Balsamic Glazed Oyster Mushrooms – Shawarma Style

This vegan-style oyster mushroom shawarma is one of my more interesting recipes – but that doesn’t mean it’s not as simple as the rest of my favorites! This recipe might be a showstopper, but it’s so easy to assemble. This is a play off of Middle Eastern shawarma of course, but it is served with a new layer of hot-spicy and sweet glaze that makes these oyster mushrooms really stand on their own.

The assembly starts with a quick sear, but after that, this vegan shawarma dream is put in the oven to finish and caramelize. Serve it with rice, serve it with tofu, add it to a sandwich or a bowl of brothy beans – this recipe really is so versatile that it can do it all.

First, what is a shawarma?

The reason I can’t call this an oyster-mushroom-shawarma exactly is because there are many key difference to the original version.

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish, originating from the Ottoman Empire. It is a meat dish, usually lamb, chicken, turkey or beef, and it is cooked on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie or spit.

Seeing as this is a plant-based shawarma version, and cooked at home in the oven, this is very different from the original version. I wanted to credit the reference, yet be clear that this is not the authentic version at all. But it’s fun! And it’s easy, and it’s mushrooms. So what’s not to love?

The ingredients for this balsamic glazed oyster mushroom shawarma

Although the result is visually stunning, the ingredients here are very minimal, and mostly pantry staples. Just make sure your pantry is stocked with spices. Here is everything you’ll need:

• 1 & 1/2 lbs oyster mushrooms, cleaned and whole
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp each of cumin, coriander, garlic powder, chili powder, turmeric, smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp each of red pepper flakes and kosher salt
• 1 lemon for juicing
• 3 tbsp balsamic glaze

How to bring this recipe together

This oyster mushroom shawarma does need two types of cooking, but that’s what gives it the perfect meaty texture. Here’s a full step-by-step for the recipe, including the timing I would use to make it:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put a pan or skillet on medium heat.
• Tear apart the oyster mushrooms into large, flat chunks. You want them to look kind of like steaks. Drizzle them with olive oil.
• Lay the oyster mushrooms flat in the pan, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until the mushrooms are golden brown and all the moisture has released and evaporated. You can use a grill press or spatula to press them down to help speed up the process.
• Place the oyster mushrooms on paper towels to drain, and make your spice mix & glaze.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and all the spices. In another bowl, mix together the lemon juice and balsamic glaze.
• With the oyster mushrooms laying flat, brush each side with a liberal layer of the spice mix.
• On a parchment lined baking sheet, layer the mushrooms on top of each other into a shawarma “shape” Add the 4 skewers to help the mushrooms stand upright.
• Drizzle the shawarma with the glaze, making sure to get in all the crevices. Wipe up any glaze that gets on the parchment paper to prevent scorching.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, add the rest of the glaze and bake another 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and slice down the edges to serve!

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are some of my favorite ‘shroom based recipes from the site!

And that’s everything for this oyster mushroom shawarma recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3