Vegan Portobello Jerky Recipe

If you're headed on a camping trip or you're looking for an on-the-go snack, you might be on the hunt for some beef jerky, and if you live a vegan lifestyle, you might wonder if there is a vegan alternative. The convenience and portability of jerky makes it a popular choice for hiking, camping, and on-the-go activities. Plus, the chewy, slightly crispy texture along with the savory and spicy flavor is pretty hard to beat.

These days there's pretty much a vegan version of just about any food item — enter, vegan portobello jerky. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Mushrooms are often used to replicate meat whether its pulled 'pork' or a meaty portobello pot roast, there are endless options." This vegan portobello jerky recipe is perfect for those times when you want a chewy snack that you can easily around in a baggie without taking up much space. Ideal for campers and on-the-go folks, this vegan jerky alternative is so tasty that you might forget it's not actually meat.

To make this recipe you'll need about five portobello mushrooms. "Try and find the largest ones you can because they're going to shrink down in size," Hahn recommends. Then we'll need quite a few things for the marinade, many of which you might have stocked in your pantry. You'll need soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, liquid smoke, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. "This combination of condiments and spices will give the jerky that famous flavor it's known for and because we will be marinating the mushrooms overnight, the flavors will really embed into them," Hahn says. If you have trouble finding vegan Worcestershire sauce you can easily make your own homemade version.

To start, lightly wipe the tops of the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. "You don't want to run them under the water, or they will get waterlogged," Hahn shares.

Then remove the thick stems and discard. Now you'll need to scrape and discard the gills from the underside of the mushroom caps. "I do this with a grapefruit spoon so use that if you have one. The gills are edible, but we just want the mushroom 'meat' for the jerky," Hahn says. Once the caps are cleaned and free of gills, go ahead and slice them into ½-inch thick, long slices.

In this step, you'll make the flavorful marinade. Grab a small bowl and combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, liquid smoke, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Give it a stir and then pour it into a large Ziploc or reusable silicone bag and add the sliced mushrooms. "I like using a bag here for marinating because you can easily shake it and turn it to get maximum coverage of the marinade on the mushrooms. If you have a leak proof container that you can easily flip over back and forth, you can use that instead," Hahn explains.

Now place the bag into the fridge for 24 hours and every so often shake the bag. "If you keep the bag front and center in the fridge, you'll see it often and it will remind you to give it a shake," Hahn shares.

Now you'll begin the baking process, so make sure you'll be home for a few hours and won't need your oven for something else. Preheat the oven to 200 F. Remove the mushrooms from the bag and place them on two large baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper. "Make sure there is space in between each mushroom and there is no overlapping," Hahn shares.

Bake for 2 ½ hours, turning at the halfway mark. They will reduce in size, darken, and have a chewy texture.

When the time is up, pull the baking sheets out of the oven and let the jerky cool. "The finished jerky will be smaller in size than typical beef jerky because we aren't starting with large strips of meat, but you will still get the same texture and flavor," Hahn explains. 

Store the jerky in the fridge in a sealed container and enjoy for up to a week. Now you're ready to go on that camping trip or simply have a fun snack on your way to the mall!