Cook Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms are large form of the Agaricus bisporus mushrooms with a firm, meaty texture and delicate flavor. They can be cooked in a number of ways, and can served as a main course or as a side dish. Learn how to cook delicious Portobello mushrooms for a dinner party or for a family meal.

  • Prep time (Roasted): 40 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms

  • 3 or 4 portobello mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 chopped shallot
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary (if not fresh, dried will do)

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

  • 2/3 cup chopped plum tomato
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh or 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 4 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Sautéed Portobello Mushrooms

  • 3 or 4 fresh portobello mushrooms
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Steps

Roasting Portobello Mushrooms

  1. Preheat your oven. Position your oven rack so that it is in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
  2. Clean your mushrooms. Use a damp or dry cloth to wipe your mushrooms clean. Remove the stems. You can discard the stems or chop them up and cook them.
    • You can also slice your mushrooms if you prefer.
    • To remove stems, hold the cap of the mushroom in your dominant hand and gently twist the stem with your other hand.
    • You can scrape out the gills with a spoon if you prefer.
  3. Mix your marinade. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 1 clove minced garlic, 1 chopped shallot, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkling of fresh or dried herbs. Whisk together until mixed.
  4. Marinade your mushrooms. Place your mushroom caps (and stems if desired) in a large Ziploc bag. Pour your marinade mixture into the bag and gently work it around the mushrooms. Seal the bag and lay it flat in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If you marinade your mushrooms for longer, they can soak up more marinade than they can handle and become mushy.
    • It helps to flip the bag occasionally.
  5. Roast your mushrooms. Using metal tongs, gently remove your mushrooms from the bag and place them on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use metal tongs to flip the mushrooms and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  6. Serve. Enjoy as an entrée or as a side dish. Serve with any left over marinade as a dipping sauce.
    • Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar reduction or an oil & vinegar dressing.

Grilling Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

  1. Prepare your grill. Preheat your grill and brush the rack clean. Spray the rack with cooking oil.
    • Clean your grill after preheating it and just before you start to cook. The heated grease and food remains should scrape right off.[1]
  2. Clean your mushrooms. Use a paper towel or cloth to gently brush any dirt from your mushrooms. If you'd like, you can also give the mushrooms a quick rinse in cool water, but you don't have to.
  3. Prepare your mushrooms. Remove the brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon, and discard gills. Remove stems; discard.
  4. Season the mushrooms. Combine 1/2 teaspoon oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; brush over both sides of mushroom caps.
  5. Mix your filling. Combine 2/3 cup chopped tomato, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1/2 teaspoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh or 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 crushed garlic clove in a small bowl.
  6. Grill your mushrooms. Place the mushroom caps, stem sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until soft.
    • Grill the mushrooms stem sides down first, so that when they're turned they'll be in the right position to be filled.
  7. Fill your mushrooms. Using metal tongs, gently flip your mushrooms over so the cap side is down. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture into each mushroom cap. Cover and grill 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
    • Since the garlic doesn’t really have time to cook, the mushrooms will have a strong garlic flavor. If you prefer, you can use less garlic or none at all.
    • If you want to plan ahead, remove the gills and stems from the mushrooms and combine the filling, then cover and chill until ready to grill.

Sautéing Portobello Mushrooms

  1. Clean your mushrooms. Use a damp or dry cloth to wipe your mushrooms clean. Remove the stems. You can discard the stems or chop them up and cook them.
    • To remove stems, hold the cap of the mushroom in your dominant hand and gently twist the stem with your other hand.
    • You can scrape out the gills with a spoon if you prefer.
  2. Slice your mushrooms. Place your mushrooms on a cutting board and slice them with a sharp knife. Aim for about 1/4 inch slices.
    • Always slice away from your hand and fingers.
  3. Prepare your seasoning. Heat your skillet on medium heat and sauté 1 minced garlic clove in 1/4 cup olive oil until garlic is tender. Add parsley.
  4. Sauté your mushrooms. Drop your sliced mushrooms into the pan for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once. Dust mushrooms with 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
    • Mushrooms are cooked when they are tender and browned.
  5. Serve. Enjoy immediately as an entrée or side dish.

Creating Variations

  1. Try some different seasoning ideas. Here comes the fun part. Stuff or sprinkle your mushrooms with breadcrumbs or drizzle them with pesto sauce. Dust them with a pinch of salt and pepper or stack them with slices of eggplant or roasted peppers.
    • Experiment with your favorite seasoning combinations to make new and exciting variations.
  2. Make a mushroom burger. Portobello mushrooms caps roasted, baked or sautéed create the perfect filling for a burger. Pair them with a toasted bun, chopped tomato, melted shredded mozzarella, avocado, and your favorite condiments.
  3. Mix a creative salad. Toss your sliced mushrooms with a salad of mixed greens, arugula, or your favorite lettuce, or mix with sautéed kale or string beans.
  4. Finished.



Tips

  • When picking a good portobello, the first thing you should check for is a firm cap and stem. Shriveled or soft caps should be avoided. Next, flip the mushroom over and take a look at the gill structure. It should be dry, with a faint pinkish hue when you hold it in the light. If it's deep dark black or wet looking, the mushroom is past its prime.
  • Store your mushrooms whole or in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator. It's best to consume your mushrooms within a few days of purchase.
  • When shopping for mushrooms, try to buy loose mushrooms as opposed to prepackages mushrooms. You’ll be able to inspect the caps this way.
  • Try roasting or sautéing your mushrooms with peppers, onions, or an assortment of vegetables to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms.
  • Removing the gills can extend the shelf life of your mushrooms by a few extra days.

Warnings

  • Mushrooms go bad quickly when wet. If you must rinse or dampen a mushroom to clean it, cook it immediately to avoid rotten food.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Spoons
  • Metal tongs
  • Plastic bag
  • Skillet
  • Baking sheet

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Sources and Citations