July 4th is in 2 weeks, and I’m already dreaming about what I will be eating that weekend. It is a quintessential American holiday that celebrates the birth of this country, so I thought it would be cool to make food that is considered American with a twist. That means hot dogs, burgers, and fries. First up are these portobello mushroom fries. I absolutely love regular potato fries, but there’s something about mushrooms that is so much more satisfying. They’re firm so they hold up well in the fryer, and I feel a tad bit healthier when I eat them instead.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Portobello Mushrooms – These mushrooms are perfect for these fries because they’re firm, so they hold their shape well during frying. I used large portobellos but you can also use smaller versions of these mushrooms.
- Panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs provide texture to the portobello mushroom fries. You can substitute regular breadcrumbs for panko.
- All purpose flour – I use flour to provide the initial coating onto the mushrooms. I would highly recommend sticking to AP flour for frying.
- Seasonings (onion salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika) – These seasonings are used to provide flavor to the mushrooms and the flour. I used onion salt, but you can use regular sea salt. Paprika can be substituted with any kind of chili powder.
- Eggs – Helps bind the coating to the mushrooms.
- Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil is perfect for frying foods because it has a high smoke point, so it doesn’t burn as easily as animal based fats.
Making my portobello mushroom fries
First cut your mushrooms into 1/2 inch wide pieces. If the mushroom pieces seem too long, cut them in half. Don’t worry about being perfect. They don’t have to be the same size. Next prepare your coating. Get 3 bowls out. Add the panko to one and mix. Next, add all purpose flour and seasonings to the second one. And lastly, add the eggs to the third one and whisk. Dip a mushroom piece into the seasoned flour, then the whisked eggs, and lastly the panko. Repeat for all the mushroom pieces.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with paper towels. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron or dutch oven to 370 degrees F. Make sure the vegetable oil comes up 2 inches in the pan. Fry each mushroom piece for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the outside is golden and the inside is cooked. Fry in batches, so you don’t crowd the pan. Once cooked, place mushroom fries on the prepared baking sheet. The paper towels will drain excess oil. Serve with dip of choice and minced parsley as garnish.
Tips on how to make the perfect portobello mushroom fries
- Make sure you have enough seasoning in your flour – I think the biggest mistake most people make with frying anything is not seasoning your flour enough. That’s why some fried dishes are really bland. Here I used onion salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to season the flour.
- Keep frying oil temp at 370 degrees F – Use a candy thermometer to keep your oil temperature right about 370 degrees F to ensure your mushrooms cook, and the coating is crispy.
- Choose your own dipping sauce – You can eat these portobello mushroom fries with almost any dipping sauce. I chose sriracha mayo and ketchup.
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Portobello Mushroom Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large portobello mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp onion salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp parsley minced
Instructions
- Cut mushrooms into ~1/2 inch wide strips. Don't worry about the pieces being uniform.
- Prepare your coating. Take out 3 bowls. Add the panko breadcrumbs to one bowl. Next, add the flour, onion salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder to the second bowl. Lastly, add the eggs to the third bowl and whisk.
- Take a mushroom piece and dip it into the flour mixture, then the eggs, and lastly the panko. Repeat the process for all of the mushroom pieces.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with paper towels. Set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron pan or dutch oven to 370 degrees F. Make sure the vegetable oil comes up 2 inches in the pan. Adjust the oil to the pan you are using.
- Fry each mushroom for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the outside is golden and the inside is cooked. Fry in batches, so you don't crowd the pan. Once cooked, place mushroom fries onto the prepared baking sheet. The paper towels will drain excess oil.
- Garnish with minced parsley, and serve with dip of choice. I chose to serve it with sriracha mayo and ketchup.
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