Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Meaty portobello mushrooms do double duty as a side and as a vegetarian main dish, and grilling adds a smoky layer of flavor that makes them next-level delicious.
How long it takes: about 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: grill or grill pan
Servings: 4 large mushrooms
Did you know that portobello mushrooms, white mushrooms, and cremini mushrooms are all the same type of mushroom, just grown to different levels of maturity? While white and cremini mushrooms are ideal for recipes like sautéed mushrooms and creamy Tuscan mushrooms, when you’re grilling, portobello mushrooms are the natural choice. They’re so big they won’t fall through the grates!
We like these mushrooms as a side dish for grilled chicken, but I’ve always been a huge mushroom fan and I could easily make a meal out of these babies with a nice big leafy salad. They’re perfect for Meatless Mondays, too!
Fabulous Grilled Portobellos
Endless ways to enjoy them. People say that portobellos are the steak of the mushroom world, and just like strips of steak, you can use these grilled portobello mushrooms as an addition to meal bowls, tacos, salads, and more. I share some of my favorite ideas later in this post!
Filled or unfilled: you have options! You can marinate the mushrooms, grill them up, and serve them as is, OR you can stuff them with creamy cheese and spinach for a satisfying vegetarian main dish.
A flavorful marinade. Portobello mushrooms really benefit from the addition of a sauce or marinade, and this marinade is delicious and incredibly easy to whip up. You might even have all the ingredients you need already!
Ingredient Notes
- Portobello Mushrooms: When buying mushrooms, look for ones that are dry, firm, and smell earthy but not funky.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Use a syrupy aged balsamic vinegar if you can; these lean sweeter than the thinner, younger varieties, and they also have much more depth.
- Olive Oil: No need for anything fancy here! A cooking olive oil (as opposed to extra-virgin olive oil) will do.
- Dried Thyme: If you happen to have fresh thyme on hand, you can use that, but there’s no need to go out and buy fresh if you don’t!
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper add all the flavor you need and they are easy pantry items.
- Optional: Fresh parsley or basil for garnish.
For the Optional Filling
- Cream Cheese: Soften the brick of cream cheese so it’s easy to mix in the other ingredients. Simply take it out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time. You can use a reduced-fat cream cheese if you’d like, but I don’t recommend fat-free.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best but packaged shreds will also work. Shelf-stable grated Parmesan cheese is my last choice—it doesn’t melt as smoothly as the others.
- Garlic: Mince the garlic cloves or push it through a garlic press.
- Fresh Spinach: You can use frozen spinach if you have it on hand, but you’ll need to thaw it first, then wrap it in a cheesecloth or paper towels and wring out all the excess moisture.
How to Make Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Prepare the mushrooms. Twist off the stems, scrape the gills from the bottom sides of the mushrooms, and brush dirt off the tops of the mushrooms. A soft brush usually does the trick but if you have some stubborn bits of dirt, you can use a damp paper towel to loosen them.
Recipe Tip
Make sure to scrape out the black gills on the underside of the mushrooms. Otherwise you’ll get a lot of black liquid after your mushroom caps are cooked. Not appetizing! I use a grapefruit spoon to handle the job.
Make the marinade. Whisk the vinegar and oil with the seasonings until the mixture emulsifies. Alternatively, you can combine everything in a jar and give it a good shake.
Marinate. Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow dish with the top side up; do your best to fit them in an even layer. Brush both sides with the marinade (I like to use a silicone brush because it doesn’t absorb the mixture as much as bristles), then marinate for up to 15 minutes at room temperature. You can pour the extra marinade into the wells of the mushrooms.
Cook. Near the end of the marinating time, begin preheating your grill or grill pan. Set the mushrooms on the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until they’re easily pierced with a fork or knife. Carefully baste the portobellos with the marinade as you grill them.
Serve. Plate the grilled portobello mushrooms and garnish with fresh herbs.
Stuffed Mushrooms
If you want to fill your grilled portobello mushrooms with the optional spinach cream cheese filling, mix the filling ingredients in a bowl and divide it into the mushroom caps after prepping and marinating them. Set the mushrooms on the grill, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is melted. If you prefer, the stuffed mushrooms can be baked instead of grilled.
Tips and Variations
- Choose the right mushroom shape. If you’re planning on stuffing the grilled portobello mushrooms, look for portobellos that have edges along the bottom to hold the cheese mixture in place. You’ll see that some mushrooms are flatter than others on the bottom—you don’t want the flat ones because the filling can slide off once it starts melting on the grill.
