Chicken-Fried Mushrooms With Creamy Mushroom Gravy

Give the chicken fried treatment to juicy, tender mushrooms.

Southern Living Chicken-Fried Mushrooms with Creamy Mushroom Gravy on a platter to serve
Photo:

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Active Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Servings:
4

Before you scoff, hear me out. While these fried mushrooms are no substitute for crispy Southern-fried chicken (nothing is, honestly), they are really dang delicious. Soaked in a rich, meaty mushroom stock before being dredged in flour and dunked in buttermilk (fried chicken-style), these mushrooms are ridiculously crispy and full of flavor. They make an excellent party appetizer with warm marinara sauce or even ranch dressing, but try the creamy mushroom gravy to get the full chicken-fried steak effect.

Ingredients

Chicken-Fried Mushrooms:

  • 2 cups Mushroom Stock

  • 1 lb. fresh oyster mushrooms, torn into 3- to 4-inch pieces (about 12 cups)

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste 

  • 2 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk 

  • 2 large eggs

  • Vegetable oil, for frying

Creamy Mushroom Gravy:

  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

  • 1/2 cup Mushroom Stock

  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

  • 3/4 tsp. black pepper

  • Chopped chives

  • Cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Prepare the Chicken-Fried Mushrooms:

    Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Place mushrooms in a large heatproof bowl. Pour hot stock over mushrooms, and gently stir to coat. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand until mushrooms are mostly tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

  2. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels; then line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Set both aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs until combined.

  3. Remove mushrooms from stock; drain and transfer to prepared baking sheet lined with paper towels. Gently pat mushrooms dry. Working in batches, gently toss the mushrooms in flour mixture to coat. Dip mushrooms into buttermilk mixture, and dredge again in flour mixture until well coated, gently shaking off excess flour and egg mixture in between coats. Transfer dredged mushrooms to prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat process until all mushrooms are coated.

  4. Line baking sheet with another layer of paper towels. Add oil to a depth of 3 inches in a large Dutch oven. Heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches, fry mushrooms, stirring and turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes per batch, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature. Transfer fried mushrooms to prepared baking sheet to drain; season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep mushrooms warm in preheated oven while preparing gravy.

  5. Prepare the Creamy Mushroom Gravy:

    Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

  6. Whisk in milk and stock; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in salt and black pepper. Remove saucepan from heat, and cover to keep warm until ready to use. Drizzle Chicken-Fried Mushrooms with Creamy Mushroom Gravy, and sprinkle with chives and cayenne pepper. Serve immediately.

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