This spicy king oyster mushroom stir-fry recipe has three things going for it. 1) It uses just 8 ingredients. 2) It’s incredibly tasty. And 3) It’s completely vegan!
It’s one of those recipes that isn’t necessarily trying to be vegan/vegetarian. It is completely satisfying and delicious. Even if you’re not on a plant-based diet, you’ll enjoy this stir-fry as a main dish or side.
Recipe Inspiration
You may be looking at cross-hatch cuts in the oyster mushrooms here, finding them reminiscent of another famous Chinese stir-fry:
Yes, this recipe is modeled after a famous Chinese dish of…stir-fried pork kidneys! The kidneys are scored in a crosshatch pattern before frying, which is meant to improve the texture and mouthfeel, but also to help the kidneys cling to the delicious sauce/seasonings in the dish.
Not one for pork kidneys?
Me either, really.
But we’re in luck, because we have this vegan version made with oyster mushrooms. I got the brilliant idea from a recent video posted by one of our family’s new favorite YouTube channels, Dianxi Xiaoge.
The channel belongs to a young Chinese vlogger who films recipes from her family’s village in Yunnan province. Her recipes are crazy intricate and fascinating to watch, and all the ingredients come from the landscape around her.
It’s become a regular family activity to put her videos on the TV and gasp in surprise at every crazy twist and culinary turn! She recently posted this creative idea in a video about Buddhist vegetarian cooking, and I knew I had to give it a try and share it with our readers. I did make a few minor changes to the recipe, including the removal of the deep frying step!
What Are King Oyster Mushrooms?
King oyster mushrooms, also known as king trumpet mushrooms, have thick, white edible stems and small brown caps. They have a very meaty flavor, and you can find them in Asian grocery stores as well as some well-stocked supermarkets.
It’s important to note that they’re different from regular oyster mushrooms, which look completely different (thinner stems, wide oyster-shaped caps, and white gills).
If you’ve never tried king oyster mushrooms before, this recipe is a great entry point!
Note that this dish is very spicy. If you’d like to make it more mild, substitute the long hot peppers with thinly sliced sweet bell peppers.
Recipe Instructions
Cut each oyster mushroom in half lengthwise. Place each mushroom half flat side down, and score with your knife lengthwise. Make the slices deep, without slicing completely through the mushroom.
Then make perpendicular cuts across the lengthwise cuts, again making sure not to slice all the way through.
Every third cut, slice through the mushroom to create ½ inch pieces.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the mushrooms lightly in the oil until golden brown on one side. Flip and fry on the other side until golden. Continue frying until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mushrooms from the oil.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the spicy bean sauce and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the mushrooms back to the wok, along with the light soy sauce and ½ teaspoon sugar. Add the peppers to the wok and stir-fry everything together for another 2 minutes.
Serve!
It goes great with a bowl of steamed rice, and maybe an additional dish of leafy greens (like our stir-fried baby bok choy) for a full meal!
Spicy King Oyster Mushroom Stir-fry (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound king oyster mushrooms (450g)
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 6 slices ginger
- 8 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 5 long hot peppers (red and/or green, de-seeded and sliced diagonally)
Instructions
- Cut each oyster mushroom in half lengthwise. Place each mushroom half flat side down, and score with your knife lengthwise. Make the slices deep, without slicing completely through the mushroom. Then make perpendicular cuts across the lengthwise cuts, again making sure not to slice all the way through. Every third cut, slice through the mushroom to create ½ inch pieces.
- Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the mushrooms lightly in the oil until golden brown on one side. Flip and fry on the other side until golden. Continue frying until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mushrooms from the oil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the spicy bean sauce and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the mushrooms back to the wok, along with the light soy sauce and ½ teaspoon sugar. Add the peppers to the wok and stir-fry everything together for another 2 minutes. Serve!
No joke, as we were scarfing down this meal I turned to my wife and told her it was the best thing I’ve ever made. This meal reminds me of a meal I love from Dumpling Cafe in Boston… pork with long horn peppers. I made the recipe exactly as written and it was perfect. Served it over white rice and the two of us ate every bite. I would HIGHLY recommend making it. It was hard sourcing the king oyster mushrooms. Our local Asian grocer doesn’t stock them, so I had a friend pick them up at H Mart, which is a larger store in the Boston area (who also had the long horn peppers). If you can’t find them, I think the dish would be very similar with regular oyster mushrooms or a combination of cremini / shitake. FYI, the spicy bean paste really makes this dish and now I can make mo po tofu, too :)
Thank you for all of the great recipes, I especially value the veg / vegan ones! I’ve been making so much food from your blog that I received at wok for my birthday lol
Thank you so much for the stellar review and feedback, Tom! So happy you and your wife enjoyed this, and that you have a shiny new wok to play with!
I have always wanted to try king oyster mushrooms. They look intriguing…and a little weird :-) This recipe is a great introduction. The dish came together quickly and I really enjoyed the flavors and texture; very beefy. Really great with rice. Next time I find these guys I’ll make a double batch! And invite the neighbors!!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
You’re welcome! So glad you gave these mushrooms a try—they’re super versatile and tasty.
Love your recipes… love your site! Thank you for sharing so generously your tradition with the rest of the world :)
You’re welcome! Thank you for this kind comment!
Mushrooms are a Godsend for anyone trying to switch to a vegan diet as their taste is not all dissimilar to that of meat making the switch easier. They are also equally high in nutritional value. Definitely sharing this post to my facebook.
Thanks Tarek!