broccoli to air fryer okra and everything in between, I’m loving the result of cooking mushrooms in the air fryer as well.

INGREDIENTS FOR AIR FRYER MUSHROOMS

If you’ve ever tasted Trader Joe’s umami mushroom seasoning, that’s the exact vibe I was going for with these savory roasted air fryer mushrooms.

This handful of simple ingredients embody that salty umami flavor perfectly.

• whole mushrooms (I used baby portobellos and shiitake)
• avocado oil
• tamari (or soy sauce if gluten-free isn’t of concern)
• Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper

This recipe actually parallels the flavors in this wild mushroom soup pretty well. So if you love earthy mushroom flavor, that’s a great cozy recipe to check out too.

HOW TO COOK MUSHROOMS IN THE AIR FRYER

Clean and trim the stems of the mushrooms but leave the mushrooms whole. So long as you’re not using regular sized portobellos, whole roasting the mushrooms in the air fryer is best.

Place the cleaned mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and add the avocado oil. Toss to coat all the mushrooms in the oil.

Add the remaining seasonings: tamari, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss until well combined.

Place each mushroom onto the trays (for oven models) or the basket of an air fryer in a single layer. Reserve any excess marinade in the bottom of the bowl.

Air fry the mushrooms at 400°F for 18-20 minutes.

Rotate the trays or shake the basket halfway through the cooking time.

Once the mushrooms have finished air frying, transfer to a serving plate and brush or drizzle with the reserved marinade.

Serve with lemon wedges and freshly chopped herbs.

WHAT ARE THE BEST MUSHROOMS FOR AIR FRYING?

I used a mix of baby portobello mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in the air fryer. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Button mushrooms, full size portobellos (although they should be cut into quarters at minimum), morel and oyster mushrooms are also great options.

Pickled shiitake crostini and Instant Pot beef and mushroom stew are other great uses for these mushrooms.

If you’re into functional mushrooms you can even use some of those varieties in this recipe. Add health benefits to your recipes using lion’s mane or try others like reishi or turkey tail if you can find them!

CAN FROZEN OR CANNED MUSHROOMS BE AIR FRIED?

I don’t suggest using either in the air fryer.

Canned mushrooms have too much liquid and are already cooked and soft. They’ll just turn into mush in the air fryer.

It’s best to use fresh mushrooms for this recipe.

TIPS FOR THE BEST AIR FRIED MUSHROOMS

• Don’t wash mushrooms under water while cleaning – Use either a mushroom cleaning brush (yes, such a thing exists!) or a dry paper towel to gently brush off any surface dirt. Rinsing or soaking mushrooms allows them to absorb far too much liquid and will result in a suboptimal fried mushroom texture. Bon Appetit breaks it down succinctly in this article.
  
• Preheat the air fryer for 3-5 minutes – While not necessary, if you have the time, preheating the air fryer does help crisp up the mushrooms faster and more effectively.
  
• Don’t crowd the trays or basket – This tip goes for just about any air fryer recipe but specifically vegetables like air fryer eggplant, air fryer zucchini chips and these air fryer mushrooms.
  
• Use mushrooms of the similar size – Whole roasting is preferred but if you’re using mushrooms of varying sizes, do make sure to cut any larger ones as needed.
  
• Use a high smoke point oil – Avocado oil is recommended for air frying since we’re using a temperature of 400°F. Olive oil has too low a smoke point and will oxidize and burn at this temperature. If needing to substitute the oil, make sure to choose another high smoke point oil that’s neutral in flavor.

CONVERTING A MUSHROOM HATER INTO A MUSHROOM LOVER!

It hurts my soul a little every time someone confesses to not like mushrooms.

As one of my favorite savory additions to so many meals like creamy vegan mushroom risotto and creamy butternut squash pasta with sage mushrooms, it’s just mind blowing to me how anyone can dislike these scrumptious fungi!

If they’re open to it though, I think this recipe for air fried mushrooms might just be the one to convert them!

With the universally loved flavors of garlic and soy (tamari) permeating each bite, the crispy roasted edges and the brightness from lemon and fresh herbs, I’m of the opinion that it’s downright impossible not to turn into a mushroom lover after tasting these.

The recipe is incredibly versatile too when it comes to pairing with a meal.

From a pretzel crusted pork chop to a baked sockeye salmon dinner and of course, a good steak like a reuben strip steak or Porterhouse steak skillet, you can enjoy these mushrooms with almost anything!

They’re so delicious, you can also easily make an entire dinner out of them alone.

Ask me if I’ve dolloped some hummus on top of these and called it lunch.

I have and it was superb.

IS IT HEALTHY TO FRY MUSHROOMS?

Traditional frying leaves a bit to be desired in the nutrition or health department. But that’s exactly why the air fryer is so great!

Air fryers are basically just compact convection ovens requiring little to no oil unlike traditional frying.

Employing this technique for fried mushrooms is not only a much healthier way to enjoy eating a mushroom side dish but also much less messy of an experience!

You’ll love both the taste and the simple clean up from air frying mushrooms.

MORE MUSHROOM RECIPES TO ENJOY:

Black Garlic Cheese and Turkey Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Olive and Roasted Garlic Tapenade Stuffed Mushrooms
Caramelized Mushrooms with Pesto Guacamole
Balsamic Steak Stuffed Portobellos with Pistachio Pesto
Portobello Mushroom Egg Bakes