Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Indulge in a mouthwatering Portobello Mushroom Burger loaded with gourmet flavors! Featuring a juicy, marinated mushroom cap topped with smoky gouda, pesto aioli, and caramelized onions, this plant-based delight is a hit with vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. Easy to make and utterly delicious!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 800kcal
Equipment
- spatula
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
Caramelized onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup white wine (can substitute veggie stock or water, if using white, choose a non-oaky wine)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional and to taste)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
Marinated mushrooms
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 large Portobello mushroom caps (the size of a burger)
Burgers
- 4 slices cheese (your choice)
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaisse (optional)
- 2 ounces arugula
- ½ large tomato, sliced
- 4 servings pesto aioli
Instructions
Caramelized onions
- In a saucepan or large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the onions, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have started to soften. Then, add in 1 cup of white wine, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Stir to combine, and scrape the bottom of the pan to scrape up any browned bits.
- Increase to medium-high heat. Stir every 5 minutes or so until there is no excess liquid in the pan. The onions should have nice browned edges and become golden brown. This will take roughly 30 - 40 minutes. Add more white wine if the pan begins to dry out too much. Cook until desired consistency is reached. Adjust the seasonings to taste, then set aside.
Marinated mushrooms
- While the onions are cooking, combine ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, in a large baking dish. Whisk to combine.
- Place the portobello caps cap side down into the marinade, and let them sit for 10 minutes or so.
- Flip the mushrooms cap side up, then let them sit for another 10 minutes or so. During the last 10 minutes of marinating, begin preheating a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. You can also use an outdoor grill if you'd like!
Grilling the mushrooms
- Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat, and grease the grates well to prevent sticking. Once the mushrooms have finished marinating, spray the mushroom cap tops with cooking spray, then place them on the hot griddle or pan, cap side down. Grill for about 3-5 minutes, or until nice grill marks form.
- As soon as you flip the mushrooms, add a slice of cheese overtop, and grill for another 2-4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
Toast the buns (optional step)
- *If desired, you can toast the burger buns while waiting for the mushrooms. Preheat a separate griddle or pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the inside of the hamburger buns with some mayo, about 1 tablespoon of mayo per bun, and place the mayonnaise side down onto the hot skillet pan. Cook until nice and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from the pan.
Assembly
- Now, simply assemble the burgers with pesto aioli, some caramelized onions, the mushrooms, tomato slices, more pesto aioli, and more caramelized onions, and finally, top with arugula. Dig in!
- Store leftover ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge. We don't recommend storing pre-made burgers fully assembled in the fridge. The aioli and caramelized onions should be good for up to a week, while the marinated mushrooms are best eaten within 2-3 days. Do not freeze.
Notes
- Vegan burgers. This recipe is easily made vegan by making a vegan version of our pesto aioli with vegan mayo, and a vegan pesto. Try making our walnut pesto recipe, and omit the parmesan cheese, and swap in a teaspoon or two of nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor. Also, be sure to use vegan-friendly hamburger buns, and use some vegan cheese slices. Follow Your Heart makes some really amazing vegan mayo and cheese that melts really well with great flavor!
- Prepping ahead. You can make the pesto aioli a day or two in advance. You can also marinate the Portobello mushrooms overnight. The caramelized onions reheat really well, so feel free to make those up to 4 days in advance as well.
- Don't skip marinating the mushrooms. This infuses so much flavor into the mushrooms, and gives it an incredible savory flavor!
- Take your time caramelizing the onions. Caramelizing onions takes time, but it's worth it. You can't speed the process up, so just be patient, and you will be rewarded with incredible tasty morsels of onions!
- Toast the buns! This step is optional but yields an incredible result. The crispy buns create a great base to layer on all of the toppings, and the texture is really great.
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 1688mg | Potassium: 759mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1295IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 4mg