It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I began to appreciate beer. I was always a mixed drink or cocktail kind of gal. But these days, I’m as likely to order a beer as I am a cocktail. And this year I am determined to have a successful at-home-brewing experience. About a year and a half ago I had an EPIC fail. And I’ve been nervous to try again ever since. But I’m thinking this autumn might be the time to try again.
But this post isn’t about home brewed beer. It’s about burgers. Portobello mushroom burgers that get soaked in beer before cooking. If you enjoy making burgers at home, you’re gonna love this recipe because it really could not be easier. Also, it’s a good excuse to stock up on your current favorite brew… if you need an excuse, that is.
Portobello Beer Burgers, serves 2-3.
2-3 portobello mushrooms
1 bottle of your favorite beer (darker beers do well in this recipe, but use any kind you like)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 slices of cheese (optional)
burger buns
lettuce
tomato
onion rings or potato chips
First, remove the stems from the mushrooms and give them a good rinse/scrub. Often times mushroom will have just a little dirt or soil on them. So be sure to wash them well before using.
In a bowl, combine the beer, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes. Soak the mushrooms in the liquid for 20-30 minutes.
Before cooking the mushrooms, I’ll use my hot pan to toast the burger buns. This is not essential but an easy step to take to elevate your burger experience. 🙂
In a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat, cook the mushrooms for 6-8 minutes. Flipping once in the middle of cooking. If you find your mushrooms are sticking to the pan, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil.
As the mushrooms cook, they will release liquid. This is mostly water from the mushrooms. Use a spoon to remove excess liquid from the pan as these cook.
If you are using cheese, place a slice on top of the mushroom during the last minute or two of cooking. When you remove the mushroom from the pan, first place them on a plate lined with paper towels. This will help to soak up any additional moisture released during cooking. I’ve heard people say they don’t enjoy mushrooms because they are too slimy, and one of the reasons mushrooms sometimes feel slimy is because care wasn’t taken to remove excess moisture released during cooking.
So, I guess it’s really on you if these turn out slimy or not. No pressure.
Place the cooked portobello on top of the burger bun. Then top it with lettuce, tomato, any favorite sauces, and either onion rings or potato chips. The onion rings (or potato chips if you’re lazy) really help to add a delicious crunch to this burger, so don’t skip them. Serve alongside your favorite beer. Enjoy! xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
46 Comments
Thanks for the beer love!! ???
I don’t think many meat-eaters (which, full disclosure, I am) realize how AMAZING a portobello burger is! I love how you kicked it up another notch by flavoring it with beer. I’m definitely making this at our next friend get-together.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
I’ve been seeing portabellas quite a bit lately, with instructions on removing the gills before you cook them. I don’t know if that helps with moisture issues, or just the discoloring that can occur from them. These look amazing, though, especially with all of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes right now. Thank you for the inspiration.
What brand/type of onion rings did you use, or did you make homemade?
This looks yummy!
Ah! Yum! These look so so good. I’m definitely a meat eater, but these are a must-try! Love it!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
This looks delicious!
This looks so good! Such a great alternative to a traditional burger.
Tamara
http://www.trulytamara.com
soggy mushrooms may also be a result of washing them before cooking. mushrooms are like sponges, so if you put them under water, they will absorb some of that water, which then releases when they are cooked. typically, the standard operating procedure for mushrooms (or what i’ve learned from chefs and cookbooks and cooking shows) is to thoroughly wipe down the mushroom with a damp cloth before cooking, never to put them in water. besides, you want to use that spongy goodness to soak up your delicious marinade! can’t wait to try this recipe! thanks, ladies! i love the blog!!
I second that, the onion rings look amazing!
You guys always post such great vegetarian recipes!
THANK YOU!! 😀
-E
http://amie-eo.blogspot.com
That looks so yummy 🙂
http://lifebetweenhats.blogpot.com
yum!! this sounds so good!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
As a mushroom farmer, I would suggest NOT washing your mushrooms before hand, however if you’re soaking them in a beer marinade, that might not matter. Mushrooms are 90% water, so adding more water to them will make them more slimy indeed. The soil that is on the mushrooms is pasteurized soil, so a dry brushing will work just fine!
Delicious looking burgers!
