Roasted maitake mushrooms crisp up in a hot oven. All they need is some oil and salt, along with some (optional) herbs for additional flavor.
The mushrooms roast quickly, in just 15-20 minutes - unless you have larger or fresh-foraged maitakes, which can take up to 30 minutes.
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces maitake mushrooms also called hen of the woods
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil (see note)
- 1 small garlic clove grated on microplane
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme sub ½ teaspoon dried
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ (on convection if you have it)
Flavor the oil
- Grate the garlic on a microplane - it essentially makes a paste which mixes easily into the olive oil. Remove fresh thyme leaves by running your fingers from the top of the stem down to the bottom to strip off the leaves.
- Mix together in a bowl: olive or sesame oil, grated garlic, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper (and cayenne if using).
Roast the maitake mushrooms
- Make sure the maitake mushrooms are dried if you washed them. Tear into small pieces (like florets for broccoli). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss mushrooms with the olive oil mixture then spread out on the baking tray. Make sure they aren't crowded or they will steam instead of roast.
- Roast at 425℉ until browned and crispy. This will take 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the pieces and your particular oven. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
- Eat as a snack or add on top of polenta, risotto, pasta, salads, stew... the possibilities are endless 🙂
Notes
Nutrition
Maitake mushrooms: flavor
Maitake mushrooms are also called Hen of the Woods for their feathery appearance. Because of their thin, frilly, edges, they crisp up beautifully when roasted in the oven - in a way that other types of mushrooms can't compete with.
Their flavor is stronger than other types of mushrooms, including cremini, portobellos, and even the more rare lion's mane or oyster mushrooms. Maitake taste earthy, but with more flavor subtleties including black pepper.
If maitake mushrooms taste too strong when raw, you should still try roasting them. The flavor changes and mellows out - similar to how roasted broccoli is quite different from its raw counterpart.
Buying & storing
Farmers markets carry maitake mushrooms in fall, usually starting in August or September. They might be labeled as Hen of the Woods.
Fall is also when you can forage them. Check out the Maitake Foraging Guide by Alan Bergo at Forager Chef.
Some specialty grocery stores carry cultivated maitake mushrooms (grown in greenhouses or other controlled settings). This allows them to sell the mushrooms outside of their regular season.
I can sometimes find maitake mushrooms at Whole Foods. They might be in a "Chef Sampler" pack.
Buy maitake mushrooms that have white flesh on the undersides without yellowing (a sign they are past their prime). Store them in a paper bag in the fridge and they should last 3-7 days.
Cleaning the mushrooms
Most maitake mushrooms you'll find for sale are cultivated - grown in a controlled setting. These mushrooms are already pretty clean and just need to be brushed off before using.
If the mushrooms you get have been foraged, you'll want to remove dirt, debris, and even tiny rocks that get stuck in them. Tammy Donroe has a very thorough guide on cleaning foraged maitake mushrooms.
Roasting maitake mushrooms
Roasting vegetables requires a hot oven, a good amount of oil, and space to prevent steaming. I always use the convection setting, which circulates the hot air and helping water evaporate more quickly.
Moisture
But mushrooms in particular can be tricky as they often release a lot of moisture that other vegetables hang on to.
Maitake mushrooms are relatively dry, and I've never had a problem roasting the ones I buy (which are usually cultivated, not foraged). So there's no special treatment needed - just follow the recipe as written.
However, foraged maitake mushrooms can be a lot wetter. If this is the case, you have 2 options. One option is to saute them in a pan until they release water. Then toss with oil and roast in the oven.
The other option I picked up from Serious Eats. They roast mushrooms in the oven at a slightly lower temperature but keep an eye out for puddles of water. If/when that happens, remove the tray and (carefully) drain off the water (or transfer the mushrooms to a new tray). Continue to roast until crispy.
Prevent sticking
I roast most vegetables right on the baking sheet to get them nice and caramelized. However, the frilly edges of maitake mushrooms are delicate and can stick to the tray.
Parchment paper prevents them from sticking to the pan, but they are still able to perfectly crisp up.
High heat oil
Make sure to use an oil with a high smoke point since the mushrooms are getting roasted in a pretty hot oven. Canola, safflower, avocado, and grapeseed oil are good alternatives.
Sesame oil is also a great option, adding a delicious flavor to the mushrooms. I've seen several online recipes claim sesame oil isn't good for roasting, while I see it used in Woks for high-heat cooking all of the time. So I did some digging to get to the bottom of it.
I reached out to La Tourangelle, a high-end culinary oil company that shares a lot of cooking advice on their blog. The CEO, Matthieu Kohlmeyer got back to me and said that their sesame oil "is virgin and as such contains high level of antioxidants that protect the oil against oxidation during cooking. Traditionally in Japan, sesame oil is used for many things including Tempura which means high temperatures frying."
In fact, virgin oils are great for high heat applications, like frying. Matthieu Kohlmeyer actually sent over this study that compared different types of oil for deep frying.
Other flavors
Use my recipe as a base for roasting maitake mushrooms, and then customize the flavor to your liking.
Hardy herbs stand up to the high heat of an oven. Use fresh rosemary, oregano, or sage. Dried herbs can sometimes burn in the higher heat, but I always have good luck with dried thyme.
You can also add smoked paprika, aleppo pepper, or other specialty spices for a hot and salty version.
More recipes & resources
Roasted maitake mushrooms are delicious as a snack - and it's hard to resist eating them hot from the oven. However, I usually use them to add to the top of other dishes, like on this wild mushroom risotto.
Add them to classic mushroom recipes:
- Green bean casserole - add to the top after removing from the oven (in addition to or in place of fried onions)
Green bean casserole recipe with fresh green beans / make-ahead green bean casserole version - Beef stroganoff - add to the top just before serving
- Soups - add to cream of mushroom or a Hungarian mushroom soup when serving
You can also use roasted maitake mushrooms on other types of dishes.
- Steak - top a steak with a peppercorn sauce and roasted maitakes (very complementary with their peppery finish)
- Tacos - add some crunch to vegetarian tacos, or add to shredded beef, pork, or chicken tacos for more umami
- Alfredo pasta - these are great on an alfredo-style pasta. Their flavor stands out while also being very complimentary
Another good option is to add them to appetizers and salads.
- Crostini - use a spreadable goat cheese, topped with roasted maitake mushrooms, and maybe a drizzle of honey
- Grain salad - take your favorite grain salad and add the roasted mushrooms to the top
- Caesar salad - add along with croutons (or in place of croutons) for extra crunch and savoriness
- Cobb salad - anything can be added to a cobb salad, and these crunchy, salty maitakes make a perfect addition
More ways to cook maitake mushrooms
Roasting maitake mushrooms is the most popular option, simply because they crisp up like other mushrooms can't. It's always nice to make use of their unique characteristic.
However, their flavor is delicious and they are great when cooked into other recipes. My guide to maitake mushrooms has over a dozen different recipes to check out.
I've also found a handful of related recipes that might interest you.
- A garlic aioli dipping sauce for maitake mushrooms
- Brown butter & sage maitake mushrooms cooked in a pan
- Maple roasted maitake mushrooms with tamari and paprika
More seasonal produce
If you're wondering what else is currently in season, check out my calendars to see what produce is in season each month (and coming up soon).
Ding says
I would suggest using similar size pieces or removing smaller pieces and let the larger ones cook longer. Smelled amazing and tasted great!
Veronica T says
Good advice! And glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