When my husband asked if I could make healthy fried mushrooms, I immediately thought of my air-fryer. So, I decided to make fried mushrooms in the air fryer, healthy and vegan. Air-fried mushrooms are quite easy to make, yet they taste amazing. Then, I opted to dip them in Vegan Ranch Dressing, just as restaurants serve fried mushrooms. So, not only are air fryer fried mushrooms tasty, but they are also low in calories.
How to choose mushrooms for air-fried mushrooms
First, I chose organic baby Bella mushrooms, and I looked for the smallest ones I could find. Since I wanted to cook bite-sized air-fried mushrooms, picking small mushrooms made the most sense. But, this recipe also works with larger mushrooms as well.
Although people suggest only wiping away debris on mushrooms instead of washing them, I chose to wash them. Because I dredged the mushrooms in plant milk first, washing them seemed harmless and a cleaner option.
Once cleaned, prepare three different shallow bowls for the breading.
When choosing mushrooms, make sure the caps are firm without blemishes. Avoid mushrooms with brown spots or a slimy exterior. For instance, the freshest mushrooms contain a firm exterior. Also, look for mushrooms of similar size, so they cook evenly.
How to prepare breaded mushrooms for the air-fryer
To prepare the mushrooms, gather the following materials in three separate shallow bowls:
- Bowl 1: Plant Milk of Choice: I prefer oat milk for its creaminess, but any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk works.
- Bowl 2: Flour of Choice: I used gluten-free garbanzo flour. I prefer this type of flour because it's outstanding in texture.
- Bowl 3: Corn Meal, Bread Crumbs, and Nutritional Yeast: Although I make my bread crumbs, any bread crumbs suffice.
For this air-fried mushroom recipe, I left the stems on the mushrooms to make a handheld appetizer. To prepare the mushrooms, dredge each mushroom into the plant milk, then the flour, back to the plant milk, and lastly, the bread crumb mixture.
How to cook breaded mushrooms in an air-fryer
Tips:
- Whenever I use the air-fryer, I always spray water in the base instead of oil, so my food doesn't stick.
- Always cook in batches, filling the base in a single layer, not overlapping the mushrooms.
- Check the food every few minutes, and once half cooked, toss around so the mushrooms cook evenly.
- Keep cooked batches warm by placing a towel or aluminum fold over the mushrooms or place on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200-degree oven.
Now, cook the mushrooms at 370 degrees for 8 minutes, check every few minutes, and toss halfway through cooking.
- Please note, however, that the time may vary depending on the size of the mushrooms. For example, I chose small mushrooms, which required 8 minutes, but larger mushrooms may take longer to cook.
- Another factor in cooking time varies due to the type of air-fryer, so always check the food as it cooks to avoid overcooking and undercooking.
Let's not forget the dip?
As a general rule, my family loves Vegan Ranch Dressing, but several other dipping options taste fabulous with this air-fried mushroom recipe.
- Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Romesco Sauce
- Healthy BBQ Sauce
- Lemon Basil Dressing
- Maple Dijon Dressing
- Miso Tahini Dressing
- Vegan Southwest Dressing
- Thousand Island Dressing
- French Dressing
What ingredients are in vegan ranch dressing?
- Raw cashew pieces
- Water
- Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar I like rice vinegar.
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Fresh dill, chopped
- Parsley, chopped
Regardless of the dip chosen, these bite-sized crunchy, savory mushrooms are to die for! So, if you're craving savory fried mushrooms, try my healthy air-fried mushroom recipe.
FAQs
How many calories are in air-fried mushrooms?
- 177 calories and only 1 gram of fat. That compared to 590 calories in typical fried mushroom recipes.
How long do I cook fried mushrooms in the air fryer?
- 8 minutes for small baby Bella mushrooms; increase time for larger mushrooms
What is the best air-fryer?
- I love my GoWise Air-fryer; it's easy to use, clean, and the perfect size for storing.
How do you make your breadcrumbs?
- Toast two pieces of Dave's bread, place them in a mini-food processor, or crumble with your hands.
I don't have an air fryer; can I bake them?
- Yes. Oven instructions are provided in the recipe.
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Air Fried Mushrooms
Ingredients
Mushrooms
- 8 ounces organic small baby Bella mushrooms
Bowl 1
- 1 cup oat milk or plant milk of choice
Bowl 2
- 1 cup garbanzo flour or flour of choice
Bowl 3
- ½ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Vegan Ranch
- 1 cup vegan ranch recipe
Garnish
- Microgreens
Instructions
Mushrooms
- Wash and remove any debris and dirt from the mushrooms
- Keep stems on mushrooms; set aside
Prepare Dredging Bowls
- In one bowl, pour the unsweetened, unflavored plant milk
- In the next bowl, add the flour
- Combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and cornmeal in the third bowl.
- Stir to combine
- Dip each mushroom in plant milk, flour, plant milk, ending in the bread crumb mixture.
- Be sure to roll the mushroom around in each bowl to make sure it is coated.
Air-frying the mushrooms
- Set the air-fryer temperature to 370 degrees
- Place a single layer of breaded mushrooms in the base of the basket.
- Cook for 8 minutes, opening and tossing the mushrooms halfway through cooking (4 minutes)
- Remove the first batch and place it on a baking sheet and cover with a towel or aluminum foil while you cook the next batch, or place it in a 200-degree preheated oven to keep warm.
- Serve with vegan ranch or your favorite dipping sauce.
Oven cooking option
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Using a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, cover a baking sheet
- Place the breaded mushrooms in a single layer and cook for 16-28 minutes.
Notes
Tips:
- Whenever I use the air-fryer, I always spray water in the base instead of oil, so my food doesn't stick.
- Always cook in batches, filling the base in a single layer, not overlapping the mushrooms.
- Check the food every few minutes, and once half cooked, toss around so the mushrooms cook evenly.
- Keep cooked batches warm by placing a towel or aluminum fold over the mushrooms or place on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200-degree oven.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Sandi
What is Dave’s bread?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Sandi, Dave's Bread is an oil-free whole-grain bread sold at most local grocery stores and Costco. But, you can use any bread you like. That is just the one I use to make my own bread crumbs. But you can also buy bread crumbs or Panko.
Marian Polh
Thank you for always being so giving in sharing your recipes.
We just bought an airfryer on black friday, upgrading from a small dollar store one.
Our questions are regarding your comment about putting water on the bottom....
1. Wouldn't that make mushrooms doggy/less crisp?
2. The one we bought had 3 interlocking wire shelves. We used it to make potato pancakes and they stuck!!!! So i put parchment on the shelves, but they didn't cook well at all, probably due to air not being able to circulate.
Is ot the airfryer or us?
Wr will try it one more time with your delicious mushrooms.😃
.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marian, I use a spray bottle and lightly mist the bottom of the basket, so it isn't enough water to make anything soggy. Recently, I invested in parchment paper for my air-fryer, and I love it. The air fryer with the write shelves differs from the non-stick version I spray water on. The wire shelves should be fine without spraying the wire trays with water. Let me know if you like the mushrooms.