Delicious, savory, filling, and borderline meaty. Here's a roasted portobello mushrooms recipe for plant lovers that's hearty enough for carnivores. It's quick and easy to get on the table. And can be cooked either in the oven or in an air fryer. Sandwich a serving of nutty quinoa between two portobellos for a satisfying, umami-filled dish.

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The Story
While typically lopped into the vegetable category, mushrooms of any kind are actually fungi. And many, including portobellos, are a great source of vitamin B-12. They're an equal-opportunity addition to any dish for any diet. And absolutely enticing when roasted to a deep golden brown and delicious (technical culinary term).
On the subject of color, the darker the mushroom, the more intense the flavor. So the deeply-colored portobello is one of the most flavorful mushrooms you can enjoy. Not to mention that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it umami flavor.
How to Store
Since mushrooms keep metabolizing (growing) after picking, store them in the refrigerator wrapped in dry paper towels to absorb any moisture they give off. I like to space them out on a small sheet pan so they don't suffocate each other. Try and cook mushrooms within of few days of bringing them home.
How to Clean
For some chefs and home cooks, washing mushrooms is sacrilege because it supposedly makes them soggy and dilutes their flavor. But since mushrooms are 80-90% water in the first place, they actually can't absorb much more. So I recommend gently wiping mushrooms with a damp towel to remove residual dirt.
Portobellos also have "gills" underneath their cap, which almost look like a dark brown accordion. Remove the gills by scraping them away with the edge of a small spoon. Removing the stem on smaller mushroom varieties isn't necessary. But portobellos are large and the stem is rather woody, so pull or cut it off.
- While cradling the top of the mushroom in one hand, use the other to twist and gently pull the stem away from the cap. Repeat for each mushroom.
- With a damp paper towel, wipe to tops of the mushrooms to remove any residual dirt.
- To remove the gills, take a small spoon and scrape these away gently with the edge. A circular motion that follows the outside of the cap of the mushroom works well. Be aware gills will be hiding under the rim of the cap, too.
The Ingredients
Most grocery stores carry fresh portobello mushrooms and dried quinoa. The lettuce is just to give this dish a burger look but isn't crucial. Use whatever salad mix or fresh tender greens you have on hand, or leave them out.
When choosing stock or broth, look for brands without any added salt, "flavorings", or concentrates. My favorite brands are Pacific Foods, Bare Bones, Kettle & Fire, and Bonafide. Homemade broth or vegetable stock would be the holy grail!
- portobello mushrooms
- vegetable oil such as olive or avocado
- sliced cheddar, dairy or plant-based
- quinoa
- vegetable stock or chicken bone broth (or water)
- salt
- dried tart fruit such as cranberries and apricots, optional
- slivered or sliced almonds, optional
- lettuce or leafy green of any kind, for garnish, optional
The Method
For roasted portobello mushrooms, the technique is the same as for most any other vegetable. To roast successfully - achieving tender yet beautifully browned and flavorful mushrooms - you need high heat and ample oil. And most importantly, to cook the food undisturbed. So fight the urge to open the oven and fiddle with the mushrooms while they cook. One single flip halfway through cooking is the ticket.
A traditional oven is all you need for delicious roasted portobellos. But if you happen to own an air fryer, the convention will get the job done in less than half the time (my favorite part about air fryers is the quick cooking).
The Steps
For the Roasted Portobellos
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Or preheat your air fryer to 375° F (use the Roast setting if your has one).
- Remove the stems from the portobellos, and wipe the tops clean with a damp cloth or paper towel. Using a small spoon, gently scrape away the gills (the dark, accordion-like membrane) of the mushrooms.
- Drizzle the caps with oil, sprinkle them with salt, and place them on a large baking pan if using the oven.
- Roast the mushrooms for about 20 minutes until they darken, shrivel a bit, and give away most of their moisture. Flip the mushrooms once halfway through roasting. If using an air fryer, it will take between five and seven minutes, so flip the mushrooms after about four minutes of cooking. Air fryer roasted portobellos will shrivel more during cooking and be crispier.
- Remove the mushrooms once they're nicely browned and tender. You can cover them with foil to keep them warm if the quinoa is not tender yet.
