These crispy enoki mushrooms are addictive and really easy to make - they can even be cooked in the air fryer! The texture when you bite into them has an incredible pulled meat texture. Serve them with a gochujang spicy mayo dip to make them even more delicious (recipe included)! Great for fans of mushrooms of all types, such as these recipes for oyster mushrooms.
Jump to:
🌟 Why this recipe works
Crunchy outside - the batter in this recipe is light and crispy, as fried mushrooms should be - which provides a delicious crunch upon biting into the enoki mushroom. It's such an easy recipe that is sure to impress your vegan friends and family!
Meaty inside - these mushrooms have a super meaty texture to bite into, that is so satisfying. That comes from frying - whether frying or air frying! In addition, these mushrooms are often used as a meat substitute, especially in meat-free burgers.
Quick and easy - this whole enoki mushroom recipe comes together in around 20 minutes, and there are just a few simple steps to follow! We're talking no more than 5-7 minutes prep time, 10 minutes cook time and a couple of minutes for them to cool before you tear into your delicious fried enoki mushrooms.
Fry it your way - make this enoki mushroom recipe your way! Whether you want to air fry or deep fry your enoki mushrooms, there are instructions for both options and they're both equally amazing. If you like air fryer snacks, check out these air fryer onion bhajis too.
📋 Ingredient notes
Enoki mushrooms - enoki mushrooms have a very mild flavor and unusual texture compared to chestnut or white mushrooms, which are more well-known types of mushroom. They're used a lot in Asian cuisine. The stalks are very long and thin, and the flavor is slightly earthy.
Although enoki mushrooms have increased in popularity in the UK and US, they're not always easy to find in grocery stores and supermarkets. We always recommend going to an asian grocery store because they are likely to have enoki mushrooms. Plus, asian supermarkets have the best ingredients, such as kecap manis or even vegan fish sauce. Most asian grocery stores should have many types of mushrooms, including enoki. These are great for making Asian inspired recipes like tempeh kecap or Thai green curry.
If you can't find enoki in any supermarkets or shops, then finding them online will be the best bet.
Cornstarch - cornstarch, known as corn flour in the UK, is a great ingredient for creating a crispy batter. When combined with all purpose flour, it makes the batter lighter, crispier and thicker to help it cling to the enoki mushrooms.
Spices - white pepper, garlic powder and Chinese five spice make up the flavors of the batter. There's a bit of a hot peppery flavor, a nice touch of garlic and the beautifully balanced flavors of Chinese 5 spice - star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and Szechuan peppercorns.
Gochujang - this spicy paste is key for the vegan mayo dip. However, if you haven't got any, you can use one of these gochujang substitutes.
🔪 Fried enoki mushrooms step-by-step instructions
This is a step-by-step overview with photos for making this enoki mushroom recipe. The full recipe, along with measurements and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
1. Trim the bottom inch or two from the enoki mushrooms to get rid of the brown roots, gently rinse and then pat dry with paper towels.
2. Cut them into bunches that are ~2” wide and then spread the stalks of each bunch out a little so they’re not all clumped up. Preheat air fryer to 190°c or add your oil to a large pan over medium heat (enough to pretty much cover the mushroom).
3. Whisk the batter ingredients together until smooth in a small bowl. It should be quite thick.
4. Carefully coat each of the bunches of mushrooms in the batter and transfer to the preheated fryer.
5. Let the excess batter drip off before placing in the large skillet or air fryer basket, but make sure each mushroom is well coated.
Air fry at 190c for 10 minutes or deep fry in cooking oil for 1-2 minutes on each side, until the batter is golden brown and crispy. The cooking oil should be neutral tasting (vegetable or sunflower) and should just about cover the mushrooms.
6. While the mushrooms are cooking, mix the gochujang mayo ingredients together, until smooth and a light orange colour.
7. Once cooked, leave to cool for a couple of minutes before enjoying. If deep frying, pat dry on a few paper towels to soak any excess oil.
8. Place on a serving plate with the gochujang mayo, chopped green onions and maybe even a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
👩🍳 Expert tips
Air fry or deep / shallow fry - this fried enoki mushrooms recipe works both ways! So whichever bit of kitchen equipment you have or prefer, you can still make the best crispy enoki mushrooms. We've included instructions for both options in the recipe card. These are the air fryers we recommend, if you're looking for one.
