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Vegan mushroom jerky delivers bold umami flavor, satisfyingly chewy texture, heaps of plant protein, and is surprisingly simple to make—no dehydrator required!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re craving a chewy, savory, protein-packed snack, this vegan mushroom jerky is a mush-try! Combining the tender, umami flavor of mushrooms with the chewiness of vital wheat gluten (aka the magic ingredient in seitan!), it tastes great and has the tender bite of traditional jerky – without the animal meat. Plus, it’s cheaper than store-bought options and easy to make in the oven – no dehydrator necessary.
With a simple seasoning and customizable sauce (I used BBQ), this vegan jerky is smoky, savory, slightly sweet, a little spicy, and completely addictive. It’s also packed with plant-based protein (the wheat gluten alone contains 46 grams of protein!), fiber, and essential nutrients like B vitamins and vitamin D. It’s great for meal-prepping, too, perfect as a grab-and-go snack for road trips, hikes, and afternoon munching.
Looking for more ways to use mushrooms? Try the best mushroom pate, easy mushroom red lentil meatballs, easy vegan stuffed mushrooms, portobello mushroom pizzas, spinach and mushroom puffs, creamy vegan mushroom pasta, portobello mushroom pizzas, and/or creamy polenta with mushrooms.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, quantities, and substitutions.
How to Make Mushroom Jerky
Step 1: First, use a damp paper towel to wipe dirt from the mushrooms and trim the stems. Then, process them in a food processor to a crumb-like consistency.
Step 2: Add the soy sauce, chili oil, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, and vital wheat gluten. Process again until smooth.
If the mixture is too moist/sticky to shape into strips (it should overly stick to your hands/the surface), add more vital wheat gluten, 1 tbsp at a time.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Meanwhile, use a rolling pin to roll out the mushroom jerky mixture to a thin rectangle.
Step 4: Slice the rectangle into 1-inch strips of your preferred length and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the mushroom jerky for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
Step 5: Brush both sides of the jerky with BBQ sauce and return it to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Leave to cool and enjoy!
FAQs
Any will work, depending on whether you prefer inexpensive, mild mushrooms (like white mushrooms or button mushrooms) or more flavorful ones (chestnut or brown mushrooms, oysters, shiitakes, cremini, etc.). Use a mixture for more complex flavor depth.
You could swap the BBQ sauce for alternatives like Buffalo sauce, teriyaki sauce, Thai peanut sauce, etc. You may also prefer to adjust the seasonings used within the dough to better complement the sauces.
While there are mushroom jerky recipes that marinate then dehydrate mushrooms, I wanted a high-protein version, and this definitely understood the assignment.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Wipe, don’t wash: So the mushrooms don’t soak up excess liquid.
- Wheat gluten amount may vary: The key is to get the ‘dough’ to a consistency where you can roll it out without it being wet or sticky. If needed, add more VWG, 1 tbsp at a time.
- Adjust the taste: You can easily adjust the spices and sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Along with enjoying it as a snack, mushroom jerky works amazingly:
- On a vegan charcuterie board (how to make a vegan charcuterie board)
- In place of vegan tofu bacon in a BLT sandwich
- With salads
- Over cheesy vegan mac and cheese
Storage Instructions
Leave the homemade mushroom jerky to cool, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Mushroom Jerky
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package of mushrooms (any variety is fine)
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of hot chili oil
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- ½ cup of vital wheat gluten
- ½ cup of bbq sauce
Instructions
- Place the mushrooms in a food processor. Process until chopped in small pieces.
- Add soy sauce, hot chili oil, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, and wheat gluten. Process until smooth (If your mixture is too moist to the point where you will not be able to shape it into jerky strips, add 1 tbsp of vital wheat gluten. Process the added vital wheat gluten and check your mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
- While the oven is preheating, remove mushroom mixture from the food processor. Place it on a flat surface and shape into a thin rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it flattens.
- Slice the rectangle into thin strips. They should be about an inch wide. In this step, if your mixture is sticky and difficult to work with, bring it back to the food processor and add one more tablespoon of vital wheat gluten. Repeat this process until you achieve a mixture that is very easy to work with and does not stick to your hands or your surface.
- Place the strips on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Cook for 15 minutes and then flip. Cook for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush on BBQ sauce on both sides of the strip. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and enjoy!
Notes
- Wipe, don’t wash: So the mushrooms don’t soak up excess liquid.
- Wheat gluten amount may vary: The key is to get the ‘dough’ to a consistency where you can roll it out without it being wet or sticky. If needed, add more VWG, 1 tbsp at a time.
- Adjust the taste: You can easily adjust the spices and sauce.
Hi, new to this. what is vital wheat gluten? can I use white flour, or whole wheat flour?
Hi! It’s a type of flour that is high in protein 🙂 We at PBOAB haven’t tried a wheat substitute yet for this recipe yet, however if you do end up giving it a go, please let us know how it goes!
Hi! Really excited about trying this recipe. I have a pretty basic dehydrator and would like to use it for this. How long should I leave the jerky in it? Thanks so much!
Hi! We haven’t tried it out yet in a dehydrator. Please let us know how it comes out if you end up trying that method 🙂
hey there! about how long would this recipe last in the fridge? and how many strips does it make? THANK YOU!! I can’t wait to try this recipe out! your page is da bomb!
Hi! Roughly 3-4 days in the fridge and you’ll get about 10 strips! Enjoy 🙂
Obsessed with mushrooms, and this recipe did not disappoint! We truly enjoyed it!
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s a yummy one for mushroom lovers!
Hi, very interesting recipe and would really like to try it if only I could substitute wheat gluten with something else as I have both, wheat and gluten sensitivity.
Thx!
We at PBOAB haven’t tried a wheat substitute yet for this recipe yet, however if you do end up giving it a go, please let us know how it goes!
This is so delicious! Thank you for a great recipe.
It’s the best snack!