Hen of the woods mushroom recipe
These crispy roasted hen of the woods mushrooms are an absolute treat! The mushrooms become crispy, the garlic toasted and caramelized and the spicy notes from the crushed red pepper, make this everything you could ever want in a delicious and healthy snack. This recipe knocks it out of the park, this hen of the woods recipe is so simple, easy and quick to make.
Hen of the woods are a special mushroom. They are the perfect mushroom to cook up crispy and eat alone as a snack. Not only is the texture, shape and flavor perfect for this recipe but they offer a host of health benefits. This is a clean and nutritious side dish or snack that you can feel great about.
There are only a few ingredients used – oil or butter, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt – these simple flavors are generously heavy handed to give the mushrooms an almost fried food feel, being salty and oily. The spicy kick is just for fun.
Below I outline everything from how to clean hen of the woods mushrooms to different recipes you could try with these mushrooms. Besides eating this recipe as is for the tastiest crispy mushrooms snack, I love making this into a hen of the woods soup or hen of the woods pasta recipe. Continue reading below to learn how to make these crispy roasted hen of the woods mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb hen of the woods mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil, for vegan plant-based butter use Miyokos
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
how to cook hen of the woods
- Clean the hen of the woods mushrooms by using a dry towel and brushing off any dirt. Don’t use water or rinse or the mushrooms will become water logged!
- Separate or chop the mushrooms into smaller sections and add them to a cast iron skillet. Add the butter or olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and salt to the mushrooms.
- Place on or in cooking source. When the heat has melted the butter, toss the mushrooms until they are fully coating in the fat and seasonings.
- Cook on 425° until they have shrunk significantly in size from loss of water content and the edges or some sides have become crispy and dark golden brown. Toss with tongs intermittently as they are cooking. The cook time is typically approximately 12-17 minutes.
Notes: How to make crispy garlic mushrooms
- If you would enjoy spicy mushrooms, leave in the recommended amount of spice. If you like mild-medium spicy foods, cut the amount of crushed red pepper flakes by about half. I think the red pepper chili flakes work well in this recipe but you could also use cayenne powder, fresh peppers, hot sauce, or chili powder. These spicy garlic mushrooms are rated about a 3+ on a scale 1-5.
- This recipe is considered a fried hen of the woods although they are not dipped in batter and deep fried in hot oil.
- The possibilities are endless in how you could add to this recipe. If you make something special and want to tell me in the comments below.
- I chose these few simple ingredients in combination because they cover the fat-umami, spicy, salty and pungent seasoning of garlic. Its all you really need to make a perfect snack!
- Hen of the woods price: tends to be around $20/lb as they are a specialty item and foraged in nature.
- For a vegan version use Miyokos vegan plant-based butter or olive oil.
- You could use many different cooking methods and achieve the same results. Sautéed hen of the woods will produce an excellent result as well if you don’t want to roast them in the oven or cook outside over the wood-stove.
- Although this is a hen of the woods mushroom recipe, you can use any mushrooms that you like or have on hand. Some others that would work well are sliced chicken of the woods, oyster mushrooms or shiitake.
How to cook crispy mushrooms
You might be wondering – can you make mushrooms crispy? Yes! While sometimes when cooking vegetables for a longer amount of time, it might just over cook them, leaving you with a mushy soggy vegetable. Cooking mushrooms for longer releases their high water content and once they have become dehydrated they will start to crisp up. In order to make crispy garlic mushrooms make sure to use a fat such as butter or oil, this will definitely help to achieve crispy mushrooms.
How to clean hen of the woods
Gently brush the mushrooms off with a dry towel, removing any dirt that may be left on. Do not wash or rinse them in water, as they will absorb it and become water logged and soggy.
Suggestions of other ways to enjoy this recipe:
- Crispy mushroom tacos
- Hen of the woods soup
- Crispy roasted garlic mushroom salad
- Mushroom and veggie bowl
- On top of toast with an egg and slice of thick slab bacon
- On top of avocado toast
- Filling for an omelette
- A topping on top of ramen noodle bowl
- Hen of the woods pasta recipe
- Topping for pizza
The best hen of the woods recipe
This is just one of the ways to cook crispy roasted mushrooms . Feel free to switch up these ingredients and add in your personal favorites.
I believe this to be the best hen of the woods recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below your different ways to cook mushrooms.
Please rate or comment below and if you made any additions or alterations and want to let me in on your delicious mushroom recipes. I would love to hear about it! If you would like to share or pin on Pinterest, I am always thankful. Check out my food journey on Pinterest at Molé in the Wall.
Thanks for checking out one of my favorite recipes – crispy roasted hen of the woods mushrooms. If you liked this one, you may love some of my other favorite recipes such as air fried buffalos cauliflower wings or 5 star cabbage steaks!
Now you know how to make the best hen of the woods mushroom recipe. I hope you do try this and thoroughly enjoy it as much as we have. I’m pretty sure this will become a family favorite and become a household staples.
Crispy roasted hen of the woods mushrooms (Extra garlicky and spicy!)
Ingredients
- 1 lb hen of the woods mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil, for vegan plant-based butter use Miyokos
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Clean the hen of the woods mushrooms by using a dry towel and brushing off any dirt(dont wash with water or they will absorb it and become water logged).
- Separate or chop the mushrooms into smaller sections and add them to a cast iron skillet.
- Add the butter or olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and salt to the mushrooms.
- Place on or in cooking source. When the heat has meted the butter, toss the mushrooms until they are fully coating in the fat and seasonings.
- Cook on 425° until they have shrunk significantly in size from loss of water content and edges or some sides have become crispy and dark golden brown. Toss with tongs intermittently as they are cooking. The cook time is typically approximately 12-17 minutes.
The information provided on this Site is for general informational purposes only, to include blog postings and any linked material. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional health or medical advice or treatment, nor should it be relied upon for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of any health consideration. Consult with a licensed health care practitioner before altering or discontinuing any medications, treatment or care, or starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program.
Tags: Hen of the woods recipe sauté, Hen of the woods recipe air fryer, Fried hen of the woods, hen of the wood mushroom recipe, oven roasted sliced mushrooms, Roasted mushrooms oven
