We recently traveled to Australia to visit family and, while we were there, stayed in a laid back little beach town called Bulli. Aside from the stunning beaches, this gem of a place has some of the best food and cafes I’ve ever experienced - right up there with any big city. One spot we couldn’t get enough of was a cafe called Park Road Garage. We got hooked on their mushroom breakfast burgers—so much so that we ate them a little more often than anyone should probably eat a burger for breakfast. But whatever, they were that good.
What really blew me away was the texture of the oyster mushroom. It’s such a smart way to recreate that meaty bite I miss in a burger when I’m eating something like a chickpea patty. The battered oyster mushroom holds its shape perfectly, and the stringy, tender inside is such a great substitute for meat. It’s perfect for anyone trying to eat less meat or go vegan—like me!
Since we got back, we’ve been making our own vegan burgers. We've come up with this spin-off version of Park Road Garage’s oyster mushroom burger, and it’s become a big hit at home, served with togarashi fries in tonkatsu sauce as a side. If you do ever get a chance, I can’t recommend visiting Bulli and trying the real thing enough. But if a trip to NSW isn’t on the cards, give this a try instead.
Ingredients
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 25 | Cook time: 15
A note on fillings: Use the freshest ingredients you can find for the burger fillings. I'm not married to which greens - watercress, baby spinach, pea shoots, rocket - really whatever's looking crisp and new, though I'd avoid iceberg lettuce as it's too watery and doesn't carry its weight in flavour for this burger (in my opinion anyway!).
- 4-6 oyster mushroom clusters (roughly 100g)
- 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs
- Neutral oil for deep frying
- Burger bun of your choice (I've used a vegan brioche bun)
- ½ cup plain flour
- ¼ cup corn flour
- ¾ cup water
- 1 lemon (grated rind)
- 3 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon soya sauce
- black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 x red chilli
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 75ml rice vinegar
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ teaspoon wasabi
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Watercress
- Dill
- Red onion
- Pickled carrot
- Avocado
Instructions
1. Slice the red chillies thinly and place on a small dish. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and vinegar. Set aside.
2. Then grate your lemon rind and then juice half the lemon for the upcoming steps.
- Peel and mince your ginger as finely as possible and set aside
- Make your batter by sifting the flour(s) into a mixing bowl, adding the dry ingredients and mixing these in with a whisk.
5. Add the lemon rind, ginger, water and lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, slice your onion into thin discs.
7. Slice half your avocado into 1 cm thick wedges.
8. Make your wasabi mayo by mixing your mayo in a bowl with wasabi paste until fully combined.
9. Prepare a plate with a layer of panko breadcrumbs and start dipping your mushrooms into the batter.
10. Place all of the battered mushrooms onto the panko and sprinkle more panko over the top until fully coated.
11. Now preheat the oil over a medium heat in a small pan, test to see if it is hot enough by dropping a little panko in there (if it bubbles up within a second it's ready to go).
12. Gently place in 1 or 2 pieces of breaded mushroom at a time and turn frequently using tongs of chopsticks.
13. Once golden and crispy take out and place on some paper towel (over a plate) to dry off some of the excess oil.
14. Toast your buns either under the grill or in a dry frying pan.
15. Stack your burger starting with a teaspoon of wasabi mayo, 3 avocado slices, onion, red chillies (and some of the pickling juice).
16. Next add 2-3 clusters of the deep fried oyster mushrooms, fresh watercress and dill and mayo'd top bun.
17. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: For the crispiest mushrooms, ensure your oil is at the perfect temperature. Too cold, and the mushroom will absorb too much oil; too hot, and they’ll burn before cooking through. Test your oil by dropping in a breadcrumb—if it sizzles and rises, you’re good to go.
Substitutions
- Turn it into sliders by using mini buns and smaller mushroom clusters, ideal for entertaining or sharing.
- Add a Japanese slaw of shredded cabbage, carrots, and sesame seeds dressed with rice vinegar and soy sauce for extra crunch.
- For a lighter meal, skip the bun and serve the crispy oyster mushrooms on a bed of rice with the toppings scattered on top. Serve with wasabi mayo.
Storage
Oyster mushroom burgers are best when they’re fresh, so try to assemble them right before serving to keep that crispy crunch. If you end up with any extra deep-fried mushrooms, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When you’re ready to eat them, just reheat and crisp up slightly in the oven —they’re perfect as a snack with some kewpie mayo or tonkatsu sauce!
In Japan, burgers are often called “hambāgu” (ハンバーグ) when referring to hamburger steaks - patties served without a bun, typically with sauce and sides. Western-style burgers in a bun are called “bāgā” (バーガー), like “teriyaki burger” or “tofu burger,” and are popular in fast food and home cooking.
Traditional Japanese hamburger steaks (hambāgu) are usually made with ground meat, onions, egg, and breadcrumbs, then served with a savoury sauce. For vegan versions like this oyster mushroom burger, we swap the meat for mushrooms while keeping the umami-rich flavors and signature toppings like pickled vegetables and mayo.
Main dishes
Try some more tasty vegan Japanese recipes.
Side dishes
Recipes to serve with your oyster mushroom burger.
- Uramaki with vegan caviar
- Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Balls)
- Onigiri Vegan Recipe
- 5 minute Kinpira Gobo Recipe
Oyster mushroom burger
Ingredients
- 4-6 oyster mushroom clusters roughly 100g
- 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs
- Neutral oil for deep frying
- Burger bun of your choice I've used a vegan brioche bun
For the batter:
- ½ cup plain flour
- ¼ cup corn flour
- ¾ cup water
- 1 lemon grated rind
- 3 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon soya sauce
- black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Quick pickled chillies:
- 1 x red chilli
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 75 ml rice vinegar
- Wasabi mayo:
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ teaspoon wasabi
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the burger fillings:
- Watercress
- Dill
- Red onion
- Pickled carrot
- Avocado
Instructions
- Slice red chillies thinly and place on a small dish, sprinkle with salt, sugar and vinegar. Set aside.
- Grate your lemon rind and then juice half the lemon for the upcoming steps.
- Peel and mince your ginger as finely as possible and set aside
- Make your batter by sifting the flour(s) into a mixing bowl, adding the dry ingredients and mixing these in with a whisk.
- Add the lemon rind, ginger, water and lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice your onion into thin discs.
- Slice half your avocado into 1 cm thick wedges.
- Make your wasabi mayo by mixing the mayo in a bowl with wasabi paste until fully combined.
- Prepare a plate with a layer of panko breadcrumbs and start dipping your mushrooms into the batter.
- Place your battered mushrooms onto the panko and sprinkle more panko over the top until fully coated.
- Preheat your oil over a medium heat in a small pan, test to see if it is hot enough by dropping a little panko in there (if it bubbles up within a second it's ready to go).
- Gently place in 1 or 2 pieces of breaded mushroom at a time and turn frequently using tongs of chopsticks.
- Once golden and crispy take out and place on some paper towel (over a plate) to dry off some of the excess oil.
- Toast your buns either under the grill or in a dry frying pan.
- Stack your burger starting with a teaspoon of wasabi mayo, 3 avocado slices, onion, red chillies (and some of the pickling juice).
- Next add 2-3 clusters of mushrooms, watercress, dill and mayo'd top bun.
- Serve up and enjoy, perhaps with some togarashi fries.
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