Name: Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 portobello mushrooms, large ((lightly rinsed clean, stems and inside gills removed)); 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce; tamari is best for gluten-free); 2 tbsp garlic, chopped; pinch of cayenne pepper; 1 cast iron grill pan

Jump to Recipe

Juicy grilled portobello mushroom steaks, just marinate, then grill on the stove and serve as a steak or slip into a hamburger bun. An easy low carb, meat free meal.

These portobello mushroom steaks, juicy from an easy vegan steak marinade, will have neighbors lining up for your BBQ! These mushroom steaks are easy to cook into a meaty, savory meal. And using a fry pan, or better a grilling frying pan, you can get BBQ stripes and flavor.

Table of Contents

Why You'll Love These
Ingredients
How to Make
Storage
My Vegan Steak Marinade
Recipe Tips
FAQS
Other Savory Foods
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love These

Flavorful thick steaks. These plant based steaks are hearty, savory, juicy, meat-free, low carb, spicy, unami, and only a handful of ingredients!

Serve as a steak or hamburger. As a steak on a plate, I served mine with fresh veggies and cauliflower mashed potatoes, and a steak sauce on the side. Or I slip it on a hamburger bun with sliced tomato and lettuce, and serve up an awesome plant-based burger. Just like my Italian stuffed mushrooms and my chickpea Italian meatballs, this is a surprisingly delicious plant-based meal.

High nutrition. Portobellos, from the crimini mushroom family, are a popular meat substitute for good reason. Not only are they thick and meaty and take on any meat marinade, they are high in nutrition. One portobello is low carb, and low in calories, yet provides 5 grams of protein, and a myriad of nutrients that support the immune system, cardiovascular system, brain function and more. There is a carcinogen in small quantities, called agaritine, which can be eliminated by cooking them. And cooking portobellos is best to achieve the meaty texture.

Ingredients

Portobello mushrooms. These large, plate-sized mushrooms, are the star ingredient of this vegan steak recipe. These large mushrooms, up to 5-inches in diameter, are native to Italy and have been around since the 1700s. Portobello mushrooms are mature "cremini" mushrooms, and have an open cap, large brown gills inside. Nutrition-wise, all mushrooms provide tons of nutrition, and portobellos are the same, especially high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin D.
Tamari sauce.
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Garlic
Cayenne pepper
Parsley

Equipment Needed

You can pan fry these steaks using an ordinary frying pan, or use a cast iron grilling pan for the distinctive BBQ stripes. Or of course throw these steaks on the outdoor grill!

How to Make

Preparation

Clean the portobellos by lightly running them under water, then quickly patting them dry with paper towels.

Remove the inside gills and stem. Remove the gills because they taste slimy, although they are edible. Remove the stem to allow the mushroom to lay flat. A spoon works well to remove these areas.

How to clean mushrooms

To clean mushrooms, gently towel them with a wet paper towel, do not submerge them under running water or they will soak it up like a sponge thanks to substances in their caps called hydrophobins.

Marinate the Mushrooms

In a large bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients. Taste and add more seasonings if you want, such as steak seasoning, rosemary, dill, black pepper, and salt.

Add the mushrooms to the bowl, spoon the marinade all over them, flip them and spoon more marinade.

Let them sit for 10 minutes each side, allowing them to marinade a total of 20 minutes. No longer or they might become too sour or salty.

Grill the Mushrooms

Heat a hand grill pan or a large skillet over medium heat on the stove.
Spray with olive oil, and set 1 to 2 mushrooms in the pan, press for a few minutes so the grill marks transfer. I found cooking each side about 4 minutes led to juicey steaks.

Storage

The grilled portobellos tasted fine after 2 days of refrigeration. After that, they can get a bit rubbery

My Vegan Steak Marinade

The best way to flavor these portobello mushroom steaks is to soak them in a great marinade. Googling portobello steak marinade brings up a range of recipes, some use liquid smoke, some use cumin or rosemary or thyme.

My vegan steak marinade is a quality yet easy recipe, using only a few well-known ingredients and is gluten-free. The tamari sauce is the main reason the vegan marinade is full of a robust and savory flavor. Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. It is considered healthier than ordinary soy sauce, usually gluten-free, deeper in umami flavor, and less salty. Tamari is also higher in protein and antioxidants, and is less likely to have unhealthy additives. And the beauty of my marinade recipe, is you can customize it by adding any of your favorite spices.

Recipe Tips

1. Don't let them marinade beyond 20 minutes total or they may become too strong in flavor.

2. Cooking options: Use a heavy frying pan or (this cast iron grill pan to cook them on your stove. Or use an outdoor grill.

3. Don't bake these marinated mushrooms in the oven, unless perhaps sealed in a foil envelope. I think baking might dry out their juicy meatiness.

FAQS

What Is Umami?

Umami was recently declared the fifth basic taste in line right after (1) Sweet, (2) Sour, (3) Salty and (4) Bitter. USA-based scientists made the announcement in the 1990s though history shows the Japanese had discovered nearly 100 years prior, and had named it using Japanese words that vaguely translate to: delicious savory taste.
The flavor, strongly found in tamari, is described as brothy, meaty, or savory.

Should you wash mushrooms?

Mushrooms are grown in dirt so even if they appear clean, it is important to give them a gentle cleaning before cooking. To clean mushrooms, gently wipe them with a damp paper towel instead of soaking them. Mushrooms have substances called hydrophobins on their caps that repel water, but can't protect against saturation. If you submerge a mushroom or even run it under rushing water, it will absorb the water like a sponge and make them taste-less and watery.

Are Portobello Mushrooms Good for You?

Yes! They are full of antioxidants and essential minerals such as riboflavin, selenium, copper and potassium. However, it is best to cook portobellos as they have trace amounts of toxins that are destroyed by heat.

What do Portobello Mushrooms Taste Like?

Meaty and savory in texture, they easily take on the flavor of sauces so that is why it is wonderful to marinade them.

Can You Eat The Gills of a Portobello Mushroom?

You can but no one ever does - the stalks and gills of the inside of a portobello are fibrous and not very pleasant.

What is The Difference Between Portobello and Portabella Mushrooms?

Both spellings are used to describe this gilled mushroom, although "portobello" is more common.

Other Savory Foods

Chickpea Vegan Meatballs
Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Quinoa Artichoke Vegan Paella
Jackfruit BBQ Sandwiches

Are you on Pinterest? Perhaps share this image..

I invite you to keep up with me on: Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Food Gawker | Twitter

Don't miss a thing, subscribe here to get recipes delivered to your inbox!

If you try my recipes, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on your Instagram or Facebook post with @greensmoothiegourmet and #greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!

📖 Recipe