The Best Mushroom Tacos
Prep
15m
Cook
12m
Total
27m
Bigly says
Sit down for this one. We're doing mushroom tacos. The BEST mushroom tacos. And I know, I know — somebody, somewhere, is reading this thinking 'mushroom tacos? Bigly? Really?' To that person I say: YES. Really. Because mushrooms — and I have eaten mushrooms in every form, raw, roasted, fried, foraged, in soup, on toast, on pizza, ON STEAK, I once ate a mushroom the size of my own head, true story, ask anyone who was there — mushrooms, when treated correctly, are MEATIER than meat. That's a controversial statement. I don't care. I'll say it again. Meatier. Than. Meat.
The problem is that most people abuse the mushroom. They crowd the pan. They WASH the mushroom in water like it's a dirty car. They turn it into a sad gray puddle. It's a TRAGEDY. The mushroom did nothing to deserve this. The mushroom wanted to be magnificent. The mushroom wanted to crisp. The mushroom wanted to caramelize. And instead the home cook drowned it. Sad. The best mushroom taco of my LIFE — and I have had thousands, this is not a casual claim — was from a guy with a cart outside a mercado in Oaxaca. No menu. No chairs. Just a man, a comal, and a single skillet so seasoned it was BLACK. He nodded at me. I nodded at him. He handed over three tacos and changed my life. These tacos are *almost* as good as his. Almost.
Here we honor the mushroom. We sear it HARD in a screaming hot pan, single layer, undisturbed, until it builds a deep brown crust — and meanwhile the other recipe sites are burying this technique behind 18 popups and a cookie banner asking if you 'consent to data sharing with our 200 trusted partners,' INSANE, who ARE these partners, what are they doing with my browsing habits, I want NAMES — but not here. Here, free of charge. You sear, then you hit it with garlic, smoke, lime, and chipotle, pile it into a charred corn tortilla with crunchy slaw and creamy avocado crema, and people come up to me, they say 'Bigly, these are better than carne asada.' I don't argue. I never argue with the truth.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbmixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster)(brush them clean, never wash them — they are not your car)
- 3 tbspneutral oil
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 1.5 tbspchipotle in adobo, minced(plus more if you can handle it, less if you can't)
- 1 tbspadobo sauce (from the can)
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1 tbspsoy sauce(trust me — this is the umami cheat code)
- 1 tbsplime juice, fresh
- 1ripe avocado
- 1/3 cupsour cream or Mexican crema
- 1/4 cup, dividedfresh cilantro, chopped
- 1lime, zested and juiced (for crema)
- 2 cupsgreen cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1/4red onion, thinly sliced
- 12small corn tortillas(corn, not flour — corn or nothing)
- as neededlime wedges (for serving)
- 1/2 cupcrumbled cotija or feta (optional)
Steps
- 1
Trim and slice the mushrooms into thick (1/4-inch) pieces. Tear oyster mushrooms into bite-sized strips by hand.
- 2
Make the crema: blend the avocado, sour cream, half the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp water until smooth. Adjust with more water for a pourable consistency. Refrigerate.
- 3
Make the slaw: toss cabbage, red onion, remaining cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside — it gets better as it sits.
- 4
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large cast iron or stainless skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms in a single layer — work in two batches if your pan is small, do NOT crowd.
- 5
Sear undisturbed 3-4 minutes until deeply browned on the bottom, then toss and continue cooking 3-4 more minutes until all sides are caramelized and the mushrooms have shrunk by half.
- 6
Push mushrooms to one side. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the empty side, then add garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 7
Stir everything together. Add chipotle, adobo sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Toss to coat, cooking another minute until glossy and smelling unreal.
- 8
Off heat, hit with the 1 tbsp lime juice and toss.
- 9
Char the tortillas: hold each over a gas flame with tongs (or use a dry skillet over high heat) for about 10 seconds per side, until lightly blistered. Stack in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
- 10
Build tacos: tortilla, mushrooms, slaw, drizzle of avocado crema, sprinkle of cotija if using. Squeeze of lime. Eat immediately.
One more thing
That's a taco. A REAL taco. Smoky, charred, layered, alive. You serve these to people who 'don't really do vegetarian' and they go quiet, they get that look — the look of someone whose worldview is being rearranged in real time — and they reach for taco number three. Number FOUR. They start asking questions. They start writing things down. You smile, because you know: the mushroom won. The mushroom always wins, when you treat it right. Now go eat.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about The Best Mushroom Tacos.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
★ MORE LIKE THIS ★
KEEP COOKING.
Tremendous Caprese Sandwich
A real-deal caprese sandwich on toasted ciabatta: fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomato, basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze. Five-minute summer lunch.
The Best Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
Crispy beer-battered cauliflower florets tossed in classic Buffalo sauce. Game-day perfection with shatter-crisp coating and a deep tangy heat.
Huge Cauliflower Steaks
Thick-cut cauliflower steaks seared until golden, then roasted with garlic and lemon. Served with a bright tahini sauce. Forty minutes start to plate.
The Best Eggplant Rollatini
Roasted eggplant slices rolled around herbed ricotta, baked in marinara with melted mozzarella. A no-soggy, knife-and-fork vegetarian classic.