Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms Are My Favorite Mini Dish.
The best stuffed mushrooms I’ve ever eaten had so much filling that they might as well have been called mushroom-bottomed meatballs. They were so savory, juicy and delicious that I probably ate half the dish; I was at a party and this snack made me completely antisocial. But the good news is that they inspired this easy air-fried stuffed mushroom recipe.
Every time my boyfriend and I offer stuffed mushrooms for dinner, it’s like announcing “Pizza Party!” for a group of children 10 years old. There’s an excited sigh, eyes lighting up, maybe a fist clenching – that’s how good this recipe is. We used to cook these in a regular oven, which is fine for larger batches if you’re feeding a large crowd, but for small to medium batches, the air fryer cuts the cooking time by about 30 minutes. And that, my friends, is great news.
The key to great stuffed mushrooms is not just the tasty filling, but its packaging. This ultimately improves the filling to mushroom ratio and turns this appetizer into something more satisfying, what I call a mini meal. At first, it may seem like there’s too much filling for these small cavities—and that’s the point. When filling the mushrooms, I like to add enough filling to all the mushroom caps to fill the indentations, and in the odd case where you don’t have extra, at least each cap will have enough. Then go back and spoon the remaining filling on top. If everything works out, they will look like spheres.
These little umami bombs are crispy on top but juicy on the inside. Large cremini or button mushrooms are ideal, but I always end up with an uneven collection of large, medium and small mushrooms. Normally this would be a problem since different sized mushrooms cook at different rates, but since the filling is prepared ahead of time, you just need to soften the mushrooms. The fryer only heats from the top, so while smaller mushroom caps may not need those last couple of minutes, they are protected by the filling on top and won’t overcook.
Recipe for air fried stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients:
-
8-10 medium mushrooms
-
Splash of oil for mushrooms
-
1 tablespoon butter
-
1 small shallot, chopped
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
4 ounces ground sausage (or turkey)
-
¼ teaspoon salt
-
1 ounce cream cheese
-
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
-
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (or shredded)
1. Remove the stems from the mushroom caps. Place mushroom caps on a plate, round side up. Brush the bottoms with a little oil and turn them over with the stem side facing up.
2. Coarsely chop the mushroom stems until they are about the same size as the minced garlic and shallots. Add the stems, shallots and garlic to the pan with the oil. Sauté the vegetables over medium-low heat until they begin to soften and wilt. Add the mince and salt and break it into small pieces while it cooks in the pan. Once the meat is cooked, turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a small bowl.
3. Add the cream cheese to the warm mixture and mix well until smooth. Add parsley and parmesan cheese.
4. Use a small spoon to add just enough filling to fill each mushroom cap. Press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon. Divide the remaining filling among the mushrooms, placing the filling on top.
5. Set the air fryer to air fry at 325°F and cook the stuffed mushrooms for 10 minutes. Then let them sit and cool for 5-10 minutes. (This resting time allows the mushrooms to reabsorb any juices released in the cap. Plus, these juices are hot, giving them a chance to cool.) Enjoy them as a side dish for a large appetizer dinner, or on their own as a mini appetizer. food.