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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    August 2, 2016 105 Comments

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake

    13.5K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Yesterday I was looking at pictures of beef and drooling. Woah, woah, woah! Before anyone freaks out, let me explain. I often find inspiration for my recipe from animal-product filled recipes. It's not the meat that is making me drool, (that part is a real turn off for me). It's the idea I have in my head about how I can achieve similar textures and flavours. The chew, the crispiness, the umami, the juiciness. All that deliciousness but made blissfully vegan. That's what I am drooling over, my imagination.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    So when I stumbled upon a few recipes for sesame beef, my brain started mentally sorting through my kitchen and I thought of the bag of dried shiitake mushrooms that I use in my Quick Vegan Pho and my Congee recipe. Even after soaking for a long time and cooking, the dried shiitake remain super juicy and chewy. Light bulb!

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    So I played around a bit, and BLAM-O! (Is blam-o a thing kids say now? I don't think so). I tossed the mushrooms in cornstarch fried them up and stirred them into a quick sauce.

    ~Pats self on back~

    Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. Gah! This hit all of the flavour points and textures I was striving for and hot dang it's delicious.This just turned into one of my new favourite dishes that I will be whipping up on a regular basis.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    For some more veggie-ness, feel free to add in some sautéed broccoli, bok choy, spinach, or other greenage. I served mine over rice, but I think rice noodles would also be fab. Enjoy!

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    To Make Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake:

    You are going to need dried shiitake mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms won't work the same way as they don't have the same chewy texture as the dried ones. I found a big bag of dried shiitake at my local grocery store, but if your store doesn't carry them, you can order them online. One bag lasts a long time!

    Rehydrate the mushrooms by covering them in boiling water. I always put a bowl on top to help push to mushrooms down and keep them submerged. Soak them for around 40 minutes until they are nice and tender.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Drain the mushrooms. If you wish you can save the liquid to use as a mushroom broth. Now squeeze out the excess water from the mushrooms. Don't mush them to death, but just lightly squeeze them and shake off the water so they are on the drier side. Cut them into nice thick slices, about ½ inch.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Toss them in the cornstarch so they are evenly coated and shake off the excess.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding in the mushrooms so that they fry, and not just soak up the oil. Fry the mushrooms until they are lightly golden on all sides, and no white cornstarch remains.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    In the meantime make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add in the fried shiitakes and toss to coat. Serve immediately over rice or in any way that you desire.

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake! Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef. #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 47 votes

    Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake

    Slightly crispy on the outside, super chewy and juicy on the inside, coated in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce. A vegan version of sesame beef.
    Prep Time40 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Servings: 2 Servings as a main, 4 as a side
    Calories: 190kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the shiitake:

    • 2 cups dried shiitakes (12-16 mushrooms)
    • Boiling water (to soak the mushrooms)
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons light oil (such as canola or peanut), plus more if needed

    For the sesame sauce:

    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    • 2 cloves garlic , minced
    • 1 inch piece of ginger , minced
    • 2 teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

    For garnish:

    • 2 green onion , thinly sliced
    • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
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    Instructions

    • Cover the mushrooms in boiling water, and put something on top to keep them submerged. Soak for around 40 minutes until tender. Drain the mushrooms. If you wish you can save the liquid to use as a mushroom broth. Now squeeze out the excess water from the mushrooms. Don’t mush them to death, but just lightly squeeze them and shake off the water so they are on the drier side. Slice them into nice thick slices, about ½ inch. Toss them in the cornstarch so they are evenly coated and shake off the excess.
    • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is nice and hot before adding in the mushrooms so that they fry, and not just soak up the oil. Fry the mushrooms until they are lightly golden on all sides, and no white cornstarch remains.
    • In the meantime make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a small sauce pan. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add in the fried shiitakes and toss to coat. Serve immediately over rice or in anyway that you desire, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 190kcal
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon Appetegan!

    Sam.


