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“This is my go to recipe for fried mushrooms / cauliflower — it’s as easy as it gets!” ~Michael
These crunchy little fried mushrooms are pretty irresistible, I have to say. If you’re in the mood to indulge in a little happy hour bliss, these are a great choice. And if you’re gathering with friends or family, let’s just say you’ll make a lot of people very happy.
what you’ll need for beer battered fried mushrooms:
- fresh button mushrooms ~ I like to use small ones, but you can cut larger ones in half. Use the white buttons, or brown, either will work. I’ve even fried large slices of portobello mushrooms.
- beer ~ your choice! Any type of beer will work for this recipe, pale, dark, light, whatever. Each type of beer will give the batter a slightly different flavor, so use what you have on hand.
- flour
- oil ~ a mild vegetable oil like canola or peanut.
- salt and pepper
When you have your oil at the proper temperature, it doesn’t soak into your food as much, (and anyway, come on, you can’t put a calorie count on pure bliss.)
how to make a beer batter
This batter is so simple ~ just flour, salt, and beer. And you can really taste the beer in every crunchy bite.
- Whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
- Stir in enough beer to make a thick batter, about the consistency of pancake batter.
- That’s it!
deep frying faqs
You can use any heavy pan for deep frying. A dutch oven works well, but for small batches like these mushrooms, you can even use a saucepan. I have a compact deep fryer from Cuisinart that I just love, it makes occasional deep frying easy and mess free.
I suggest at least 2 inches of oil, but the deeper the oil the more you can fry at one time.
An oil with a high smoke point is best so it won’t burn. I like to use canola or peanut oil. In this case we’re only frying at 350F, so corn oil or other mild vegetable oil will work fine.
This is not health food, that’s why this type of recipe is only recommended for an occasional treat. Note that if you have your oil at the proper high temperature, less oil will eventually make its way into your food.
Because of the problem of clogged sewer pipes, it’s not advisable to pour oil down the drain. Let your oil cool, then put it in a closed container and then into the garbage. You can also bring it to a recycle center, add it to your compost pile or garden soil, or re-use it. To re-use oil, let it cool, strain it, and then seal in a jar until needed.
I have to admit, I love a great fried veggie ~ I’ve made fried green beans and fried zucchini that were every bit as good as these mushrooms. Not into frying? Try my baked zucchini fries.
tips for making beer battered fried mushrooms~
- Be sure you use smallish mushrooms, otherwise they won’t cook through in the oil. If you have large ones, halve them.
- Be sure your oil is hot enough before you start frying. If your oil is too cool your mushrooms will not crisp up. Do a test mushroom first: it should sizzle on contact with the oil, and crisp to a golden brown in about 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, depending on size.
- Cook mushrooms of similar size in each batch so they’ll cook in the same amount of time.
- These reheat beautifully in the oven, just heat them through in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes, they’ll crisp up nicely.
- If you do this kind of recipe even a few times a year, it might be worth the investment in a small deep fryer, I love mine because it makes the whole process so much easier and neater…no guesswork when it comes to temperature, and no splatters!
more mushroom madness
- Mushroom & Boursin Puff Pastry Tart
- Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms
- Cheesy Baked Mushroom Dip
- Mushroom and Brie Soup
- Mushroom & Gruyere Bruschetta
Beer Battered Mushrooms with Herbed Ranch
Equipment
- heavy pot or saucepan, or a deep fryer
Ingredients
fried mushrooms
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 pints small button mushrooms, trimmed and halved if large.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp each salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 12 ounces beer, your choice. Note: you may not need the entire 12 ounces.
Herbed Ranch Dip
- 1 cup loosely packed mixed herbs, I used parsley, thyme, dill and basil
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- juice of 1 lime, or lemon
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the oil to a depth of 3-4 inches. Heat on medium heat until the temperature reaches about 350F. A thermometer is a big help here. Note: If using a deep fryer, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Set the machine to 350F.
- Dust off the dirt from the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Trim the stems, leaving a little behind. Leave small mushrooms whole, but cut larger ones in half, so everything is more or less similar in size.
- Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. Add enough beer to make a batter, not too thick, not too thin ~ about like pancake batter.
- Drop the mushrooms in the batter, making sure to cover all surfaces, and then let the excess drip off a bit before dropping them into the hot oil. Fry several at a time so as not to crowd the pan, which can lower the temperature of the oil.
- When the mushrooms are nice and golden all over, about 2-4 minutes, remove them and drain on paper towels or newspaper.
- To make the dip, finely mince the herbs either with a knife or in a small processor.
- Process or mix with the yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and lime juice.
- Season with salt and pepper, and make sure to taste the dressing and adjust as necessary. Refrigerate until needed. Feel free to make this ahead of time, the flavors will mingle and improve with a few hours in the fridge.
This is my go to recipe for fried mushrooms / cauliflower — it’s as easy as it gets!
I made these last weekend. Insanely easy and delicious!!! My guests gobbled them up. Made my own mixture of fiesta and ranch dressing (the powdered kind you mix with sour cream) and it was a perfect amount of zing for a dipping sauce.
Sounds delish Heather!
Try dropping a single popcorn kernel into the oil when you put it on to heat. When it pops, oil is ready.
Love that!
Could you use an air fryer with these?
I don’t have an air fryer so I don’t know, but I thought I understood that you can’t use battered foods in it.
You asked the question that I was going to, Karen. I did some research and came up with this:
In general,ย you should avoid cooking wet battered foods in an air fryer because the batter won’t crisp up and may drip through the basket.ย This can be messy and could burn the bottom of the fryer basket.ย However, you can cook pre-fried and frozen battered foods in an air fryer.ย You can also try coating your food in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs to make it crispy and golden.ย If you do want to use batter, you can try using a small amount of oil to help the food crisp up and prevent sticking.ย Most manufacturers recommend adding 5โ30 ml of oil when cooking with an air fryer
Turned out fantastic! Definitely a keeper recipe. And easy too.
not the greatest fan of mushrooms, but if its served that way, I would probably gobble all that up ๐
These look absolutely addictive! Can’t wait to try them – we love mushrooms.
Just found your blog and following you now! Such gorgeous and delicious pictures!