Hot oil - if you're deep frying in this enoki mushroom recipe, it's important that the oil is hot. Use a thermometer to test if the oil is up to temperature. It should be between 325°F and 375°F or between 160°C and 180°C. Alternatively, put a small drop of batter in the hot oil, if it sizzles, then it's ready.
Storage - we recommend enjoying the crispy enoki mushrooms fresh from the fryer (after a couple of minutes to cool). However, if you do find you have some leftover fried enoki mushrooms, they can be reheated and crisped back up in an air fryer at 180°c for 5 minutes (or in the oven) straight from the fridge.
Any excess batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and used for more fried enoki mushrooms another day (trust us, you'll be back for more). This enoki mushroom recipe is just so more-ish!
Cooking - while the cook time for this recipe is
🥕 Substitutions
Gochujang - the gochujang in the spicy mayo can be switched for sweet Thai chile sauce or any other spicy chili sauce that takes your fancy. This spicy enoki mushroom recipe gets its heat from the spicy sauce that it is served with, so try not to skip it out!
Flour - all purpose flour can be substituted for gluten free flour in order to make the fried enoki mushrooms gluten free. The only other ingredient to watch out for is gochujang - some brands may contain gluten, so just be sure to double check!
Cornstarch - cornstarch can be substituted for tapiocha starch, which will provide similar benefits of making the batter a little lighter and crispier.
Spicy enoki mushrooms - add a spicy kick to this recipe by adding a pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper powder. It is a perfect side dish to have with a main dish such as [sweet sour tofu] , [chop suey] or with miso soup.
💭 FAQs
The best way to prepare enoki mushrooms it to trim the brown root end off, gently rinse them with some cold water to remove any dirt and then pat dry with a paper towel.
It depends on where you bought them and how they were prepared, but it's best to give them a quick wash to remove any dirt that might be on them. Plus the brown roots should be removed.
One of our favorite ways to serve enoki mushrooms is in this fried enoki mushroom recipe, or in a noodle soup or ramen.
🍄 More mushroom recipes to try
There are so many ways to prepare mushrooms, such as fried mushrooms, mushroom curries, baking them or adding to stews or casseroles. Here's some more vegan recipe inspiration for Asian dishes with mushrooms:
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review and a rating below, or tag us in your photos on Instagram! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest for later.
If you love our content, please consider supporting it by buying us a coffee.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Fried Enoki Mushrooms
Ingredients
For the mushrooms:
- 200 g enoki mushrooms
- ¼ cup flour
- ⅛ cup cornflour
- 0.25 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt - or whatever salt you have
- 0.75 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
- 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 0.125 teaspoon white pepper
- 0.25 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅜ cup water
For the dip:
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- Fresh coriander - chopped
- 1 pinch salt - to taste
Instructions
- Trim the bottom inch or two from the enoki mushrooms to get rid of the brown roots, gently rinse and then pat dry with paper towels. Cut them into bunches that are ~2” wide and then spread the stalks of each bunch out a little so they’re not all clumped up.200 g enoki mushrooms
- Whisk the batter ingredients together until smooth in a small bowl. It should be quite thick.¼ cup flour, ⅛ cup cornflour, 0.25 teaspoon baking powder, 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt, 0.75 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice, 0.25 teaspoon turmeric powder, 0.125 teaspoon white pepper, 0.25 teaspoon garlic powder, ⅜ cup water
- Preheat air fryer to 190°c or add your oil to a large pan over medium heat (enough to pretty much cover the mushroom).
- Carefully coat each of the bunches of mushrooms in the batter and transfer to the preheated fryer.
- Air fry at 190c for 10 minutes or deep fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until the batter is golden brown and crispy.
- While the mushrooms are cooking mix the gochujang mayo ingredients together, until smooth and a light orange colour.1 tablespoon vegan mayo, 1 teaspoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon Lime juice, Fresh coriander, 1 pinch salt
- Once cooked, leave to cool for a couple of minutes before enjoying. If deep frying, pat dry on a few paper towels to soak up any extra oil.
- Serve with the gochujang mayo, chopped green onions and maybe even a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Notes
- Leftover enoki mushrooms can be reheated and crisped back up in an air fryer at 180°c for 5 minutes (or in the oven), straight from the fridge.
- Any excess batter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and used for more fried enoki mushrooms another day.
- These fried mushrooms also go well with vegan Japanese mayonnaise, sticky Chinese BBQ sauce or just regular BBQ sauce.
Comments
No Comments