Attention mushroom lovers! These pan-fried battered portobello fries are a fun way to enjoy mushrooms that doesn’t require stuffing. Pair with your favorite dipping sauce for a gluten-free side dish or appetizer you’ll love.
Over the past 12 years of sharing recipes on the internet, I’ve turned pretty much every vegetable into a fry. There’s green bean fries, asparagus fries and eggplant fries to name a few but you know which vegetable has escaped “fry-dom” up until now?
Mushrooms.
That changes today with these portobello fries.
I usually take the breadcrumb approach when it comes to creating a crispy texture for the fries but with these mushrooms I wanted more of a bar food/pub vibe so they’re battered instead.
And I mean, who doesn’t love something battered and fried?
It’s a delicious approach whether it’s pancake battered pineapple rings or mushroom fries like these.
Better yet, this version is gluten-free so anyone can enjoy them (unlike most bar food!).
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM FRIES
- large portobello mushroom caps
- chickpea flour (garbanzo flour)
- water
- garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- avocado oil for pan-frying
MUSHROOMS – The portobellos should be sliced into 1/4″ pieces. You want them thick enough to hold up to dipping in the batter and pan-frying but not so thick that the mushroom doesn’t cook through in the pan.
If you don’t like portobellos, you can certainly use white button mushrooms in their place. I would simply half or quarter them before battering depending on their size.
Portobellos are just much “meatier” than other mushroom varieties which lends itself well to turning into fries.
CHICKPEA FLOUR – Also called garbanzo flour, this is a great gluten-free flour alternative when it comes to frying things.
If this isn’t something you keep on hand, however, just swap it out with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. King Arthur measure for measure or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour are both good options.
SEASONING – I kept things straightforward with the garlic seasoning for these fried portabellas but this is easily customized to your liking. Add whatever spices you want for different flavor profiles!
HOW TO MAKE FRIED PORTOBELLOS
Whisk the flour, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. The consistency should resemble a thin pancake batter.
Cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of oil and place over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot (it should sizzle if you were to drop a tiny bit of batter into it), dip each sliced mushrooms into the batter using a fork. Knock off any excess batter against the side of the bowl and place the mushroom into the hot pan.
Repeat with additional mushroom slices until the pan is full but there’s enough room to flip the mushrooms.
Pan-fry until golden brown on one side then flip and cook on the other until the entire exterior of the mushroom is crispy.
Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining mushroom slices adding more oil to the pan as needed throughout the process.
Serve with a garnish of fresh chopped parsley and enjoy immediately. These won’t retain their pan-fried crispy exterior as leftovers.
HOW TO SERVE THE FRIED MUSHROOMS
What fry is complete without a dipping sauce?
Answer: none.
In fact, fries are sometimes just vehicles for me to enjoy insane amounts of BBQ, ketchup or honey mustard if I’m being honest.
With these fried mushrooms, I wanted a cool and refreshing dip. Shown here is some plain yogurt, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest. Its bright tart flavor contrasts the heavier tasting battered mushrooms perfectly.
I also love a good tahini sauce. The turmeric tahini sauce paired with this roasted romanesco would be killer.
Or, the avocado crema from these buffalo chicken broccoli cheddar bites!
If you like horseradish, I’m literally salivating at the thought of pairing a creamy horseradish sauce with the mushrooms and kicking myself for not thinking of that sooner.
Use whatever dip you like though. Ketchup felt a little too elementary for fried mushrooms but hey, if you’re a ketchup person through and through, go for it.
CAN YOU EAT THE GILLS ON PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS?
You definitely can. Some recipes state to remove the gills when frying the mushrooms but I don’t think it’s necessary at all.
To prep the portobellos for fry-making simply remove the stems, wipe the caps clean and cut into 1/4″ thick slices.
PORTOBELLO VS. PORTABELLA
Don’t let these spelling variations confuse you, whether you spell it with two Os or two As, it’s the same exact mushroom.
Apparently, the mushroom council has settled on using the two A form so that’s probably the more “correct” of the two if you wanted to pick, but for some reason, I feel like “portobello” is more commonly used so that’s what I’m going with here.
BABY BELLA VS. PORTABELLA
Another confusing name situation! Baby bella mushrooms are simply smaller portabella mushrooms. You can absolutely use baby bellas for this fried mushroom recipe if you prefer. Again, just slice them 1/4″ thick to hold up to the battering and frying.
CAN I AIR FRY THE MUSHROOMS?
For this recipe, because the portobellos are battered rather than coated in a breadcrumb mixture, I would not recommend the air fryer. You’ll just end up with a mess on your hands to clean up.
This air fryer mushroom recipe is much more suited for the appliance.
CAN I DEEP FRY THE MUSHROOMS?
Sure, if you prefer to deep fry, go for it.
I tend to avoid deep frying because I only cook with higher quality oils like avocado or olive oil and just honestly don’t want to waste so much of either by deep frying. It’s also quite a messy process so be prepared for some deep stove cleaning after.
Pan frying is a bit more cost effective, gives you pretty similar results and ends up being a touch healthier.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE FOR PORTOBELLO FRIES
- They satisfy a fried food craving in a healthier way.
- The seasonings can be adjusted in a multitude of ways.
- A great excuse to enjoy copious amounts of dipping sauces! We love this sriracha lime aioli for a little kick.
- They turn a divisive vegetable into a side dish or appetizer everyone will like. Put them on the menu for your next burger night and enjoy!
MORE VEGETABLE FRIES TO TRY:
Jicama Fries
Zucchini Fries
Parsnip Fries
Purple Sweet Potato Fries
Portobello Fries
Ingredients
- 3 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour, chickpea flour
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup avocado oil for pan frying, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Whisk together the chickpea flour, water and spices in a medium bowl until a drippy batter consistency forms. It should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
- Add avocado oil to the bottom of a pan until there's a very thin layer covering the entire surface. Turn heat to medium/medium-high.
- Once the oil is hot (it should sizzle if you dropped a tiny bit of batter into it), coat a sliced portobello in the batter using a fork. Knock off any excess batter against the side of the bowl then place into the pan. Repeat with as many slices of mushroom you can fit in the pan while still having room to flip.
- Pan fry the mushrooms until golden brown on one side then flip and do the same on the other side.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or rack and repeat with the remaining mushrooms adding additional oil to the pan as needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
- Best enjoyed immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I’m not usually a huge mushroom fan but these were amazing! They had the perfect flavor and taste to them.
I have been mushroom picking a lot lately and glad I found this recipe. We loved it and will be making again soon.
This was such a fun and delicious recipe. The kiddos loved it which is always a win in our book!
These turned out great and we served them on our “fries board.” Yum!
I had some portobellos and decided to give this recipe a try. They came out so tasty as fries!
I am all ears! These portobello fries are amazing! Definitely need to make them some time soon!
We loved these mushrooms! Chickpea flour batter was superb – light golden brown, not at all soggy – just brilliant! And I love that they are shallow fried! Overall, 10 out of 10!
Oh yes please! Love portabello mushrooms and I think this is a great idea.Will be making these at the weekend.
These are crazy awesome! I will definitely make them again!