air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
Love crab stuffed mushrooms, but want to keep things plant-based? This air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushroom recipe is a dream come true!
These air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms are so easy to make and incredibly delicious…and yes!…they actually taste like crab! Baby portobello mushrooms stuffed with vegan “crab” mix, made from tofu, shredded potatoes, mushrooms, celery, and a clever blend of condiments and spices to give your crabless stuffed mushrooms a crabby flavor!
Put a tray of these babies out at your next dinner party and the crowd will go wild! These air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms are so flavorful and taste so mush like actually crab! Vegans, vegetarians, AND seafood lovers will be drooling of them! This air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushroom recipe is vegan, vegetarian, nut free and gluten free.
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How to make vegan crab taste like crab
Making air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms without actually using crab might seem like an impossible mission…but I assure you it is not! These vegan crab stuffed mushrooms are LOADED with crabby flavor but they are completely plant based!
How? A few clever tricks with flavor and texture!
How to create flavor for air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
First let’s talk flavor! How in the world do we create a crabby flavor without using crab!? It’s all about developing that seafood flavor with vegan ingredients!
Using Nori flakes for vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
Nori flakes are amazing and absolutely essential when it comes to creating a seafood flavor. Nori is edible seaweed that has been dried and turned into small flakes.
Nori has been eaten in Japan for over two thousand years. However, it has just recently become more popular in the United States and can be found in many Asian dishes and vegan seafood recipes.
Nori flakes have a strong sea flavor. They would be described as slightly fishy with a hint of salt and umami.
You can often find nori flakes in the Asian Isle of your local grocery store, at health food stores, or at Asian markets. You can also purchase them on line! Amazon always has them in stock.
Condiments and seasoning used for vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
Although the use of nori flakes is arguably the most important part of making vegan crabless stuffed mushrooms taste like crab…there are a lot of other team players that are important for pulling off this recipe!
Old Bay Seasoning is probably the second most important ingredient in creating vegan crab. Old bay seasoning is almost always included in crab cakes so our brains associate them together. Including this spice mix in your vegan crab stuffed mushrooms is super important and will give a nice punch of flavor!
The combination of capers, sweet relish, maple syrup and lemon are also very important. This creates a bright, salty, and slightly sweet flavor to help recreate a crab-like flavor for your vegan crab mix.
How to create texture for vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
Now that we have talked about flavor, it’s time to talk texture. Recreating a crab-like texture is also crucial when making air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms!
For this recipe you will be using shredded tofu, shredded potatoes, and diced mushrooms to make an amazing vegan crab texture!
Air frying Shredded tofu and mushrooms
Using shredded tofu and mushroom as a substitute for crab creates an excellent texture. But you can make it even better if you take the time to air fry it first. Air frying your mushrooms and shredded tofu BEFORE turning it into a vegan crab mix helps to create a meatier, more solid texture for your vegan crab mix, so don’t skip this step!
What to serve with air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
These air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms make the perfect finger food, appetizer, and snack for any gathering! This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, nut free, and gluten free…making them the perfect, crowd pleasing dish that pretty much EVERYONE can enjoy! Serve these vegan crab stuffed mushrooms along side other vegan seafood snacks, such as Vegan Spicy Tuna Snack Plate or Smoky Fra Diavolo!
You can also serve these air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms as a side dish for a dinner party or even as the main meal! Use large portobello mushrooms instead of baby Bellas to make entree size vegan crab stuffed mushrooms. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and steamed veg!
Air Fryer Vegan Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are perfect for meal prep
Looking for a plant based recipe perfect for meal prep? Want to get ahead of the game, and prep for a dinner party the day before? These air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms are PERFECT for just that!
Simply prepare the recipe ahead of time, but hold off on air frying them! Store your stuffed mushrooms in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to serve them simply pop these vegan crab stuffed mushrooms in the air fryer (thaw first if they were frozen) and you in 10 minutes you will have these tasty treats hot and ready to eat!
air fryer vegan crab stuffed mushrooms
Equipment
- air fryer
- grater
Ingredients
- 24 oz baby portobello mushrooms (baby Bellas)
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp sweet onion, diced super small
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup frozen shredded potatoes, thawed
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped small
- 1 stalk celery, cut into very small pieces
Ingredients For Flavor
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 2 tbsp sweet relish
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp capers, diced into small pieces
- 1 tbsp nori flakes
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
For garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375℉**if you do not have a preheat setting on your air fryer, simple turn on air fryer for 5 minutes with nothing in it.
De-stem Mushrooms
- Begin by thoroughly washing your portobello mushrooms
- Remove the stem of each mushroom with a small knife. Reserve half of the mushrooms stem. You can save the other half for stock or discard them. Place the top of the mushrooms aside, you will be stuffing them later.
Prepare tofu filling for the air fryer
- Chop the reserved mushroom stems into super small pieces**just use half of the stems that you removed from the mushrooms
- Shred your tofu with a grater**if you don't have a grater, just crumble the tofu into small pieces
- Place shredded tofu, chopped mushroom stems, and diced onions in a mixing bowl
- Add 1/2 tbsp of oil. You can use any neutral oil. Mix until evenly coated
- Place on the tray of your air fryer. **You can spray the air fryer tray with an oil spray or line with parchment paper if desired to ensure nothing will stick.
- Place the tofu, mushroom stem, and onion mix into the air fryer for 10 minutes at 375℉. Mix at the 5 minute mark
- **While your tofu mix is cooking, use your time wisely and move ahead to prepare the other ingredients
Prepare the rest of the vegan crab mix
- In a bowl combine the (thawed) shredded potatoes, chopped garlic, chopped celery, and all of the ingredients listed under "ingredients for flavor".
- When the tofu has finished air frying (10 minutes), place the mix in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix until evenly combined
Stuff the mushrooms
- Once the vegan crab mix has been prepared, it's time to stuff the mushrooms!
- Lay your mushroom caps on a flat surface and stuff each one until all of the mix has been used up
- Place the mushrooms on your air fryer tray in a single layer. You can give your stuffed mushrooms a quick spray with oil if desired, this will the more moist. You can skip the extra oil of desired.**If you have a small air fryer you will need to cook mushrooms in batches
- Place the tray in the preheated air fryer and cook your vegan crab stuffed mushrooms for 10 minutes at 375℉
- The vegan crab Mushrooms will be ready when the mushrooms are tender and juicy and the vegan crab mix is slightly crispy
- Remove from oven, top with chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!
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