Easy Shiitake Mushroom Jerky Recipe

This easy Shiitake Mushroom Jerky recipe makes a delicious, healthy snack with savory umami flavor. The method uses a conventional oven, so there’s no dehydrator required!

Though it seems to be growing in popularity in stores, making your own mushroom jerky is both simple and economical.

Shiitake mushrooms, in particular, make a great candidate for jerky. They are pretty on the outside, and have some great health benefits on the inside, being a good source of vitamin D, vitamin B6, and antioxidants.

Shiitake mushroom jerky is also great for several reasons:

• great taste
• great chewy texture
• great alternative to beef jerky

So if you’re in the market for a fun plant-based snack with a tasty meaty texture, this vegan mushroom jerky is simply…grrrreat!

Ingredients

For this recipe you’ll need:

• fresh shiitake mushrooms
• low-sodium tamari: I love the delicious umami taste of tamari, but coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce are also great options
• rice vinegar: you can also substitute with apple cider vinegar
• maple syrup: this is optional, but it adds a nice hint of sweetness
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• smoked paprika
• red chilli flakes
• black pepper

Recipe Tips

• Size matters: try to find the largest shiitakes you can to produce sizable pieces of jerky. Since mushrooms are 90% water, they are going to shrink considerably.
• Use the stems: shiitake stems work perfectly fine in this recipe, and using them helps reduce food waste. I actually find their fibrous texture to be quite delightful.
• Shawty Got Low: for the best jerky results, set your oven at the lowest temperature possible–the maximum being 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Make Shiitake Mushroom Jerky

Start by wiping the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, then slice or tear large caps evenly-sized pieces. Leave any smaller caps whole.

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add the sliced mushrooms and stems the bowl, then gently toss until everything is well coated in the marinade. You might need to use your hands in order to make sure all areas of the mushrooms get covered.

Cover the bowl (or pour the mushrooms into a large resealable plastic bag) and place it in the refrigerator.

Let the mushrooms marinate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24. The longer you let the mushrooms marinate, the better the flavor of the jerky will be.

The next day, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Remove the mushrooms from the bowl, draining any excess marinade, and spread them out in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 250°F oven and bake for one hour.

Flip the mushrooms piece over and continue baking for another hour until the mushrooms are dry but still have a little bend to them.

Time to enjoy your mushroom jerky!

Mine rarely lasts longer than a few minutes once it gets out of the oven (I highly recommend doubling or tripling this recipe) but you can store any leftover jerky in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

More Mushroom Recipes

• Pan Fried Oyster Mushrooms
• Sautéed Chicken of the Woods
• Morel Mushroom and Quinoa Salad
• Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab” Cakes

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