For the Nutty Quinoa
- In a large pot, combine the quinoa, dried fruit, broth, and salt.
- Bring it all to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is completely absorbed. Taste the quinoa to tell if it's tender. The grains should be plump and easy to bite into with your front teeth. If the water is all absorbed before the quinoa is tender, simply add a little more and keep cooking.
- If you'd like to toast the almonds, preheat a shallow sauté pan over medium heat. Add the almonds, and gently shake the pan occasionally until they begin to brown. Remove the almonds immediately, and set them aside (they can go from toasted to burned quickly).
- Gently stir the almonds into the finished quinoa and season with black pepper, if you like.
For Portobello 'Burgers'
- Turn your oven broiler on high, around 500° F.
- Remove half of the roasted mushroom caps from the pan.
- Then on the same pan, flip the remaining caps upside-down. Scoop a nice helping of the cooked quinoa on each cap (or vegetables for grain-free), then top with a slice of cheese.
- Place the pan on the top rack of the oven just until the cheese melts. Watch closely, as this only takes a minute or so.
- Remove the pan from the oven and top each "burger" with a few leaves of lettuce and another roasted portobello cap.
- Serve warm, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of yogurt.
Dietary Accommodations
Vegan. Leave the cheese out. Or use your favorite plant-based "cheese".
Lower in carbs. Instead of sandwiching a cooked grain like quinoa between the portobellos, choose lots of veggies instead. Sautéed cabbage or dark greens like spinach and kale complement the mushrooms wonderfully. For a higher fat dish suitable for a ketogenic diet, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of sour cream.
GAPS Diet. For a vegan dish suitable for the gut-healing diet protocol, substitute cabbage or dark leafy greens for the quinoa. Adding a few splashes of homemade bone broth to the vegetables is a great way to add flavor. Ditch the sliced cheese and opt for a slice of hard cheese like gruyère (you slice yourself). Spoon a little homemade yogurt on top to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you can raw mushrooms. But it's not advised by both chefs and the medical community. Raw mushrooms contain toxins that cooking at high heat reduces or eliminates. And if you ask any chef (this one included), raw mushrooms just don't taste good. Especially with larger varieties like portobellos, the outer membrane is tough and sinewy. Hard to chew, and hard to enjoy. For the most delicious mushroom experience, roast, grill, or sauté mushrooms in a bit of butter or oil over high heat.
Yes, absolutely you can freeze portobello mushrooms! The large caps will freeze better if cooked first. But you can certainly freeze them raw in an air-tight container or storage bag. However, the texture of any frozen raw mushroom will be soggy after thawing as the water in the mushroom froze and will leak out. If you are freezing raw portobellos, wipe the top of the caps clean with a damp cloth, scrape away the gills, and remove the stem.
One portobello mushroom contains just over three (3) grams of carbohydrates. So by all standards, it can be considered a low-carbohydrate food. Even if you eat two portobello mushrooms with a serving of vegetables, it is very easy to keep the meal carb count around 10 grams. Mushrooms are a wonderfully delicious and nutrient-dense addition to any diet.
Edible Epilogue
Now don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware this concoction is tricky to eat like an actual burger. Although you can if you really try (my husband manages it). But either way, you can't beat oozing cheese, a meaty roasted mushroom, and umami coming at you from all sides.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Portobello Mushroom + Quinoa 'Burgers'
Loaded with plant protein and umami flavor, this roasted portobello mushroom recipe is a great gateway vegan recipe for meat lovers. And it's simple to make in the oven or air fryer. I may call it a burger, but I recommend keeping a fork and knife handy for this one!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Mushrooms
- 8 portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills scraped off
- High-heat oil like avocado, sunflower, or canola
- ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt (or your favorite kind, use less if table salt)
- Sliced cheddar cheese, or your favorite kind
- lettuce or any salad greens, for garnish
For the Quinoa
- 1 cup of dried quinoa, any color
- 3 heaping tablespoons of dried cranberries
- 3 dried apricots, cut into pieces as small as the cranberries
- 2 cups of vegetable stock, bone broth, or water
- ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt (less if using table salt)
- ¼ cup of slivered almonds
Instructions
Cook the Quinoa
- In a large pot, combine the quinoa, dried fruit, broth, and salt.
