Spicy King Oyster Mushroom Stir-fry (Vegan!)

This spicy king oyster mushroom stir-fry recipe has three things going for it. 1) It uses just 8 ingredients. 2) It’s incredibly tasty. And 3) It’s completely vegan! 

It’s one of those recipes that isn’t necessarily trying to be vegan/vegetarian. It is completely satisfying and delicious. Even if you’re not on a plant-based diet, you’ll enjoy this stir-fry as a main dish or side. 

Recipe Inspiration

You may be looking at cross-hatch cuts in the oyster mushrooms here, finding them reminiscent of another famous Chinese stir-fry: 

Yes, this recipe is modeled after a famous Chinese dish of…stir-fried pork kidneys! The kidneys are scored in a crosshatch pattern before frying, which is meant to improve the texture and mouthfeel, but also to help the kidneys cling to the delicious sauce/seasonings in the dish. 

Not one for pork kidneys? 

Me either, really.

But we’re in luck, because we have this vegan version made with oyster mushrooms. I got the brilliant idea from a recent video posted by one of our family’s new favorite YouTube channels, Dianxi Xiaoge. 

The channel belongs to a young Chinese vlogger who films recipes from her family’s village in Yunnan province. Her recipes are crazy intricate and fascinating to watch, and all the ingredients come from the landscape around her. 

It’s become a regular family activity to put her videos on the TV and gasp in surprise at every crazy twist and culinary turn! She recently posted this creative idea in a video about Buddhist vegetarian cooking, and I knew I had to give it a try and share it with our readers. I did make a few minor changes to the recipe, including the removal of the deep frying step! 

What Are King Oyster Mushrooms?

King oyster mushrooms, also known as king trumpet mushrooms, have thick, white edible stems and small brown caps. They have a very meaty flavor, and you can find them in Asian grocery stores as well as some well-stocked supermarkets. 

It’s important to note that they’re different from regular oyster mushrooms, which look completely different (thinner stems, wide oyster-shaped caps, and white gills). 

If you’ve never tried king oyster mushrooms before, this recipe is a great entry point!

Note that this dish is very spicy. If you’d like to make it more mild, substitute the long hot peppers with thinly sliced sweet bell peppers.

Recipe Instructions

Cut each oyster mushroom in half lengthwise. Place each mushroom half flat side down, and score with your knife lengthwise. Make the slices deep, without slicing completely through the mushroom.

Then make perpendicular cuts across the lengthwise cuts, again making sure not to slice all the way through.

Every third cut, slice through the mushroom to create ½ inch pieces. 

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the mushrooms lightly in the oil until golden brown on one side. Flip and fry on the other side until golden. Continue frying until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mushrooms from the oil. 

Reduce the heat to medium low. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add the ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Stir in the spicy bean sauce and cook for another 30 seconds. 

Add the mushrooms back to the wok, along with the light soy sauce and ½ teaspoon sugar. Add the peppers to the wok and stir-fry everything together for another 2 minutes.

Serve! 

It goes great with a bowl of steamed rice, and maybe an additional dish of leafy greens (like our stir-fried baby bok choy) for a full meal!