I have been on a journey of creating vegetarian meals lately and actually enjoying them. As I have mentioned in many of my recipes, I love the challenge of creating something out of the unknown and loving it the same. Buttermilk Fried Mushroom Burger brings the concept of a meaty delicious burger without the actual meat. Full of flavorful Mushrooms battered and fried to perfect crispines. Topped off with favorite toppings and served on a Kaiser Roll to bring this burger to a home run.
Portobello Mushrooms is used for this recipe due to their intense savory flavor and meatiness they provide. They are low in calories and due to having less water content. They are drier when cooked so no soggy mushrooms here. Perfect option for a vegetarian alternative to meat and come in variety of shapes & sizes.
I use Buttermilk as a marinade to add something special to this meal. It helps create tender Mushrooms without causing them to lose their texture. Provides a mild tanginess reminiscent of a good fried Chicken but in this case, a good fried Mushroom. It helps the Flour mixture stick to the Mushrooms which makes this all a simple process to create. I don’t know about you but where you can eliminate some steps and still get the same result. That is always a bonus for me.
I came across Zatarain’s Chicken Fry Mix in a local Market and while I would usually create my own seasoned batter, I was curious to see what this was about. Already prepared seasoned batter or breading depending on how you use it. It was a win/win for this recipe. No seasonings are required and was quite tasty after a little tweaking. Bring this all together and now we can move on to creating a Buttermilk Fried Mushroom Burger. Let’s head on over to the kitchen and get to frying!!
Buttermilk Fried Mushroom Burger
Equipment
- Frying Skillet
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Bowls
- Ziplock Bag
Ingredients
Produce
- 8 Whole Portobello Mushroom Caps Cleaned and sliced.
- 1 Red Onion Peeled and sliced thinly.
- 2 Hass Avocados Peeled and sliced. Can be done when sandwich is being put together.
- 1 Large Tomato Sliced thinly.
Dairy
- 4 cups Buttermilk
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 8 Slices of your Favorite Cheese
Pantry
- 9 oz Zatarain's Chicken Fry Mix May substitute for your preferred brand.
- 1/2 cup Flour
Bread
- 4 Kaiser Rolls
Oil
- Peanut Oil for Frying May substitute for your preference.
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Mayo
- 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp Mustard
Instructions
Batter Preparation
- Place 3 cups Buttermilk in a Bowl and place 1 cup in another. Add Sliced Mushrooms into 3 cup bowl and let it marinade for 30 minutes being sure Mushrooms are covered in Buttermilk. Meanwhile place Onions in the other. Give it a stir a couple of times throughout process.
- Place 1/2 of Box of Zatarain's Chicken Fry Mix and 1/2 of Flour in a large Ziplock Bag and Shake to incorporate. I start with 1/2 of fry mix as the Buttermilk will cause it to get gummy and will be harder to coat Mushroom and Onions. Can add in more mix & flour as you go along.***I found the Mix to be a little more well seasoned than I like. Adding the additional flour assists with taming down the saltiness of it.
Frying
- Fill Skillet with enough oil to cover Mushrooms while frying. Heat on medium/high until reaches 350℉ and ready to go.
- Remove several Mushrooms from Buttermilk being sure to shake off excess and add directly into Flour mixture. Do not overcrowd. Seal and shake to cover Mushrooms thoroughly. Place into hot oil and fry for 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown being sure to flip over midway. Remove and set on paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. Continue process until all Mushrooms are fried.
- Following the same process as Mushrooms. Remove from Buttermilk, add to same Ziplock bag with Flour Mixture and shake to coat. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and remove. Place on paper towel lined plate until ready to use.
Meanwhile
- Spread the Butter on each side of Kaiser Roll. Heat a small skillet on Medium. Lay Kaiser Roll Butter side down and toast the Bread until lightly browned and remove.
- In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for sauce and stir to incorporate.
Assemble
- Place a slice of Cheese on bottom of Kaiser Roll while it is hot out of Skillet to help melt the Cheese. Add a generous amount of Fried Mushrooms, another slice of Cheese. Place a few rings of Fried Onions. Drizzle your sauce on top. Top off with sliced Tomato and Avocado and the top portion of your Kaiser Roll. Serve with your favorite sides and ENJOY!!!
