Grilled portobello mushrooms are a flavorful summertime vegetarian side dish. I marinate the caps first, then quickly cook them on the grill to infuse them with a rich, smoky flavor.
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- Removing the dark gills prevents the mushrooms from releasing excess moisture and a muddy flavor.
- Lightly scoring the mushroom caps creates more surface area, helping the marinade soak in more deeply.
- A marinade adds flavor to the porous mushroom caps, while the oil helps the surface brown and release more easily from the grill.
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“Super flavourful – served them for dinner tonight with a salad for a wonderful meatless Monday meal. The tips included in this recipe are so helpful.”—Carolyn
Why It Works
As the weather warms up, time to fire up the grill! Portobello mushrooms can be either a hearty vegetarian main dish or a healthy side dish. The large fungi can get a little tough on the surface when cooked. I’ll show you how to prepare each piece for the most tender results.
To enhance the meaty caps’ flavor, I marinate them in a savory balsamic vinegar mixture. This brief period boosts the natural umami notes, creating juicy bites that may outshine the other dishes. A quick sizzle on the barbecue or grill pan, and you’ll have a tasty vegetarian side dish. Make them into a main course served in a bun for a grilled portobello mushroom burger.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mushrooms: Large portobello mushrooms contain more moisture and a denser cell structure, which helps them retain a juicy, meat-like texture while withstanding the high heat of grilling.
- Marinade: I use a flavorful combination of extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh minced garlic. The savory sauce enhances the natural umami flavor in the mushrooms, while the acidity in the vinegar provides balance and brightness.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This grilled portobello mushroom recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Mushroom Swaps: You can use other types of mushrooms, like Cremini, Button, Shiitake, Oyster, or King Oyster. Smaller mushrooms are great for skewers or grill baskets, while king oyster mushrooms have a dense texture that makes them especially hearty and meat-like when grilled.
- Oil Options: Use vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Vinegar Substitutes: Try other types of vinegar, like red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Seasonings: Try onion powder, cumin, coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, or Cajun seasoning.
- Marinades: The mushrooms are delicious with tangy aji verde sauce or chimichurri sauce.
How to Make Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Step 1: Prepare the Mushrooms
Trim or remove the stems altogether from the large mushrooms. It’s very thick and fibrous, and it helps to flatten the cap so that it can sit with even exposure on the grill. The underside of the cap contains soft brown gills. Although edible, they have a slight muddy flavor. To remove the gills, use a spoon and lightly scrape them out. You’ll find it releases relatively easily.
Pro Tip: Wipe the surface with a damp paper towel to clean, or give it a quick rinse and dry it well. Just don’t let the mushrooms soak in water, or they will absorb that liquid instead of the flavorful marinade.
Step 2: Score the Mushrooms
Portobello mushrooms are large, about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. This size makes it ideal for grilling and for keeping its shape once cooked. Since the caps aren’t sliced into smaller pieces, the surface can get a bit chewy. To tenderize the mushroom caps, score a shallow cross-hatch pattern on the top. This technique helps break up the surface layer and allows more of the marinade to be absorbed.
Step 3: Make the Marinade
The marinade is simple but bold in flavor! Balsamic vinegar adds a sweet and tangy taste. Soy sauce, salt, pepper, and garlic powder enhance the mushrooms’ savory flavor. Olive oil adds richness and helps to prevent sticking to the grates. Freshly minced garlic adds some additional zing. However, I recommend using garlic powder if cooking on a grill pan to prevent the pieces from burning.
Step 4: Marinate the Mushrooms
Before grilling, the cleaned and prepared caps get a dip in a soy sauce and balsamic vinegar marinade. You’ll notice that after a 30-minute soak, the mixture gets absorbed into the caps. The result: super juicy and flavorful pieces!
Step 5: Grill the Mushrooms
You can grill the caps outdoors on a charcoal grill or gas grill, or indoors in the grill pan. The first option provides a deeper, smokier taste, while the pan offers an all-season alternative that cooks more quickly due to the smaller cooking area and consistent heat.
No matter which method you choose, make sure to start with the gill-side facing up. This method captures more flavor in the meaty part of the cap and achieves the sought-after charred lines. Flip over to finish cooking. It goes fast, about 4-5 minutes per side.
I like to garnish the grilled mushrooms with fresh herbs like parsley or basil right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, mushrooms should get a gentle wipe with water and a paper towel, or a brief rinse, to remove excess dirt. Luckily, they have a protein called hydrophobin on the surface of the cap that repels water. Although if soaked too long, the fungi act like sponges, absorbing moisture. The large brown gills on portobellos also like to soak up liquid, which is why we remove them first before cleaning. We want the mushrooms to infuse the marinade instead of plain water.
Yes! I highly recommend marinating portobello mushrooms before grilling because their sponge-like structure quickly absorbs flavorful ingredients like soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and herbs. Even 30 minutes of marinating helps season the mushrooms throughout while adding moisture that keeps them juicy as they cook over the high grill heat. You could also serve them with a sauce if you skip marinating.
Portobello mushrooms take about 7 to 11 minutes to grill over medium-high heat, 350 to 400°F (177 to 204°C). Grill the mushrooms cap-side down first for 4 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until tender and lightly charred.
Storage is simple! Transfer the mushrooms to an air-tight container, and place them in the fridge for up to 5 days. The leftover veggies are great for breakfast the next day with eggs, or for meal prep. Warm them in the microwave in 15- to 30-second intervals until hot.
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If you tried this Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Mushrooms – Cut off the stems, then use a spoon to scoop out the brown gills. Use a damp paper towel to gently wipe any dirt off the surface.
- Score the Mushrooms – Use the tip of a paring knife to cut a ½-inch crosshatch pattern on the tops of the mushroom caps, about 1/16-inch deep scores.
- Make the Marinade – In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Marinate the Mushrooms – Add mushrooms to a large plastic bag or baking dish. Turn to coat in the marinade and allow to sit for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Grill the Mushrooms – Barbecue Method: Preheat grill over medium-high heat 350 to 400ºF (177 to 204ºC). Clean the grill, then carefully grease the cooking grates with tongs and a paper towel dipped in oil. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, then place them on the hot grill, cap-side down. Cover and cook, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook covered for 3 to 5 minutes.Grill Pan Method: Cook mushrooms on a grill pan heated over medium-high heat. Grease the grates with oil, then cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Notes
- Grill Pan Cooking: I recommend using garlic powder instead of fresh minced garlic, as the pieces will burn in the hot pan. Increase garlic powder to ½ teaspoon.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute coconut aminos, gluten-free tamari, or liquid aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 15 to 30-second increments until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Carolyn says
Super flavourful – served them for dinner tonight with a salad for a wonderful meatless Monday meal.. The tips included in this recipe are so helpful.
Jessica Gavin says
Your meatless Monday dinner sounds fantastic! Glad to hear that the mushroom tips were helpful.
Phil says
Appetizer winner at a large family bbq lunch. Thanks Jessica!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback, Phil! So happy to hear that the family enjoyed the mushrooms.
Dave says
This looks delicious.
FYI, La Choy Soy Sauce has always been gluten free. :-))
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for the soy sauce tip, Dave!