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Make Your Mushrooms Taste Like Bacon

You’re 15 minutes away from the bacon-iest mushrooms ever.
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Published Sept. 26, 2022.

Make Your Mushrooms Taste Like Bacon

The best cobb salads are packed with fresh greens, creamy cheese, and (best of all) salty, meaty, crunchy bacon. In addition to blowing your taste buds away, cobb salads also look pretty.

But if you’re looking to cut down on meat and amp up the vegetable goodness (it is a salad, after all), how do you replicate the essential smokiness that bacon brings?

You can make mushrooms taste like bacon.

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This recipe takes less than 15 minutes and you’ll only need 6 ingredients (including the mushrooms). And while they were developed for our Super Cobb Salad, these bacon-flavored mushrooms can top any salad, breakfast sandwich, or whatever your heart desires in place of bacon.

The secret is a powerhouse combination of supersavory spices: smoked paprika and chili powder.

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With flavors like these, you won’t miss the bacon. The mushrooms add their own umami and meaty texture, and the spices give a smoky element you’ll love.

Whether you have dietary restrictions or are looking to cut down on your meat consumption, this easy recipe is a perfect addition to your repertoire.

Bacon-y Mushrooms

Here’s how to make your mushrooms taste like bacon.

  1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. 
  2. Add 10 ounces of sliced shiitake mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes. 
  3. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. 
  4. Stir in ⅛ teaspoon each of smoked paprika, chili powder, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are golden, 4 to 6 minutes. 
  5. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Add them to your salads, breakfast sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and more.

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