Vegan Shrimp Recipe

You will love this vegan shrimp recipe! The shrimp are made from scratch using Oyster mushrooms, and then topped with a delicious breaded coating to make these vegetarian shrimp taste just like traditional fried shrimp or coconut shrimp. Served with a homemade shrimp cocktail sauce this dish is a crowed pleaser that even non-vegans will love!

Why you will love this recipe:

• It’s seasoned just like regular shrimp, so these vegetarian shrimp end up tasting almost identical to the real thing. Oyster mushrooms provide the perfect texture and a crispy coating gives them an amazing crunch, just like traditional fried shrimp or coconut shrimp.
• Everyone loves this homemade vegan shrimp recipe, even avid seafood-lovers! I've served this appetizer at a few functions and they are always a hit.
• This vegan shrimp substitute can be baked, fried, or cooked in your air fryer and are so versatile depending on what cooking method you prefer.
• The homemade shrimp cocktail sauce takes these mushroom shrimp to the next level!
• You can easily make this shrimp recipe gluten free since everything is made from scratch.
• These imitation shrimp can be used in so many ways. Serve them with your favourite dip or add them to pastas, salads or rice dishes.
• This shrimp recipe is healthy, dairy free, low sugar and safe for diabetics, vegans and vegetarians!

If you love vegan snacks you will also love vegan popcorn and vegan protein cookies.

Taste and texture:

These taste so good! Both the taste and the texture is similar to coconut shrimp. The mushrooms have a similar texture to real shrimp, and the breaded coating gives these plant based shrimp a nice crisp texture when you first bite into them. Plus the seasonings give this recipe such a delicious flavour!

Key ingredients and substitutions:

• A vegan egg replacer - this is key for making this recipe work. I've tried making these shrimp without it and the breading just doesn't stick to the mushrooms the same way. I recommend either Bob's Red Mill Vegan Egg Replacer, Neat plant based egg replacer or Follow Your Heart VeganEgg.
• Oyster mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms - this is what is used for the "shrimp" in this recipe. And the texture is so similar to real shrimp!
• Coconut milk - this is used to help the coating stick to the mushrooms. I recommend using full fat coconut milk. 
• All purpose flour - this is part of the delicious coating for these shrimp. You can use gluten free all purpose flour instead if you are gluten free. You could also use almond flour. 
• Bread crumbs - another key ingredient for the delicious shrimp coating. You can substitute this with gluten free bread crumbs too. 
• Spices - the combination of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika blend perfectly to give these shrimp the most incredible flavour. 

How to make this recipe:

To bake in the oven:

Step one:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farhenheit. 

Step two:

Next, wash and dry the oyster mushrooms and slice the mushrooms so they resemble a shrimp shape.

Step three:

Then put the coconut milk into a bowl and whisk in the egg replacer. Let it sit for a couple minutes to thicken. In another bowl combine the breadcrumbs, flour and spices.

Step four:

Now dip each mushroom piece into the coconut milk and then in the flour mixture to coat it completely.

Step five:

Lastly, place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and lay all the coated mushrooms on the baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crisp on the outside. Let the shrimp cool for a few minutes before serving.

Step six:

While the coated mushrooms are baking you can make the shrimp sauce by placing all the ingredients into a bowl or large glass measuring cup, and stirring until you have a smooth sauce.

To make in an air fryer:

Step one:

Spray the trays or basket of your air fryer with a little oil (to prevent the shrimp from sticking).

Step two:

Place the coated shrimp on the trays or in the basket or your air fryer and cook for 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

** Note: I love cooking them this way as the mushroom shrimp turn out extra crispy and there is no need to fry them in oil!

To fry in a pan:

Step one:

Place a pan on the stove on medium-high heat and fill the pan with enough oil so that it's ~1/2 inch high in the pan once melted (I like coconut oil personally).

Step two:

Once melted, add the coated mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes per side (how much time you need will depend on the size of your shrimp).

Step three:

Once cooked, place the shrimp on a rack and allow them to cool.

** Note: if you cook them this way, be careful when flipping the mushroom shrimp- if you flip them too quickly some of the coating may come off. I find rolling them over gently in the oil when frying them works best. I personally find this way of cooking them to be the most finicky and would recommend either the baking method or air fryer method instead.

Chef's tips:

• I personally recommend using the oven or air fryer method to make these vegan coconut shrimp. These two cooking methods are easier and faster then frying these shrimp on the stovetop.
• Instead of making your own shrimp cocktail sauce you could easily buy a pre-made one.
• Depending on how large or small you cut your mushrooms, you may have to alter the cooking times of this recipe slightly (the larger they are the more time they will need to cook).

Variations and add ins:

• Instead of oyster mushrooms you can also use king oyster mushrooms.
• To make this mushroom shrimp gluten free use gluten free breadcrumbs and either gluten free all purpose flour or almond flour.
• Instead of coconut milk you can use another dairy free milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or soy milk.

How to serve:

I love serving this crispy shrimp with the homemade shrimp cocktail sauce but you could use any type of sauce that you prefer to dip these shrimp including bbq sauce, honey mustard sauce, or ketchup.

You can also used these shrimp in other ways such as adding them to pasta dishes, salads, rice dishes and more.

How to store:

Store these shrimp in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days if you don't eat them right away. 

I don't recommend trying to freeze these shrimp.

Nutrition info:

This shrimp recipe is vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, low in sugar, safe for diabetics and can also be made gluten free. It is not low carb, keto, paleo or Whole30 compliant.

Frequently asked questions:

Other vegan recipes you will love:

• The best vegan Caesar salad dressing
• Vegan mascarpone
• Vegan apple pie bars
• Easy Vegan sun-dried tomato pasta
• Vegan pumpkin risotto

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