- Make sure your mushrooms are roughly the same size. This isn’t always possible because sometimes grocery stores only have a few portobellos to choose from, or they’re all pre-packaged. But if you can, buy mushrooms that are the same size and shape, as this will ensure that they all finish cooking at the same time.
- Don’t wash the mushrooms in the sink. I know it’s tempting, but resist the urge to submerge or rinse! You can use a damp paper towel to clean the mushrooms, but rinsing them under water or submerging them in a bowl to clean them will have them soaking up water—which means they won’t have room to soak up your marinade.
- Make them ahead. If you want to get a head start on this recipe, you can whisk together the marinade and marinate the mushrooms in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Cover the dish and turn the mushrooms occasionally.
- Tweak the filling. Add chopped artichoke hearts for spinach artichoke stuffed mushrooms, or swap the Parmesan for gouda to give this recipe a different spin.
Serving Ideas
Make them into burgers. Serve them on ciabatta rolls with a slice of melted cheese (havarti is excellent!), arugula, and balsamic reduction.
Slice them up for tacos. Tuck the grilled portobello slices into tortillas with black bean corn salsa and cotija cheese.
Add them to meal bowls and salads. They’d be excellent with warm kale salad or quinoa bowls.
Serve them as a side dish. Since you’re grilling anyway, pair them with grilled salmon.
Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or for up to 2 days if you’ve made the mushrooms with the spinach cream cheese stuffing.
Freeze: You can freeze unstuffed grilled portobello mushrooms in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: I recommend warming up these mushrooms in a skillet set over medium heat, but the microwave will work in a pinch. You can also set them on the countertop for a few minutes to come to room temperature—this is a great option if you’re using them in a salad or sandwich.
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Ingredients
- 4 large portobello mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- fresh parsley or basil for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Use a spoon to scrape the black gills from the mushroom. Twist out the stem to remove. Brush off any dirt with a soft brush or damp paper towel. Do not soak or rinse mushrooms because they absorb water.4 large portobello mushrooms
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper.3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Place the portobello mushrooms in a shallow dish, top side up. Brush the mushroom caps with the balsamic vinegar mixture, ensuring they are well coated. Flip them over and brush the bottom sides. If you have any extra marinade, pour it into the mushroom caps. Let them marinate for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill or a grill pan on medium heat.
- Once the grill is heated, place the mushrooms on the grill. Reserve any leftover marinade for basting. Grill the mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until they are tender and grill marks appear. While grilling, baste the mushrooms with the remaining marinade occasionally to keep them moist and flavorful.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired, and serve hot.fresh parsley or basil for garnish, optional
Notes
Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients for filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 1 clove garlic, grated or finely minced
- 2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
Instructions
- Marinate mushrooms as directed above. Mix cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, spinach, salt and pepper until combined. Fill mushrooms evenly with cheese mixture.
- Put on the grill, cover and cook until cheese is melted and mushroom is cooked, about 10 minutes. If grilling season is over, bake the mushrooms in a preheated oven (425°F) for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Followed the instructions for the stuffed mushroom as written and cooked them on a gas grill.
They were AMAZING!
My vegetarian girlfriend is still talking about them a week later.
I highly recommend giving them a try.
Thank you Rachel for sharing the recipe.
This makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to share a review.
Great recipe! Here’s my sub: use Boursin cheese with herbs instead of cream cheese for even more flavor.
Can’t go wrong with Boursin!
Delicious, topped with panko crumbs.
Great idea! Yum!
Okay, I’ve made this recipe several times now. It’s a “CAN’T MISS” recipe! I’ve done some variations (sour cream vs. cream cheese…shredded cheese blend with sharp cheddar and without, etc., added severely diced onions…) I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It’s especially satisfying for folks who aren’t carnivores – the large portobellos make an excellent main dish for vegetarians.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe!
So glad to hear you like it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Delish, i added cooked ground turkey!
I love that addition! So glad you liked the recipe!
This was pretty good! I broiled mushrooms at 400 for 0 minutes to sweat. Sauteed some chopped ggarlic and onion and garlic and added frozen spinach until thawed and all the moisture gone. Added cream cheese then removed from heat and mixed cheddar. Stuffed caps and baked 425 for 1t minutes. So delicious serves with creamy roasted tomato soup, salad, and parm cheddar crisps.
I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
These were the BEST!!! Mushrooms I have ever made! Thanks for our new favorite!
Yessss! I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!