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Lion’s mane mushrooms are a unique variety that’s incredibly delicious! Here’s a recipe for how to cook this tasty fungi.

Lion's Mane Mushrooms
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Recently we ran across a variety of mushroom that caught our eye. Lion’s mane mushrooms! There they were on the shelf of a grocery store we frequent, so we had to try them out. As mushroom lovers, we’re always intrigued by new varieties. Turns out, the lion’s mane mushroom is absolutely worth experimenting with in the kitchen! Saute it up and it’s incredibly tasty on its own or in a sandwich with a little spicy mayo (our favorite). Here’s a bit more about this unique mushroom and why you should grab some when you see them.

What is a lion’s mane mushroom?

If you’re like us, you might be wondering…what is this intriguing fungus? Here’s what you need to know about this unique variety:

  • The lion’s mane mushroom is a white fungus with a hair-like texture that bears resemblance to its namesake. It’s also known as the hedgehog mushroom and is native to North America, Europe and Asia.
  • Where to find it? You can find this type of mushroom at some grocery stores or health food stores, farmer’s markets, or you can forage for it.
  • Are there health benefits? Research shows lion’s mane mushrooms and their extract (used in over-the-counter health supplements) may have health benefits like protecting against dementia, reducing mild symptoms of anxiety and depression, and repairing nerve damage. More studies are needed to fully understand the practical health applications of this mushroom (source: Healthline).
  • What does a lion’s mane mushroom taste like? When it’s cooked, this variety of mushroom is delicate, tender, juicy and meaty. Some people say it tastes like seafood or crab meat.
Lion's mane mushroom

How to store and clean them

Once you get ahold of your lion’s mane mushrooms, what’s the best way to keep them fresh? And how to clean them before cooking them?

  • Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator (not produce drawer). You can leave them in the package they come in. But the best way to store mushrooms is in a paper bag, which allows them to breathe. Leave them in the main part of the refrigerator to get good airflow, not the produce drawer.
  • Clean them with a quick rinse. Give the mushrooms a quick rinse to get off any dirt (don’t soak them or they can become soggy).

How to cook lion’s mane mushrooms

Ready to get cooking? Here’s how to cook lion’s mane mushrooms to perfection – or jump right to the recipe below!

  • Slice off the bottom of the mushrooms, then cut into slices. The bottoms are likely dirty: cut that part right off!
  • Cook 2 minutes over medium heat. We like using a mix of olive oil and butter to cook in, but you can use all olive oil for dairy-free and vegan.
  • Flip and cook 1 to 2 more minutes, then add seasonings. Once the mushrooms are browned on both sides, we add a little garlic powder, soy sauce and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more salt if desired!
Lion's mane mushroom recipe

Ways to serve this lion’s mane mushroom recipe

How to serve this mushroom? Here are a few ideas on how we’d use this recipe:

  • Side dish: Yep, just throw them on a plate and gobble them up as is.
  • Sandwich (recommended!): Here’s our favorite way to eat these: on a sandwich! Throw them on toasted bread with mayo or spicy mayo. The mushrooms taste so meaty and savory, it’s an incredible hearty vegan sandwich.
  • Stir fry: You can also throw these mushrooms into a stir fry! Add them to Cauliflower Stir Fry or Go-To Tofu Stir Fry.
  • Other ideas: Some people like to use this type of mushrooms to make vegan crab cakes. Try this recipe.

Ready to try it? Scroll to the recipe below!

More types of mushrooms

There are so many other types of mushrooms to try! Sample them all:

This lion’s mane mushroom recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Recipe

Lion's Mane Mushrooms
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5 from 23 reviews

Lion’s mane mushrooms are a unique variety that’s incredibly delicious! Here’s a recipe for how to cook this tasty fungi. 

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mushrooms
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces lion’s mane mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or more olive oil for vegan)
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut off the bottoms of the mushrooms, then slice them.
  2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the mushrooms and cook on medium high heat until browned, about 2 minutes.
  3. Flip and allow the mushrooms to brown another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, soy sauce and salt. Taste and add the more salt as needed. Serve as a side dish or even better, on toasted bread with spicy mayo.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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41 Comments

  1. DeeGee says:

    I didnt know what to expect,
    and I truly enjoyed this recipe. I never tried Lions Mane fungi before.
    The only thing I did was place a few crushed large garlic cloves to the butter/olive oil. When they were done I lightly sprinkled with fresh pink Himalayan salt and fresh ground peppercorns, and very little soy sauce.
    Was so easy to prepare!
    Consistency was solid, but tender and a little creamy.






  2. Sal Approvato says:

    First time eating Lions Mane mushrooms. Excellent recipe, thanks. I ate some right from the pan, so good. I added the rest to some previously prepared chicken Marsala after deglazing the mushroom pan with a little Marsala wine. A most wonderful addition to the chicken Marsala (which already had Crimini mushrooms).
    I have found a new favorite mushroom !

