Portobello Mushroom Burger with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

My portobello mushroom burger delivers a mouthful of crispy, deeply meaty goodness. The ‘patty’ is a pan-fried portobello mushroom with a breadcrumb coating, served in a soft bun with a tangy goat cheese and yogurt dressing.

Not only does this give you a delicious vegetarian option for burger night, but trust me when I say that meat lovers can also fall in love with this burger!

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Ingredients

Want to try this burger at home? You’ll need the following ingredients (for 2 burgers):

• Burger Buns – 2 brioche burger buns
• Portobello Mushrooms – 4 Portobello mushrooms
• Flour – 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• Egg – 1 egg
• Breadcrumbs – 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• Goat Cheese – 2 oz (60g) plain soft goat cheese
• Yogurt – 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• Garlic – 1 large garlic clove (minced)
• Sundried Tomatoes – 3-4 large sundried tomatoes (chopped)
• Arugula – a handful of arugula and/or other greens (spinach, watercress, or lettuce)
• Salt – a pinch of salt
• Pepper – a pinch of black pepper
• Basil – a handful of fresh basil leaves (finely chopped)
• Oil – 1 1/2 cups of a neutral oil for frying (sunflower or vegetable)

Ingredient Notes

Burger buns – I prefer brioche buns in this recipe as the slight sweetness of the buns pairs well with the tangy goat cheese. You can, however, use regular burger buns as well.

Portobello mushrooms – Clean the mushrooms and trim the stalks so that the bottom of the mushrooms are even and the stalk isn’t longer.

Breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs work best in this recipe. But you can also use regular breadcrumbs.

Greens – I used a mix of arugula, watercress, and spinach. You can use just arugula. Or you can even use lettuce.

Oil – My preferred oil for frying is sunflower oil. However, you can use vegetable, canola, or any light neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point.

Step by Step Instructions (with Photos)

Step 1 – Mix the yogurt, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, finely chopped basil, and minced garlic in a bowl until combined.

Step 2 – Set up the mushroom breading station:

• Flour (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper)
• Beaten egg (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper)
• Breadcrumbs (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper)
• Cleaned Portobello mushrooms

Step 3 – Roll the mushrooms first through the flour, then the egg wash, and finally, the Panko breadcrumbs. Feel free to use your hands to make sure the mushrooms are well-coated in each layer.

Step 4 – To a pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. When oil is hot, add the breaded mushrooms and cook until golden on one side (about 4-5 minutes). Then, flip and cook them on the other side until golden and cooked-through (another 4-5 minutes).

If you’re deep-frying the mushrooms in a deep fryer where the mushrooms are completely submerged in oil, you’ll only need about 5 minutes total.

Step 5 – Once the mushrooms are fried, remove them to a plate with a paper towel to absorb the extra oil. Season them immediately with a sprinkle of salt (ideally with larger flakes like Maldon sea salt or kosher salt).

Note: You could also bake the mushrooms if you’re trying to avoid fried foods. If baking them, place them on a baking sheet (lined with baking paper). Spray them lightly with some oil and bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (205°C) until golden and cooked-through (about 15-17 minutes).

Step 6 – Optionally, toast the brioche buns. If using brioche buns, you can just toast them for a couple minutes in a dry pan over medium heat. You don’t need butter as there’s plenty of butter in brioche buns. If using regular buns, add 1/2 tbsp of butter to the pan first and then toast the buns in the melted butter.

Step 7 – Finally, assemble the burgers. Add about a tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture on the underside of the top and bottom buns each. Then, add 2 fried mushrooms with a bit of goat cheese mixture in between to hold them together. Top the second mushroom with the remaining goat cheese mixture (if you have any left). And finally add some arugula or greens on the top of the goat cheese on the top bun.

Serving Suggestions

You could go old school, and recreate that classic U.S. diner feel with crispy French fries, condiments, and sodas.

If you want to keep things lighter and green, I have a few salads that balance this burger beautifully. Two of my favorite are my tomato feta mint salad, and orange and halloumi salad.

I have a fluffy and crispy rosemary potato wedges recipe, too, that is ideal for burgers.

My roasted veggies with tahini sauce, and my roasted peppers recipe, also make for a sweet and earthy side if you don’t want fries or wedges.

I honestly could not believe how tender and meaty the portobello mushroom was when I tried this! If you make this, let me know in the comments what you and your dinner guests thought. Recipes like this go to show that you can put so many delicious ingredients in a burger with the right combinations.

Recipe Card

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Planning a dinner party, or want to make burgers for your next get-together? Keep this recipe pinned to one of your dinner idea boards, so that you can revisit it at any time.