Smoked Mushrooms | Indoor Smoker Recipe

Have you ever wondered how to smoke mushrooms in a smoker? This smoked mushroom recipe uses a combination of portobello slices and caps. After covering them with mustard and herbs, we're going to smoke them with mesquite wood chips in an indoor smoker. The slices turn out like a smoked mushroom jerky while the portabella caps are great on burgers, sandwiches, and salads. So much yum!

Recipes for smoked ribs, chicken, and burgers abound, but have you ever considered smoking mushrooms? If so, I hope you are willing to give this recipe for smoked portobello mushrooms a chance.

Before we get started, I wanted to be upfront about something. The search term "smoking mushrooms" brings up a lot of information about smoking magic mushrooms on Google. That is definitely not the sort of mushroom smoking that is going to be happening here today. LMAO

If you're new here, this is a health-oriented recipe site. The only way I'm going to smoke mushrooms is by getting some portobellos from the store and popping them in my indoor smoker. Sorry if that is disappointing to anyone. Haha

Seriously, this is the best way to smoke mushrooms. Don't do drugs, kids. Make yourself this tasty snack instead.

OK, that's about it for my health PSA. Let's get back to the topic at hand: why and how to smoke mushrooms.

Why you should make smoked mushrooms indoors

These smoked portobello caps and slices come with all the benefits! Check them out:

• Feeds ALL the people: Looking for a vegan recipe? Gluten-free? Low-carb or keto? Dairy-free? Paleo? Low calorie? These mushrooms pretty much fit all of the special diets!
• Super versatile: You can enjoy these tasty mushroom slices as a snack or incorporate them into a meal. Whatever floats your boat!
• Helps to increase your vegetable intake: Mushrooms, such as these portobello mushrooms, count as part of the vegetable group on the MyPlate. When you add more mushrooms to your diet, you are helping to increase your intake of veggies!
• No need to brave the foul weather: If the weather is getting cold or rainy where you are, no worries! You don't have to go outdoors for this smoker recipe! Using an indoor smoker makes smoking foods super convenient.
• Inexpensive way to smoke foods: Many outdoor smokers cost hundreds of dollars. Indoor smoking methods tend to be far less expensive and are a great alternative if you are on a tight budget!

Smoked Mushrooms Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients for smoked mushrooms. Here is what you should gather:

• Portobello mushroom caps and slices
• Cooking oil spray
• Grainy mustard
• Dried sage
• Dried thyme
• Garlic powder
• Lemon zest
• Salt and pepper

In addition, there are a few pieces of special kitchen equipment that you need to make this recipe. These items can be ordered on Amazon:

• Indoor smoker (I am using a large Nordic Ware kettle smoker for this recipe)
• Mesquite smoking chips (I use Cameron's wood smoking chips)

The Nordic Ware smoker comes with some wood chips to get you started, but they do not include mesquite chips. Mesquite is one of my favorite woods to smoke with (hickory is another). If you do a lot of smoking, I recommend trying different types of chips to find your favorites!

Note: the wood chips used in many indoor smokers are not the same as the wood pellets for outdoor smokers. Indoor smoking wood chips are much smaller, closer in size to wood shavings.

Additionally, you'll use far less wood in your indoor smoker compared to the amount of pellets used in an outdoor smoker. This is another way that indoor smokers can save you money; they use a lot less fuel!

How to Make Smoked Mushrooms

Get your assortment of whole portobello caps and slices together. Rinse them well with cool water to remove any dirt and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Some people remove the gills of mushrooms before using them in recipes, but I rarely do this. If your caps have small bits of stem attached, I would remove those. You can save the stem pieces to use in other recipes.

The first time I tried smoking mushrooms, I smoked them right after cleaning the raw mushrooms. I felt the smoke did not adhere to the mushrooms as much as I would have liked. Luckily, I found a much better way to smoke mushrooms after that.

What you need to do is dry saute your mushrooms in a cast iron skillet prior to smoking them. Keep an eye on them and flip them occasionally as they dry. It took about 15 minutes for most of the liquid to evaporate from the mushrooms.

Now you are ready to top your mushrooms. Stir together the mustard, lemon zest, herbs, and spices. I would not add oil to this mixture, as it may make it more difficult for the smoke to penetrate.

Evenly spread this mustard mixture over the tops of your sauteed mushroom slices and caps. Spread the mustard on the tops of the caps only, not the gills.

Let your mustard-covered mushrooms rest on a plate in the fridge overnight before smoking. This will allow them time to dry out even more. (Hey, it's a slow food recipe, so it's going to take some time!)

Smoking Mushrooms Indoors

The next day, set up your Nordic Ware or other kettle smoker with 2 tablespoons of shredded wood chips. I used mesquite chips, and I highly recommend them for this recipe! The wood chips you purchase should be meant for smoking foods.

