Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms are a hearty vegan and/or vegetarian option for summer barbecues. The Portobello mushroom marinade in this recipe is bursting with fresh, spicy and delicious flavors.
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Portobello mushrooms are “meaty.” Really, they are! Just ask a vegetarian friend.
As if they’d really know, right? 😉
Actually, the truth is, while they certainly can’t compete with a perfect rib-eye or juicy flank steak, they are indeed a very hearty mushroom! These mushrooms can be a super satisfying meal, in and of themselves! And I’d use this Portobello mushroom marinade in this recipe on a steak any day!
Portobellos have an deep, earthy flavor. That, combined with their ability to soak up most flavors added to them, is a recipe for culinary success. Pun intended.
These marinated grilled Portobello mushrooms marinate for at least six hours in a blend of soy sauce, citrus, garlic, chili paste, and more. The spicy Asian vibe works so well with the earthy mushrooms.
Add to that, the smoky flavor the grill imparts, and oh my, what a dish!
Oh, and just in case you’re not going for the vegetarian meat thing, this Grilled Coffee Balsamic Flank Steak is one of my favorites.
And better yet, also for the non-vegetarians, you can serve this with the mushrooms. They’d be fabulous together.
Ideas for using the Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms:
- Chopped and tossed into a salad or stir-fry.
- As a meat substitute in a “burger.”
- As the “bun” of a burger. (Have you seen this? It’s a gluten-free/low-carb, trend these days.)
- On your pizza.
- In a vegetarian sandwich. Just add tomato, crispy lettuce, and whatever other ingredients suit you.
- Mixed into pasta. I’d use a wide noodle, like Pappardelle — to stand up to the hearty mushrooms.
- Or simply as a most delicious side dish.
The possibilities are endless!
You can garnish with fresh or dried scallions. If you live in LA, can find the dried scallions, and the other ingredients for the portobello mushroom marinade at one my favorite Asian markets, Nijiya.
However you decide to serve up the marinated grilled portobello mushrooms, enjoy!
Don’t have a stove-top grill or BBQ? Don’t feel like grilling? That’s cool, you can follow the same recipe instructions, but use a sauté instead.
Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms are a hearty vegan and/or vegetarian option for summer barbecues, and this recipe is bursting with fresh, spicy and delicious flavors.
*Please note that 6 hours of the prep time is marinating time.
- 2 large portobello mushrooms (about 3 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 scallion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (I like Sambal Oelek)
- 1/4 cup grape seed oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Use a damp towel to gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Then use the dull side of a small paring knife to gently scrape off the gills from the underside of the mushroom. (This little extra step is important because this portion of the mushroom can become quite bitter when it's grilled.)
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In a small mixing bowl, combine the tamari or soy with the lime juice, scallion, garlic and chili paste. Then gradually mix in the oil and blend until smooth.
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Place the two mushrooms in a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over them. Use your hands to ensure the marinade is evenly covering both sides of the mushrooms. Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight.
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The next day, when you're ready to cook, preheat your BBQ or stove-top grill. Remove the mushrooms from the bag, gently shaking any excess marinade back into the bag. (Save this for later!) Put the mushrooms on a large plate and season both sides with the salt and pepper.
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Place the mushrooms on the preheated grill -- if you don't hear a sizzle, take them off until it's hot enough! They will not grill and caramelize properly unless the grill is hot enough! Grill the mushrooms until they are nicely charred and tender, about 3 or 4 minutes per side.
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After the mushrooms have slightly cooled, cut them into then slices, place them on serving plate and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Unlike when you're cooking "real" meat, this is totally safe to do!
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The mushrooms can be served, hot, warm, room temperature or chilled in a salad!
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Looks incredible! And certainly worth trying!
Thanks, Karen! 🙂
Great tip about removing the gills! I had not seen that in any other recipe or blog. Very helpful, Thanks!
Thanks, Jamie. Hope you try it! 🙂
Would you be able to use a different type of oil, I only have at the moment sesame seed, olive and veg?
Hi Sheena. Yes, you can use the vegetable or olive! (I wouldn’t use the sesame because the flavor is quite strong and it’s likely to burn on the grill.) Enjoy!
Your pictures are so stunningly beautiful, that just looking at them makes my mouth water! I’m thinking of grating a lot of Gruyėre and putting it between two of the caps and making a grilled cheese portobello sandwich. Thanks again for an inspiring recipe!
My jaw dropped when I read this — adding the Gruyere, which would melt perfectly between the mushrooms, sounds brilliant! Yum! Thank you!
The marinade must really be something! Those slices do look like meat. GREG
Gracias, Greg! They are indeed a meaty treat. 😉
This looks like the best recipe. I want that for dinner tomorrow night. Love that you used chili paste in the recipe too. Thank you!
Yes, the chile paste give it a great kick. Thank you and enjoy!
I just love portabella mushrooms and this dish looks and sounds delicious! Such a great idea for a healthy side dish!
Hope you try them, Natalia. Thank you! 🙂
Wow this looks insanely good! So yummy! Its fantastic! Is good food and this looks like one of the BEST! I like all the ingredients in it. Looks VERY tasty! Thank you for a great recipe!
Thank you, Veena!
I love these mushrooms. I use them in place of steak all the time since I don’t eat meat. I am going to pick some up just to try this delicious looking recipe.! I love how the photo glistens!
Thanks so much, Claudia! Hopeyou try them.
These look incredible! I’m always looking for something new to do with Portobello mushrooms
Thanks so much! 🙂
Such a great dish! At first, I did think it was grilled pork or a chicken but it turned down mushroom surprisingly xD
It’s really interesting!
This is definitely something we will want to try this summer. While we love a good steak – flank especially – we are trying to eat more meatless meals during the week!
Well, you should enjoy this “meaty” mushroom. 🙂
This recipe is perfect! The flavors melded together for a complex, succulent taste and the detailed instructions were so helpful. I made extra to have leftovers to toss with pasta as Valentina suggests. The first Mother’s Day without one’s mom can be so hard – you honor her through your memories and we’re lucky to celebrate her life through you and your amazing aunt…
Awww, thank you so much, Karen. I so appreciate that.:-)
As for the mushrooms, I’m thrilled you tried them and loved them! And so great to add the rest to pasta — it’ll be a hearty, delicious meal. And as always, thank you for visiting my site and trying the recipes.
I love the Asian vibe for these meaty mushrooms. I am going to try them on the grill this weekend. Thanks for the great recipe.
Cathy, I hope you love them! XO