Mushroom Tacos

We eat a lot of tacos in our house. I mean, a lot. I like to change it up based on what I need to use up in the fridge. We have been eating more plant-based in our house, at least for a few nights out of the week. Mushrooms are a perfect way to fill the void of meat because they are savory, earthy, and meaty in texture. I love anything with mushrooms and I am always looking for recipes that give me an excuse to eat them. My husband ate these and was blown away at how good they were!

Cooking mushrooms can be tricky. They hold a lot of water, and if you crowd them in a pan, they can become mushy…and no one likes a mushy mushroom. The trick is to cook them in their own pan (meaning, not with the other veggies going into the tacos), and not to crowd the mushrooms. Similar to meat, if you crowd them they will steam and not get that great browning on them that creates great texture and flavor.

Tips for Mushroom Tacos

Use a variety of mushrooms! I find that each variety of mushrooms creates different flavors and textures. Doing a mix of at least two kinds really elevates the tacos.
Don’t crowd the mushrooms. Use a pan large enough to give the mushrooms space to cook. If they are too crowded, they will steam instead of brown.
Use any veggies you like! I used onion and bell pepper, but adding in corn and zucchini are others I like using as well.
The mushroom and veggies can be made ahead of time and then heated up when you are ready to make dinner. Assembling the tacos is all that needs to be done!

Print Recipe here

Makes 6-8 4-inch tacos

Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:

10-12 ounces mushrooms - I like to use portobello and shiitake

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

For the veggies

2-4 tablespoons

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced - I use red and yellow

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

salt to taste

For the tacos assembly:

6-8 teaspoons unsalted butter

6-8 4-inch soft tortillas- I like corn or a corn/flour mix

Shredded cheese- about 1 tablespoon per taco

Toppings- guacamole, lime wedges, salsa, hot sauce, jalapeno, fresh cilantro

Directions:

Cook up the mushrooms by heating a medium-size skillet over medium/high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add in the mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt.

Cook the mushrooms until they become slightly golden. At some point during the cooking, add in the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Stir in the taco seasoning and let the mushrooms cook for another minute with the seasoning.

Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, then remove the pan from the heat.

Make the veggies by heating a large skillet over medium/high heat.

Add in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in the onion and bell pepper with a sprinkle of salt.

Cook until softened, adding the other couple tablespoons of olive oil as needed.

Stir in the taco seasoning and let the veggies cook for another minute or so with the spices, then remove from heat.

Assemble the tacos. For a single taco, add 1 teaspoon of butter to a small or medium skillet, and place the tortilla on top of the melted butter. Top the tortilla with the shredded cheese and allow the cheese to melt. Once melted, add in the mushrooms and veggies.

Once the tortilla has started to brown on the bottom, fold in half to create a taco. Add toppings and serve.

I like to use these taco holders to make the whole process easier.

Note: These can be made in a large batch by using a griddle, yup, the same one you use for pancakes. Once you make them this way there is no going back to cold tortillas.