Lightly mist the smoking tray with cooking oil spray and put the drip pan and smoking tray in the smoker. Place the mushrooms in a single layer on the tray (gills down and mustardy side up).

Put the lid on the smoker. Ensure the thermometer is attached properly, and the lid vent is closed. Turn your stovetop vent fan on.

Put the smoker on a stovetop burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Allow the smoker's thermometer to come to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the temperature comes to 190 degrees, turn the stovetop to low, and set a timer to dry smoke the mushrooms for 30 minutes. Make sure that the smoker stays within 190-210 degrees Fahrenheit for the entire smoking period.

You may need to adjust the stovetop's heat or open the vent on the lid to keep things in the optimal temperature range. Check it fairly often!

If the heat on the smoker is going up too fast, try lifting the lid briefly. This should help you bring the temperature back down, giving you more time to adjust the heat.

After the 30 minutes is up, turn off the stovetop and remove the mushrooms from the smoker. Extinguish the spent wood mesquite chips by soaking them in water. Let the mushrooms cool down, and enjoy!

Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). If you are looking for weight loss, mushrooms are a fantastic way to add lots of volume to meals for very few calories. An entire 8-ounce package of portobello mushrooms is only around 50 calories (per Cronometer). Additionally, they are delicious (a critical attribute for any finished recipe, IMVHO).

I think it's nice to try smoking both mushroom slices and whole caps the first time you try this recipe. The slices become very dry, almost like a mushroom jerky.

On the other hand, the caps remain a little juicy. They are excellent sliced and piled on burgers, salads, or anywhere that could use a lift of umami.

If your whole smoked mushroom caps are sturdy enough, they could be used as a low carb burger bun. There are endless possibilities for using these smoked mushrooms in recipes. Feel free to get creative!

What Entrees Go with Smoked Mushrooms?

As I mentioned above, the smoked mushroom slices turn out like portobello jerky. They are great to snack on by themselves! If you're hungry for a meal, here are a few entrees that could benefit from a mustardy, smoky mushroom topping:

• Baked Popcorn Chicken Salad Bowl
• Kielbasa Salad Meal Prep with Potatoes and Mustard Vinaigrette
• Best Cobb Salad – Meal Prep Recipe!
• Vegan Burrito Bowl Recipe with Citrus Smoked Tofu

The burrito bowls already include smoky tofu. Adding some smoked mushrooms too is really going to take things to the next level!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can vegans eat fungi like mushrooms?

Yes, fungi foods are completely compatible with the vegan diet. Vegans do not consume animal-based foods, but plants and fungi are still on the table. In fact, certain foods that come from fungi have gained a tremendous amount of popularity with the vegan population in particular.

For example, nutritional yeast is a fungus that can be an important source of essential nutrients (particularly vitamin B12) for vegans. It is important to get fortified nutritional yeast if you use this food as a source of B vitamins.

Do portobello mushrooms have protein?

Portobello mushrooms contain a little bit of protein, but it is not sufficient to take the place of protein group foods. Three ounces of portobello mushrooms (a rather voluminous portion) provides approximately 20 calories and only 2 grams of protein. When replacing meat with mushrooms, I recommend finding another way to add more protein to your meal.

Do portobello mushrooms have vitamin D?

Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Mushrooms provide variable amounts of vitamin D and should not be counted on as a source of this vitamin. This includes portobello mushrooms.

Some mushrooms have been treated with UV light to increase the amount of vitamin D that they provide. However, information about whether mushrooms have been UV-treated is typically not available on product packaging.

Some of the best natural food sources of vitamin D include cod liver, rainbow trout, and sockeye salmon. My Smoked Oyster and Cod Liver Pate Recipe is an excellent way to get a vitamin D boost!

How are portobello mushrooms good for you?

As discussed above, portobello mushrooms are not a good source of protein. Portobello mushrooms are also not a good source of iron, as they only provide 1.5% DV iron per 3-ounce serving. So why are portobello mushrooms healthy?

Portobello mushrooms provide many of the essential B vitamins, and they are a good source of niacin (vitamin B3) in particular. They also provide smaller amounts of riboflavin (vitamin B2), as well as vitamins B5 and B6 (per Cronometer).

Additionally, you're getting some minerals from portabella mushrooms, including phosphorus and potassium. Portobello mushrooms are nutrient-dense foods, i.e., rich in essential nutrients, but very low in calories.

Is it spelled “portobello” or “portabella”?

I have used "portobello" more often in this post, but both portobello and portabella are accepted spellings in Merriam-Webster. You may also see baby bella mushrooms sold under the name "cremini."

What are some other recipes that use mushrooms?

Are you mad about mushrooms? My family is as well! Here are some of our other favorite mushroom recipes:

• Tagliatelle ai Funghi (Pasta with Mushrooms)
• Air Fryer Mushrooms (Fried Mushrooms with No Added Oil!)
• Cheeseburger Salad (Favorite Burger Copycat!)

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And now for the disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!