- Bring it all to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is completely absorbed. Taste the quinoa to tell if it's tender. The grains should be plump and easy to bite into with your front teeth. If the water is all absorbed before the quinoa is tender, simply add a quarter or half cup more and keep cooking.
- If you'd like to toast the almonds, preheat a shallow sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the almonds, and gently shake the pan occasionally until they begin to brown. Remove the almonds immediately, and set them aside (they can go from toasted to burned quickly).
- Gently stir the almonds into the finished quinoa and season with black pepper, if you like.
Roast the Portobellos
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Or preheat your air fryer to 375° F (use the Roast setting if your has one).
- Remove the stems from the portobellos, and wipe the tops clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.
- Using a small spoon, gently scrape away the gills (the dark, accordion-like membrane) of the mushrooms.
- Drizzle the caps with oil, sprinkle them with salt, and place them on a large baking pan if using the oven.
- Roast the mushrooms in the oven for about 15 minutes until they darken, shrivel a bit, and give away most of their moisture. Flip the mushrooms once halfway through roasting. In an air fryer, it will take less than 10 minutes, so flip after about four minutes of cooking. Air fryer roasted portobello mushrooms will shrink more during cooking, and turn out a bit crispier. Begin checking mushrooms in an air fryer after six minutes for tenderness by pricking one with a fork. With either cooking method, the mushrooms are done when they're fork-tender.
- Remove the mushrooms once they're nicely browned and tender, and cover them with foil if the quinoa is not finished.
Build the Burgers
- Turn your oven broiler on high, around 500° F.
- Remove half of the roasted mushroom caps from the pan.
- Then on the same pan, flip the remaining caps upside-down. Scoop a nice helping of the cooked quinoa (or vegetables) on each cap, then top with a slice of cheese.
- Place the pan on the top rack of the oven just until the cheese melts. Watch closely, as this doesn't take but a couple of minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and top each "burger" with a couple of lettuce leaves and another roasted cap.
- Serve warm, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil or yogurt.
Notes
Chef's Tip
To get all the components for your 'burgers' cooked around the same time. First begin cooking the quinoa, then roast the portobellos while the quinoa simmers.
Dietary Accommodations
For a vegan dish, use a plant-based "cheese". I love VioLife Just Like Cheddar. It melts great and doesn't have a lot of funny stuff in it.
For a grain-free dish, ditch the quinoa and sauté lots of veggies like cabbage and dark leafy greens in oil until they're tender. For a higher fat dish suitable for a ketogenic diet, add an extra drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of sour cream.
For the GAPS diet protocol, substitute lots of cabbage or dark leafy greens for the quinoa. Simmering the vegetables in homemade bone broth is a great way to add flavor. Ditch the sliced cheese and opt for a slice of hard cheese. Spoon a little homemade yogurt on top to finish.
This dish is easily made safe for those with tree nut allergies by eliminating the slivered almonds.
On Nutrition Information
The Nutrition Information below is based on the recipe as written for four 'burgers' each with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. If you use plant-based cheese or omit the dried fruit for less sugar, the nutritional profile will change.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Roasted Portobello 'Burger'
- Calories: 368
- Sugar: 9.7 g
- Sodium: 495.9 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.4 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 14.5 g
- Cholesterol: 18.8 mg
Keywords: roasted portobello mushrooms, portobello mushroom burger, quinoa, air fryer portobello mushroom, portobello mushroom sandwich
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Todd
I made this for my vegan girlfriend and she absolutely loved it!
Thanks!
Christina
Well done, Todd, and lucky girl!
Mushrooms Canada
What a delicious meal! I have become obsessed with Quinoa lately, I just can't get enough...and you can never go wrong with Portabella Buns. Thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
taylor carman
This recipe looks "yummy". I am new to quinoa & love it dearly; have always enjoyed mushrooms of all types. Just hard to get in South Texas cow towns. Thanks for the deligtful looking, & I am sure, tasty recipe. taylor