Emma for the win…AGAIN! These looks amazing, and I’m definitely going to try them! This would be such a great addition to my favorite gastropub’s menu, too. You should come to California to show them. Just sayin’… 🙂
thehappyhealthybalance.com
I would love to know this too!
I would like to know what brand or type of onion rings those are too! are they homemade? If so, please share!
Beer and mushroom, my husband would never stop eating this…i am intrigued, will definitely try this one..
xo
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
If you want any advice about making beer, my boyfriend and I brew all the time. Email me if you’re interested.
Love portobellos mushroom burgers, but never thought to soak the mushrooms in beer first. Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
I cannot wait to try this! Literally stopping at the grocery store on the way home. I’ve had a major burger craving since going veg and this might do the trick.
Hi Maren! Any brand of frozen onion rings would be great! 🙂 -Jacki
Hi Hayley! You can use any brand of frozen onion rings 🙂 -Jacki
Um, yup, this sounds incredible.
Ooh! The restaurant that I work at serves a balsamic-marinated portobello sandwich. This sounds like that! Looks delicious!
Emily
As someone who loves both beer and mushrooms, this recipe really takes the cake. I have made mushroom burgers before, but the beer is such as awesome addition! And so are the onion rings!
I usually make mine with melted mozzarella and add a little mayo- so good!
More of these “lazy cook” recipes, as I call them (a.k.a simple and delicious)!
Love, Marketa
Oh these look SO delicious!!!
xo
http://www.iolablog.com/
These look so amazing! Onion rings (beer battered ones especially) are one of my favourite things to eat! I love finding a good veggie burger recipe – thank you 🙂 xx
David is going to LOVE these! He loves beer and mushrooms so it’s basically a given that he will really like these! I can’t wait to try them out.
xoxo
Taylor
You should note that Worchestershire sauce is not veggie-friendly. It has anchovies in it.
Hi Emma, loved this recipe, the beer marinade definitely give the typically portobello burger a original twist. But I have a question for you, do you think we can the same marinade with chicken burgers?
Have you guys got a recipe for the onion rings? I don’t know if I am cutting them to thin but I am yet to succeed. The taste is always there, they just look like lumps!
Just a general FYI if you want to make this recipe vegetarian, worcestershire sauce generally contains anchovies (but you can usually find vegetarian alternative pretty easily– Annie’s Naturals is pretty decent.
Oh gosh, what a crazy good alternative to regular beef burgers. Sounds mouth watering!
http://xfallenmoon.blogspot.com/
Hi there Emma! Love the recipes that you come up with. As a fellow photographer, I can’t help but notice the gorgeous lighting in all the photographs for the recipes. What kind of lighting do you use?
Thanks!
Sounds delicious! You may want to add a note about Worcestershire sauce for anyone who is interested in this dish as a vegetarian item – most brands are not vegetarian and contain anchovies.
Hey, this look delicious. As for the mushroom
juices I would say: don’t get rid of it – of
course mushrooms lose their fluid when you cook
them, but let them cook longer until the fluid
evaporated and they have absorbed even more of
the good flavor you give them with your marinade.
I see cheese and get all excited!! This looks yummy x
http://www.sweetcandydreamer.com
Hi Halley! Emma uses natural lighting for her food photos. She has a table setup next to the kitchen window 🙂 -Jacki
Hi Amanda! Emma used frozen onion rings. Any brand would be great! 🙂 -Jacki
This looks sooooo yummy! I so want to eat it up!
You guys have so many great recipes. You should really put out a cookbook with all of them in it.
Emma if you want to try some recipes with beer, I suggest you the risotto with beer! The best one is a stout, like a Guinness.
I love your experiments!
Silvia
I had a small fight with my boyfriend about who would get to cook this recipe last Friday (he won,with the argument that since I had a cold I shouldn’t be cooking at all). Anyhow, they were absolutely delicious! Tried both with burger dressing and bbq dressing, and loved them both. Big thanks for the recipe! Will definitely be on the menu again 🙂
Looks great… love portobellos and onion brings!
beautyfollower.blogspot.gr
I’m SO gonna make this for my boyfriend on our 5th anniversary 🙂
He loves beer (well, he’s German *prejudices*) and burgers!
This should be an overkill!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! 🙂