Easy Mushroom Tacos filled with marinated portabello mushrooms, bell peppers and a crunchy red cabbage slaw. Ready in only 25 minutes! (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free)
Mushroom tacos are one of my favorite meatless dinner recipes to make during the week. Thanks to the portobella mushrooms, they’re filling and have a rich, “meaty” taste that will satisfy the biggest of meat lovers.
They’re also easy to make and take only 25 minutes to throw together from start to finish! That’s a total weeknight dinner win in my book.
And did I mention they’re TACOS? Everyone loves tacos! You just can’t go wrong, my friend.
Ingredients in mushroom tacos
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- portobello mushrooms
- marinade ingredients: lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, chile powder, salt, cumin and oregano
- bell peppers
- slaw ingredients: red cabbage, cilantro and mayo
- warm tortillas: corn tortillas, flour tortillas or paleo tortillas
How to make mushroom tacos
First, remove the gills from the portabello mushrooms. (see photo above) To do this, hold the mushroom in one hand and stick the tip of a spoon into the gills with the other hand and pry them up and away from the base.
You should then be able to slide the side of the spoon all the way down and remove the gills in larger sections.
Do the best you can here. The mushroom doesn’t have to be completely clean. Just remove what you’re able to.
If you’re grilling the mushrooms instead of sauteing them, you can leave the gills on.
Next, slice and toss the mushrooms with the marinade made from olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, chile powder, coarse kosher salt, ground cumin and dried oregano. (see photo above)
Add the mushrooms to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes.
If you’re grilling the mushrooms instead of sauteing them, don’t slice them into strips. Instead, leave the mushroom caps whole and toss them with the marinade. Grill over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or until beautiful grill marks appear and they’re caramelized.
Once the mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the skillet or the grill and set them aside.
In the same skillet, add a little olive oil and the sliced bell peppers. Saute them for 10 more minutes, until peppers have softened.
Add the mushrooms back in, toss together to combine, and remove from heat. Serve in warm corn tortillas with the slaw.
To add a bit of crunchy texture to the sauteed mushrooms and peppers, I highly recommend you pair it with this quick and easy red cabbage slaw.
To make, simply toss together sliced red cabbage, cilantro, and a bit of light mayo.
I would typically add lime juice to a slaw like this, but the mushrooms already provide a lot of acidity from the marinade, so I added some mayo instead to tone it down a bit.
Tips and substitutions
- Don’t have portobello mushrooms? Use cremini mushrooms (also called ‘baby bella’) instead. The average portobella mushroom is between 3 to 5 ounces, so I recommend getting around 18 to 30 ounces of cremini mushrooms.
- To make this recipe vegan, use a vegan mayonnaise like Vegenaise.
- To make this a little spicy, add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade.
More vegetarian recipes you’ll love
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Crispy Potato Tacos
- Spicy Vegetarian Chili
- Easy Gazpacho Recipe
- Enfrijoladas (Black Bean Enchiladas)
- Easy Red Chilaquiles
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Ingredients
For the mushrooms
- 6 portabella mushrooms
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon ground chile powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
For the bell peppers
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the slaw
- 1/2 small red cabbage
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms: Cut the stems off completely off from the base of the portobella mushroom cap if they're still attached. Then, remove the dark, flaky gills by holding the mushroom in one hand and sticking the tip of a spoon into the gills with the other hand. Pry them up and away from the base as best you can. You should then be able to slide the side of the spoon all the way down and remove the gills in larger sections. (Do the best you can here. They don't have to be completely and cleanly removed.)
- Quickly marinate mushrooms: Slice the mushrooms into long strips and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, chile powder, salt, cumin, and oregano. Toss to combine.
- Cook the mushrooms: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl or plate and set aside.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, make the slaw: In a large mixing bowl, add the cabbage, mayonnaise and cilantro. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to assemble tacos.
- Cook the peppers: In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the bell peppers. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers have softened.
- Bring it together: Add the mushrooms back to the skillet, stir to combine with the peppers and cook them for 1 minute to warm everything back up.
- Assemble the tacos: Fill warm corn or flour tortillas with a handful of slaw and the mushrooms and peppers. Serve immediately.
Isabel’s Tips:
- To grill the portabella mushrooms instead of sauteing them, remove the stem of the mushrooms but leave the gills on. Toss the mushroom caps together with the marinade and grill over high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, until beautiful grill marks appear and the mushrooms begin to caramelize. Remove from grill and slice into strips.
- Don’t have portobella mushrooms? Use cremini mushrooms (also called ‘baby bella’) instead. The average portobella mushroom is between 3 to 5 ounces, so I recommend getting around 18 to 30 ounces of cremini mushrooms.
- To make this recipe vegan, use a vegan mayonnaise like Vegenaise.
- To make this a little spicy, add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade.
Nutrition Information
I was out of the tortillas but I had ports so I added peppers and onions and a small amount of broth and served it over rice seasoned with cumin seeds and the beans on the side. It was delicious. The slaw would have taken it up a notch but I didn’t have the ingredients.