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Make restaurant-worthy mushroom carnitas at home with just 10 ingredients and about 30 minutes of time. Juicy shredded oyster mushrooms sautéed in a simple citrus marinade, then broiled until crispy on the edges. Enjoy this vegan carnitas recipe in tacos, burrito bowls, and nachos!
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If you’ve never experienced the magic of oyster mushroom recipes, you’re in for a treat! In addition to being the perfect meat substitute in sandwiches, clam chowder, siopao asado, and scallop recipes, shredded oyster mushrooms make a fantastic pulled pork texture, perfect for recreating recipes like Mexican carnitas.
Unlike portobello or shiitake mushrooms, which are better suited for vegan burger substitutes and vegan bacon, shredded King oyster mushrooms have unique, long mushroom stems. These stems have a firmer, chewier texture that resembles shredded meats like pork carnitas. And unlike jackfruit, oyster mushrooms have a mild flavor that’s easier to work with (no brininess!). Perfect for quick and easy vegan tacos!
Ingredients You’ll Need for these Mushroom carnitas
- King oyster mushrooms: Also known as King trumpet mushrooms, these mushrooms have a great texture that mimics the texture of traditional carnitas. They can be harder to find than your standard cremini mushrooms, but they are in the same grocery store section. If not, check your local Asian markets—they often carry oyster mushrooms.
- Oil: This is used to brown the onions and mushrooms and adds additional flavor to the taco “meat.” We used vegetable oil, but you can also use olive or avocado oil.
- Onion and garlic: These aromatics add depth of flavor and a subtle sweetness that balances the mushrooms’ earthy, umami flavor.
- Broth: We used vegetable broth, but you can also use vegan chicken broth, if you prefer.
- Citrus juice: A combination of orange and lime juice adds a sweetness and zesty citrus flavor that balances the more decadent flavors with a bright acidity.
- Sugar: A bit of brown sugar helps to caramelize the mushrooms and onions and enhance their rich, umami flavor.
- Spices: You’ll need a simple blend of ground cumin, oregano, coriander, and an optional bay leaf.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
How to Shred Oyster Mushrooms
If you’ve never worked with oyster mushrooms, you might be wondering…how do I prepare them? There are a few simple ways to shred them into thin, bite-sized pieces.
- Shred with a fork. Drag a fork down the stem of the mushroom. Using light pressure, the mushroom should begin to shred into long, thin pieces. For a helpful visual, watch this tutorial. We like to leave the mushroom cap on to give us something to hold on to as we shred!
- Cut into thin strips. The fork method is the most popular, but it can be time-consuming. Cut the mushroom into thin match-like strips if you’re short on time. Do your best to cut them to a similar thickness so they cook through evenly.
How to Make Mushroom Carnitas
- Prep the carnitas marinade. In a medium bowl, add the vegetable broth, orange juice, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
- Sauté the onions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 6 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Brown the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or until they are lightly brown.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Add the marinade. After 5 minutes, add the prepared sauce and mix. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the marinade thickens into a jammy consistency, about 8-10 minutes.
- Bake. Transfer the shredded mushrooms to a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to char lightly and develop crispy edges.
- Serve. Enjoy these mushroom tacos while warm in corn tortillas with your favorite toppings, or as desired.
Mushroom Carnitas Serving Suggestions
We often enjoy Mushroom Carnitas as a taco filling with warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, chopped white onion, and a squeeze of lime. It’s also delicious wrapped in a burrito, in a burrito bowl, on top of vegan nachos, or turned into a savory Mexican torta!
If you’re looking for a few additional Mexican-inspired sides and beverages that pair well with mushroom carnitas, you might enjoy these simple recipes:
- Refried Beans
- Restaurant-Style Spanish Rice
- Vegan Mexican Horchata or Ube Horchata (filipino fusion recipe!)
- Guacamole
- Easy Avocado Corn Salad
- Restaurant-Style Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Storage Instructions
Leftover mushroom carnitas will be kept for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Oyster mushroom recipes don’t tend to freeze well due to the high water content in the mushrooms.
More Vegan Taco Recipes You May Enjoy:
Gluten Free
Lentil & Walnut Taco Meat
Gluten Free
Vegan Carne Asada Tacos (Gluten-Free)
Gluten Free
Sheet Pan Tofu Taco Meat
Gluten Free
Walnut Taco Meat (Quick & Easy)
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan Mushroom Carnitas Recipe
Description
Make restaurant-worthy mushroom carnitas at home with just 10 ingredients and about 30 minutes of time. Juicy shredded oyster mushrooms sautéed in a simple citrus marinade then broiled until crispy on the edges. Enjoy this vegan carnitas recipe in tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 lb king oyster mushrooms, shredded
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 orange, about ⅓ cup
- Juice of 1 lime, about 1 tbsp
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Optional: 1 large bay leaf
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
Instructions
- Prep the carnitas marinade. In a medium bowl, add the vegetable broth, orange juice, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and optional bay leaf. Whisk together until combined and set aside.
- Sauté the onions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add the onion and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 6 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown.
- Brown the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or until they are lightly brown.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Add the marinade. After 5 minutes, add the prepared sauce and mix. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the marinade thickens into a jammy consistency, about 8-10 minutes.
- Bake. Transfer the shredded mushrooms to a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to char lightly and develop crispy edges.
- Serve. Enjoy these mushroom tacos while warm in corn tortillas with your favorite toppings, or as desired.
Notes
- Storage: Leftover mushroom carnitas will be kept for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Oyster mushroom recipes don’t tend to freeze well due to the high water content in the mushrooms.
Oh my GOD. These are SO SO good. New vegan here and am blown away. These are amazing. Your recipes are the absolute best. This is the best thing I’ve had in ages.
How do you shred the mushrooms?
We like to use a fork!