It’s a fact that Lincoln has the best nose of any 7 year old I know. He can sniff out what I’m making for dinner from a mile away, and is almost always right. (I’m sure this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I tend to make the same five things over and over and over.) Anyway, the other night he walked in the door while I was cooking and excitedly asked, “Are we have burgers for dinner?!” (his all time favorite meal). I saw his soul slightly crumple when I had to tell him that no, burgers were not on the menu. It was mushrooms he was smelling. POOR GUY! All that to prove that Grilled Portobello Mushrooms are a dead ringer for beef burgers in both sight, scent, and meaty texture, but they’re vegetarian, low-carb, and best served au naturel (ie no bun necessary.) If you’ve never tried a grilled portobello mushroom, prepare to have your world rocked!
Sizzling Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Bruschetta are marinated portobello mushrooms that are grilled until smokey and charred then topped with a fresh, flavor-packed bruschetta topping. The combination of sweet and tangy bruschetta with smokey portobello mushrooms is so, so delicious. Plus, this gorgeous, gluten free dish will be on the table in under 30 minutes and can be served as a light main or side dish to dinner.
What are Portobello Mushrooms?
Imma let you in on a little secret – portobello mushrooms are just grown up white button mushrooms. Yeah! Think of white button mushrooms as babies, which turn into teenagers, aka crimini mushrooms then, when fully grown, are considered portobello mushrooms. They’re thick and beefy, with a flavor that lends itself super well to being grilled. You can find them at any regular grocery store these days.
Easy Mushroom Marinade
In this dish, I briefly marinate the portobellos before grilling in a simple mixture of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and steak seasoning, which imparts bold beefy flavor to the portobellos. Read below for my favorite store-bought seasoning blend, or you can make your own. The mushrooms only need to marinate for 10-15 minutes – just enough time to whip up the fresh bruschetta topping.
Will These Work as Burgers?
Portobello mushrooms release a ton of liquid after grilling so if you want to serve grilled portobello mushroom burgers, let the mushrooms rest for at least 5 minutes on a few paper towels before placing onto a bun and adding toppings.
Why I Love This Dish
Portobello mushrooms are a great, thoughtful option to have on hand at grill outs for vegetarian or vegan friends and family. They grill up in just a few minutes and are extremely easy to prep. In contrast to cooking ground meat burgers, you don’t need to worry about internal temperatures, levels of doneness, or meat juices on the countertop when making grilled portobello mushrooms. I have to remind myself several times when I cook this dish that I don’t need to wash my hands every time I come into contact with the mushrooms like I do when cooking beef or turkey burgers! They’re incredible! As a beef burger lover, I can truly say that these grilled portobello mushrooms are just as satisfying as a regular meat burger. They’re super elegant, too. Pair with a glass of crisp white wine for a light and tasty spring and summer supper.
I can’t wait for you to try this dish – let’s get started!
Step 1: Prep the Portobello Mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms are sold in packs at my local grocery store, and come in a range of sizes.
As you can see, they can be shorter in diameter with a big bowl shape, or larger and flatter. It all depends on at what point the mushroom were picked. Luckily, any size and shape of portobello mushroom will grill fantastically.
Use a small knife to remove the tough stem then use a small spoon to gently scrape out the gills. Lastly, run the tops of the mushrooms under cold water to remove any dirt then pat dry with a paper or kitchen towel.
Step 2: Marinate the Mushroom Caps
Next make the easy portobello mushroom marinade by adding extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and steak seasoning (I like Tone’s Beef Seasoning Blend) to a large Ziplock bag then squishing to combine. Add the prepared mushroom caps then gently shake the bag to coat. Remove all the air from the bag then seal and place on the countertop to marinate while you prepare the bruschetta topping. Again – MUSHROOMS, FTW! No need to refrigerate like you would if marinating meat!
Step 3: Prepare the Bruschetta Topping
While the mushrooms are marinating, prep the bruschetta topping, which tastes so fresh and delicious in contrast to the smokey, grilled mushrooms. DROOL. To a bowl add:
Roma tomatoes Basil Parmesan cheese Extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar Fresh garlic Salt and pepper
That’s it! I doubled the parmesan cheese in this topping from my regular go-to bruschetta recipe to make this dish even more satisfying and full of flavor.
Step 4: Grill the Portobellos
Whether you’re using an outdoor grill or a grill pan, preheat over medium-high heat then either brush the grill grates with vegetable oil or spray the grill pan with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Place the mushrooms gill side up then grill until the bottom has nice, dark grill marks – again, this will give us that craveable char-grilled flavor. I rotate the caps halfway through to get the criss cross grill lines.
Flip then cook until the mushrooms are tender, another 3-4 minutes, spooning some of the marinade over the tops of the caps. Again, these are mushrooms so we don’t need to obsess over internal temperatures or levels of doneness. Just give the mushrooms a little squeeze with tongs. If they are tender to your liking – they’re done! Remove the grilled mushrooms to a plate lined with several paper towels then let them sit for 5 minutes. They’ll release a ton of liquid during this resting time.
Last step is to plate the grilled portobellos then spoon the fresh bruschetta topping on top. INSANELY delicious, you guys! I recommend serving two mushrooms per person if serving as a light main dish, or one per person as a healthy side dish. However you eat it – enjoy!
More Fresh and Healthy Mains
Sesame Noodle Salad Caprese Pasta Salad Easy Pinto Beans Recipe Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Chili-Lime Dressing Sheet Pan Mediterranean Shrimp and Vegetables Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing Jennifer Aniston Salad
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