The Ultimate Mushrooms For Plant-Based Chicken Bites

The biggest critique of plant-based substitutions is that they don't taste like meat. While true — nothing can completely mimic the taste and texture of chicken — some foods come pretty close. You might even argue that they offer something even better. Swapping chicken for mushrooms in your recipe creates a meal with the juicy and savory flavor you're craving. For fried chicken recipes, one mushroom species stands out for the way it pulls apart and recreates that fall-off-the-bone description for chicken.

Oyster mushrooms, or Pleurotus ostreatus, are an edible fungal species that contribute to both our ecosystem and kitchen. They help the decomposition of dead trees and branches, and they're a favorite of expert foragers who can find them in most temperate forests. You might've even passed them on a hike before. Oyster mushrooms have a wide round cap and wavy gills. The caps are thick enough to survive being covered in batter and fried in oil, and they're soft enough to fall apart when you bite into them.

You can fry oyster mushrooms in tempura batter for a sweet and mild taste or prepare them like standard country-fried chicken. Jamur goreng krispi is an Indonesian dish that's been using this technique for years. Frying tends to work better with a skillet rather than air fryer because of the wet batter under the coating. Oyster mushrooms stand out for their rich umami depth and the way they absorb flavors around them. Your chicken bites will never be the same after trying this swap.

If frying isn't your thing, another mushroom species works well for making baked chicken bites in the oven. Dubbed the "chicken of the woods," the Laetiporus sulphureus is another common fungus that grows in a shelf formation on trees. These mushrooms stand out for their vibrant orange color and unique bubbly shape that makes them a great swap for chicken nuggets. The preparation is the same as frying: Cut them into chunks, dip them in wet batter, and toss in coating. However, instead of frying them in a skillet, let them bake in a sheet pan in the oven.

Oyster and chicken of the woods mushrooms can be a bit harder to locate at the store and may run pricier than the average white button or shiitake mushrooms you'll find. They require more effort to grow and forage large-scale, but these beauties have meaty flavors that are worth trying in your cooking. Oysters are the more common of the two, and you can typically find them dried (rehydrate before cooking). To get in touch with your inner plant parent, you can even cultivate them at home with a growing kit for around $15 on Amazon.