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shari Z says

      July 04, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      5 stars
      Hadn’t made this in awhile and almost forgot how great it is! Served over brown jasmine rice with snap pea stir fry veggies…yum!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        July 20, 2022 at 9:01 am

        Yum!!

        Reply
    2. Olivia says

      January 21, 2022 at 5:49 pm

      Do you think I could try this recipe with fresh shitake mushrooms?

      Reply
    3. Angelina says

      January 06, 2022 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this simple yet lovely recipe! I replaced half the soy sauce with water since I didn't have rice to go with. It was yummy! =^.^=

      Reply
    4. Wendy says

      January 11, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Could you make this without frying? Maybe baking or in the air fryer?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Ryan says

        January 28, 2021 at 10:43 am

        Came to ask the same! Avoiding oil as much as possible and wondering how they would turn out baked in the oven. Guess we’ll have to try!

        Reply
    5. Laura says

      January 04, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      Will dried Portabella mushrooms work for this recipe? Looks yummy!!

      Reply
    6. Kara says

      October 05, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      This recipe is amazing! Incredible, delicious, and every other yummy word out there. Wow!

      Reply
    7. Amalie says

      June 10, 2020 at 12:25 pm

      How big are your dried shiitake? :O I think 15 of mine is barely ½ cup :O

      Reply
    8. Hector Cameron says

      May 31, 2020 at 1:45 pm

      5 stars
      Really delicious! I've made it a couple times now and I like a little added chinkiang vinager for a kind of extra zip of malty flavour. I also up the ginger quantity because why not?!

      Hector

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 04, 2020 at 9:38 am

        So happy you enjoyed!!

        Reply
      • YummaMumma says

        January 26, 2022 at 1:38 pm

        One can never have too much ginger hey Hector?

        Reply
    9. Valeria says

      April 27, 2020 at 8:22 pm

      Hi Sam,

      Greetings from Ecuador! I have a question, can I use fresh Portobellos or ostras instead of Shiitake? It is kind of difficult to find them here.. And even worst in a middle of a quarentine

      Reply
      • Emily says

        May 18, 2020 at 8:21 pm

        I know I'm not Sam but I'm in the same boat as you (in Peru) - I made it with Hongos Ostra and they turned out great

        Reply
    10. Laura says

      April 27, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      This looks amazing! Recipe has been saved and I look forward to making this soon. This is the perfect kind of recipe to post on Instagram at this moment- I have everything needed in the pantry already and don't have to take a trip to the dreaded grocery store for ingredients lol.

      Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your recipes and humor, I'm so glad I stumbled across your Instagram a while ago. I am mostly plant based, and cook 100% vegan at home, and I have my little collection of favorite recipe makers I follow and you're one of the top! What I like about your recipes that sets you apart imo is how widely appealing they are to most people, the flavors are comfortable and familiar. So as a mom of three picky kids and husband who mostly humors my way of eating, I can usually count on you to deliver recipes that they will enjoy as well.

      Also, I think it's totally ok to drool over animal based recipes lol. I mean, I think most people who go vegan do so primarily for ethical or health reasons, not necessarily because they don't think meat and cheese tastes good, at least in the beginning .

      Finally, have you considered putting your new comment field at the top of the comments? It makes it easier to leave a comment without having to scroll all the way to the end, especially in fabulous recipes like yours that generate lots of comments

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        May 06, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        So happy you're enjoying all my content Laura!! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Deb says

      November 29, 2019 at 2:28 am

      4 stars
      This was great. I made a vegetable broth using the dried shiitake then made this afterward. Only one thing I’d change. The amount of soy sauce is too much it was so salty, I had to add about 1/2 cup of water oh and I used low sodium soy sauce. Also these would be great as a crunchy snack or use them as dipping chips.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 30, 2019 at 11:02 am

        Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
      • Lisa says

        March 30, 2020 at 10:11 am

        Hey Deb Try coconut aminos taste just like soy sauce but not salty like that. Give it a try so much better for you too.

        Reply
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