Makes 4 – 6 servings

Crunchy, savory, and perfectly delicious.  These can be cooked in the oven or air fryer. Try serving with coleslaw or as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain, unsweetened plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
• 8 oz oyster mushrooms (or hen of the woods) mushrooms cleaned and pulled apart into medium chunks 
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, if preferred)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika or smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Cooking spray, olive or avocado oil

Instructions

1. Oven method:Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil spray to coat.
2. Air-fryer method: Preheat the air fryer to 370°F (188°C).
3. In a large bowl, make a vegan buttermilk by stirring together the plant-based milk and lemon juice (and hot sauce if desired) and stir. Let sit for a few minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast.
5. Double coat each of the mushrooms by adding a few mushrooms at a time to the buttermilk mixture, tossing well to coat. Then add each to the flour mixture and toss well. Shake off any excess flour, and dunk the mushrooms back into the buttermilk mixture, and then again in the flour mixture. Set aside on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer or on a plate if using the air fryer. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
6. Oven method:spray the mushrooms generously with cooking spray on all sides. Make sure to leave room around the mushrooms so that they will crisp. Use two baking sheets if needed. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, spraying any powdery/dry spots with more oil, and continue to cook for another 8–15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
7. Air-fryer method: Grease the bottom of the air-fryer basket. Lay the coated mushrooms in the basket in a single layer—do not overcrowd (you may need to work in batches). spray the tops generously with cooking spray. Air-fry for 5 minutes, flip, spray with more oil if needed to coat any powdery/ dry spots, and continue cooking for another 5–10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.

Note: you can reheat leftovers by crisping at the above temperatures for 5–8 minutes in the air fryer or 8–15 minutes in the oven.

Adapted from: itdoesnttastelikechicken.com, a similar version is also found in the Big Vegan Flavor cookbook