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.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #87. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
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Pin ItGrilled Portobello Mushrooms
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.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Where is the video? It is not showing up for me in my browser (Google Chrome).
If you’re on a desktop or laptop, it should show up at the top of your post or in your sidebar. Let me know if you’re still having issues! If you’re on mobile, it should be right above the recipe card. Let me know if you’re still having problems!
yeah, i didn’t see a video either :-(
STRANGE….it’s coming up for me on mobile and desktop! Would you mind letting me know what device you’re browsing on and what browser (safari/chrome/other?) you’re using? Thanks!
Is the recommended spinach fresh as in the bagged spinach with produce? Or canned/frozen? A little stumped…
I use fresh but frozen would work too if it was thawed and drained :)
What temperature and for how long in the oven? Sounds scrumptious!
I recommend making them on the grill but you can make them in the oven, 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes should be good! You want to see the cheese bubbling. :) Enjoy!
I followed your recipe and these were droolworthy and a huge hit. Absolutely delicious!!
So happy you loved them! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave your feedback! It means the world to me! :)
These are awesome. I did add a squirt of sriracha for a bit of heat. And worried about liquid, I used thawed frozen spinach so I could squeeze all the liquid out. These would be awesome little bites as appetizers with button mushrooms. I’d fill a ziplock back and pipe it in like frosting to prep a bunch really quickly.
Great idea! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave your feedback!
These mushrooms look heavenly! YUM!
This is creative! Love mushroom and spinach.
Good Morning, just found you recipe for the mushrooms and spinach, sounds good.
I realize we have to search for the printed copy of a recipe, but I don’t print mine. I have a folder that has several folder inside, that I save my recipes too. When I need a suggestion for chicken, or veggies, I go to the folder, and bring up the recipe that sounds good for that cooking experience.
What I’m suggesting is to also have a button to save the computer copy to our tablets or computers, without the trouble of finding the recipe, (after the video) so we can have the recipe right at our fingertips, in the kitchen. Not on paper, so many of us have gone paperless…..
Thanks, Pat
Thanks for the suggestion! I’d just bookmark the recipe and then you can easily access the recipe any time! Or if you wanted, you could copy and paste the recipe into a word document…but I’d love it if you’d stop by my site more often!
I made a half batch of these tonight for the wife and I. We liked them, but next time I will add a shot of hot sauce and some bread crumbs, The wife thought a higher percentage of spinach might improve them. They were a bit too liquid. :)
Great idea to add more spinach! :) Glad you liked them!
Hoping that I don’t offend you, but I consider a recipe to be a suggestion. I substituted Swiss for cheddar and added leeks, nutmeg and a shot of Tabasco. We loved them.
All that matters to me is, “we loved them.” ;) I love when people put their own twists on my recipes and I love your changes. I’m going to add some nutmeg next time too!