Fried King Oyster Mushrooms (Air Fryer and Deep Fried) with Chili Oil Mayo
Tender and juicy king oyster mushrooms in a crispy breading, made in the air fryer or fried the traditional way. You're going to love this mushroom appetizer or side dish!
for deep frying: 1-2 cups of cooking oilsuch as canola or peanut oil
for air frying: oil sprayer
optional: lemon or lime wedgesfor serving
For the chili mayo:
¼cupmayo(use lite mayo or vegan mayo if you prefer)
½ - 1teaspoonchili oil(this stuff is SPICY, use a little bit at first if you're unsure)
1teaspoonlemon juice or lime juice
Instructions
Breading instructions
The dipping and breading instructions are the same whether you air fry or oil-fry these mushrooms.Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Slice the mushrooms (stems and cap) into ⅓-inch thin slices. If the mushrooms are very small, you can cut on the diagonal so you have larger slices. You'll notice the mushrooms are tougher at the bottom, those parts will be chewier an not as tender as the top parts. I don't mind them, but it's up to you whether to use the ends.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the dry seasonings and mix well.
Take HALF of the flour mixture and place it in another bowl. Add ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water. Whisk together really well until no lumps remain in the batter.
Dip each piece of the mushrooms into the wet batter and coat on all sides. Let the excess drip off. Place the dipped mushroom into the dry flour mixture. Use a fork or tongs to coat it on all sides. It's OK if there is excess flour.
Choose whether you're going air fry or deep-fry and follow the instructions below.Prepare the dip while the mushrooms are cooking: combine all the ingredients for the dip in a small bowl and mix well. Adjust the flavor to your tastes, if needed, by adding more spice, lemon/lime juice, or seasoning with salt.
Air fryer instructions
If you air fryer requires preheating, preheat to 375F.
Place the prepared mushrooms on your air fryer basket or tray. Spray the tops with cooking oil - be generous, the more oil the crispier the pieces will be. Tip: hold the basket or tray over a sink or trash can so that the oil spray doesn't get your counter or more dishes dirty.
Air fry at 375F for 10 minutes, checking on the mushrooms after about 7 minutes. If you have good air flow all around, you might not need to flip the mushrooms halfway. If the bottom is not turning golden brown, flip the mushrooms and continue cooking.
Remove from the air fryer, let cool for a few minutes, squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top, and serve with the dip.
Deep frying instructions
Add enough cooking oil to a small pan to get about 1-2 inches of oil in there. Heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to bubble when a toothpick is inserted (or when you carefully drop in a tiny bit of the liquid batter).
Use tongs to carefully place the breaded mushrooms into the hot oil—they should start frying immediately. If bubbles don't form, the oil is too cold. Fry for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through. You can fry several pieces at a time as long as they're not touching each other.
Use tongs to carefully remove the cooked mushrooms and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Allow to cool for a few minutes, squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top, and serve with the dip.
Notes
The batter mixture with water should be pretty watery and thin. But do add lots of dry flour on top to make sure the whole thing is coated in dry flour. That will create crispy layers when the mushrooms are fried.The nutrition facts are estimated without the mayo dip and with just a little spray of oil for air frying, since I cannot control how much oil you use for air frying or how much oil gets absorbed during air frying. Actual nutrition value will vary depending on how much batter and oil sticks to the mushrooms and which cooking method you use.