These Air Fryer Mushroom Chips Are Salty and Crispy Perfection.
Mushroom lovers, vegans, and crunchy-savory snackers: OMG, I’ve got news for you. I had my doubts, but I stumbled upon the cheapest, crunchiest snack ever: mushroom chips. Not freeze-dried mushrooms (though I’m obsessed with them too) are crunchy, fluffy, salty mushroom chips that you can eat by the handful. And all you have to do is put a can of chopped mushrooms in the fryer.
I was actually trying to make air fried carrot chips when I made my first batch of mushroom chips. Even though I knew about the high sugar content and relatively low starch content in carrots, I decided to give it a try because you never know. But the carrots behaved as expected: the sugars caramelized and the lack of starch resulted in a bitter, chewy plant-based imitation of beef jerky.
I was frustrated, but decided to go with my second idea: mushroom chips. As you may know, I always keep canned mushrooms in my cupboards (and you should too), but after the carrot debacle, I was more confident than ever that by the end of their life, the sliced mushrooms would become shriveled, chewy, and unattractive buns. in an air fryer. I opened the basket halfway through cooking to check them. Unimpressed by their reduced stature, I went to stuff the basket back into my Ninja DoubleStack and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was the sound of crunching edges hitting metal. I took one small mushroom shaving to let it cool and ate it. The damn thing was crunchy as hell.
Why mushrooms make great chips
Mushroom chips have such a distinctive bubbly, crushing crunch that the only thing I can compare them to is pork rinds. The cell walls of fungi have a special component: chitin. Chitin is one of the building blocks of insect exoskeletons, and you can’t find a crunchier product. Once the water is removed by the hot, strong wind of the fryer, you’ll be left with all the awesome crunchy parts of the mushroom and its concentrated savory flavor.
You can buy sliced mushrooms that don’t have salt in the canning liquid, but unless you have dietary restrictions, I recommend buying ones that do have salt in them. This means that the mushroom slices are already imbued with a slight saltiness without the need for salting on your part. I found that using a light layer of vegetable oil (I used canola) provided a bubbly, crispy texture reminiscent of pork rind. I also cooked a batch of plain mushrooms, no oil, and they were nice and crispy too. Although personally I prefer the first. My only note when making this recipe is to buy a large jar of mushrooms. They shrink to half their original size and are so good you’ll be glad you got a bigger jar.
Easy Fried Mushroom Chips Recipe
Ingredients:
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1 can (6 to 8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
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1 teaspoon neutral oil
1. Completely drain the jar of mushrooms. (No need to dry them on a paper towel.)
2. Place mushroom slices in a bowl. Drizzle or spray the mushrooms with oil. Using your hands, toss the pieces until they are coated with oil. (You don’t need a lot of oil at all; they shouldn’t be greasy.)
3. Arrange the mushroom pieces in the air fryer basket. They can touch each other from edge to edge, but try to avoid overlapping. They will still end up moving around, but this helps them cook at the same speed. Set the machine to air fry at 390°F and let it steam for 12 to 15 minutes. There is no need to turn them over, but check to see if they are done on the early side.
The chips will become much smaller and browner. Test one by placing it on a plate to cool for a few seconds (it won’t likely need time to cool down). Eat this. If the center still gives in, air fry for another minute or two.