These Chicken of the Woods recipes are a great idea when you are looking to mix things up.
Tofu and tempeh are great meat substitutes but eating too much of them isn’t healthy, just like eating too much of anything really! If you’re looking for new foods to use in place of meat, look no further than the ‘chicken of the woods’ mushroom.
It is a fungus easy to spot growing from the sides of oak or cherry trees, most commonly at the root or on dying bark. It decays dead trees and causes brown rot in living trees, but all that aside it’s delicious to eat!
It has a similar taste and texture to chicken, hence its nickname ‘chicken of the woods’. It is really tasty in stews and casseroles and works well in stir-fries or grilled skewers. So it’s a pretty diverse meat substitute, and suitable for many types of diets, including vegan.
If you are looking for even more mushroom recipes, check out our favorites here.
1. Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Hash Browns
Health Starts In The Kitchen shares a recipe to start your day healthily. Who doesn’t love hash browns? But let’s face it, sometimes it isn’t the healthiest way to start the day if you’re grabbing overly processed and preserved ones from the freezer. This recipe uses the infamous chicken of the woods mushroom to recreate the dish but ensure you’re getting a healthy hit in the morning.
2. Fried Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms
If you’re a fan of southern fried chicken but want to cut back on your meat intake or have a dietary restriction, this recipe from Gatur Stitch Farm should fill the void. This mushroom is known for having the same texture as chicken so it works well as a substitute here. The key to this recipe is brining the mushroom, and using crushed cornflakes to bread it.
3. Chicken of the Woods Fingers
Tyrant Farms explain to us how to recognize and use chicken of the woods mushrooms, including their ‘chicken fingers’ recipe. The batter is flour-based but includes a whole list of seasoning making this a really delicious choice. Think of things like dried mustard powder, smoke paprika, garlic, and onion powder to really give a kick.
4. Italian Style Chicken of the Woods
Ultimate Medicinal Mushrooms uses fresh herbs like mint and oregano in this Italian-inspired delight. The sauce is formed from white wine, broth, and tomatoes, and they suggest serving it with a crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
5. Fried Chicken of the Woods Sandwich
Chicken burgers always feel like such an indulgence, healthier than a beef burger but glutinous nonetheless. Wild Vegan Flower teaches us how to make this classic dish but using chicken of the woods mushrooms instead, amping up the health factor. It tastes just like fried chicken, and you can top it with the usual salad add-ins as well as ranch or ketchup.
6. Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Piccata
Another Italian-inspired dish, Very Vegan Val recreates a chicken piccata using mushrooms instead. The mushrooms are coated in a batter that includes parmesan (yum!) but that can be left out if you want to make it vegan. It is then cooked in the sauce and served over pasta.
7. Chicken of the Woods Burger
Another chicken sandwich/burger recipe, this time from Permacrafters. This recipe includes mashed beans and brown rice to add in some extra fiber and protein. It also has a smokier flavor, given by adding paprika and liquid smoke.
8. Chicken of the Woods Steak
That steak craving you want to satisfy but can’t or won’t indulge in an actual steak? Honest Food offers up a great alternative and talks you through how to compress it so it grills beautifully. He also suggests it’s served over something simple like pureed butternut squash or mashed potato, and then all drizzled in the cooking sauce.
9. Chicken of the Woods Fajitas
Vegetarian fajitas are usually comprised of sliced bell peppers and onions, or if you’re lucky tofu. However, Peaceful Dumpling divulges how you can use this type of mushroom as a substitute for the chicken in fajitas. The recipe uses all the usual spices for a Mexican dish and adds fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime for extra flavor.
10. Sesame Baked Chicken of the Woods
Forager Chef is inspired by Asian fusion for this chicken of the woods recipe. It’s prepared like a breaded or battered chicken but instead of the usual milk or egg, a sour cream batter recipe is given. Intriguing, right? It is then coated in breadcrumbs and sesame seeds and baked. We highly recommend trying it out!
11. Chicken of the Woods Tacos
If you can make fajitas with this wild mushroom, you can definitely make tacos with them. Modern Carnivore shows us how, and highly recommends using raw jalapenos for a bigger kick of spice, fresh lime, and freshly chopped cilantro to sprinkle over the top.
12. Sauteed Chicken of the Woods
The easiest way to cook anything is to throw it in a pan with some garlic and saute it. Fungi Woman does just that but then adds in a splash of white wine and herbs to take it up a notch. A squeeze of lemon and freshly chopped parsley complete this easy dinner.
13. Chicken of the Woods Wild Rice Soup
This mushroom is so versatile, it can be used in so many different types of meals. Wild Vegan Flower shows us how it can be used to make soup. She adds wild rice, which seems fitting to cook with this wild mushroom. It’s a nice rich soup too, using coconut milk and white wine to form part of the soup base.
14. Butter Chicken of the Woods
That’s right, this mushroom can even be used in curries. Very Vegan Val shares how to whip up a delicious butter chicken curry, but using chicken of the woods mushrooms instead of chicken breast. Thankfully, it’s one of the easier Indian dishes to make but it does require garam masala which sometimes takes a bit of hunting to find in the store. It’s well worth the search though!
15. Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Risotto
Risotto is a classic meal to use mushrooms in, and this recipe from Field Forest is no exception. They make the risotto feel ‘meaty’ even though it’s vegetarian-friendly. This is a very simple dish to prepare, and we highly suggest you add in the ‘optional’ parmesan cheese for the topping!
16. Chicken of the Woods Taquitos
Taquitos are basically rolled-up tacos, fried after the fact to create crunchy stuffed tubes. The Intrepid Eater shares how to create a mountain of these using the fluffy chicken of the woods mushroom. Topping with sour cream, guac, jalapenos, and cheese is a must, and creates a nacho feel to these taquitos.
17. Buffalo Chicken of the Woods Burger
This chicken of the woods burger recipe uses a tangy buffalo chicken sauce. Foraged ensures it’s the best buffalo burger by having you add shredded red cabbage for a fresh crunch, offsetting the spice of the sauce, and squirting on a bit of ranch or mayo to ease the heat.
18. Chicken of the Woods Saltimbocca
Wine, prosciutto, shallots, butter, and freshly cracked pepper are the highlights of this dish from Food for Hunters. Each mushroom slice is topped with these delicious foods, and fried. If they are pretty thick, they’ll need to be popped in the oven to cook through thoroughly as well. There is then a nice sauce put together to drizzle on top.
19. Chicken of the Woods Nuggets
We can have a list of ‘chicken’ recipes without nuggets! Very Vegan Val makes the crispiest breaded nuggets and shares her secrets. The mushrooms are actually blended up to a pulp, before reforming them as nuggets. Smart, hey? Then you’ll have perfectly formed nugget shapes, making them more like nuggets and less like pieces of fried ‘chicken’. They are also much easier to bread and bake like this too!