  3. Gianna says:

    This looks so good. Gonna give it a try tonight. 😋

  4. Anonymous says:

    HI I am a retired chef by profession and I just would like to mention that when cooking you do not need salt if you are using soya sauce simply because soya sauce is salty already and by having a good quality sauce by adjusting quantity you get a much and healthier dish ok by by for now.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Great recipe. I put it on toasted bread with bitchin sauce. Delicious.






  6. Anonymous says:

    Thank you

  7. Mary says:

    Bought lion’s mane at the farmer’s market. It kept beautifully in the refrigerator for a week (brown paper bag) until I got to them.
    I sautéed them in EVOO and browned butter, with just a little garlic powder, salt and pepper. They were amazing. Had the taste and texture of perfectly browned scallops. I will experiment with a little lemon, but served them open faced on sourdough with sriracha mayo. Thanks for the inspiration!






  8. Eva says:

    Loved your recipe!!! I grew my own lion’s mane and was looking for a recipe. I followed your recipe for the lion’s mane mushroom sandwich exactly. Then I added spinach to the hot pan and mixed it with the mushrooms. Great Recipe!!!! Thanks for sharing! It was delicious and I will make it again.






  9. Sam says:

    i was looking for a simple recipe to try with lions mane. I’ll be trying this one🙂 just wondering how thin to slice the mushroom?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      About 1/4″ thick.

  10. Kristin says:

    Wonderful, simple recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!






  11. Albert Wilking says:

    Thank you so much for this easy, descriptive, and pictorial recipe.

    I started learning about Lion’s Mane from a friend and the purported benefits for memory. My mom just turned 90 and has some memory loss, ie alzeheimers/dementia. We began giving her a Lion’s Mane tincture about a month ago, and myself and my wife think we see a difference in her.

    At the Athens Texas Farmers Market, Chris sells Lion’s Mane mushrooms. We got some. This morning I sauteed them for an omelette in the time it took for the eggs, and milk to rise, and the feta cheese to melt. I placed the mushrooms in it, and flipped one side over to close it up. Voila! Delicious!

    By far, the best mushrooms I have ever cooked.

    Thank You again,

    Albert Wilking






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed!

  12. Lesley W says:

    Thanks for this great, simple recipe. Bought some lion’s mane mushrooms on a whim at the farmers market today and wasn’t sure what to do with them. I fixed them like this and ate them with Triscuits. Delicious!






  13. Patty says:

    Hedgehog mushrooms are usually Hydnum repandum, if I’m not mistaken. Very different from Lions Mane (Hericum erinaceus). That’s the problem with common names. Both are tasty though! The recipe is also






  14. Bernie Gladue says:

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge as well this recipe. Lions mane sure is an amazing super food. There are so many benefits that cannot conceptualize.
    Keep up the great work!

  15. Dell Causseaux says:

    I just had the Lions Mane mushrooms for the first time and they were delicious!! Thanks for sharing!!






  16. Ruth says:

    I love the combination of simple to make with very healthy and fabulously delicious! I just polished off all the Lion’s Head mushroom, and used the last of it for a sandwich as suggested. Thanks for this recipe!






  17. Elizabeth Mulligan says:

    Yum! This is the first time I’ve made any kind of mushroom other than crimini mushrooms and they turned out AMAZING! A new staple for sure!






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed!

  18. Janine Gibson says:

    I just harvested my first taste of Lion’s Mane Mushrooms. I ordered the kit from North Spore, a mail order Mushroom farm in Maine. I sat on the kit for a whole year before attempting to grow it. I still had a nice harvest and as recommended I’ve started the second growth attempt.

    I sautéed as you show but left seasonings off in order to get a better taste of the Mushroom itself. They are very meaty and delicious. I will order more and do a better job of setting it to growing immediately! I don’t know what took me so long?

    Anyway, North Spore Mushrooms out of Maine is a great way to get started on having fresh mushrooms for this delicious looking rescipe.






  19. Alan Myette says:

    Lions mane and hedgehog are definitely different mushrooms…

  20. Laura Rizzo says:

    loved this rescipe!






  21. Edward Visconti says:

    Just grew lions mane in masters mix substrate and spawn in my cellar ! Grew beautifully and just harvested and will be cooking it as a side dish. Eager to try it ! Thanks for recipe and ideas on using it.






  22. Holly antoun says:

    I bought Lion’s Mane mushrooms today and sautéed them according to your gentle instructions tonight to serve with wild rice and basaltic glazed salmon … I’ve lusciated (my own word – from putting luscious things in my mouth) all of them and my salmon is not even in the sauté pan yet!!! Thank you for being you and educating my palate! I guess I have to make a second batch! 😜

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      You’re welcome!

  23. LISA ENGEL says:

    Delicious. I added chopped ginger to the pan during the browning process and a little bit of sesame oil. I have an organic mushroom CSA. That’s where I get mine.






  24. KK69 says:

    We saw these mushrooms at a farmer’s market and had to buy them. We have never seen these before. Back home I started looking for a recipe. I found this recipe first and didn’t look further because my daughter mentioned this site before.
    The recipe was very well written and the mushrooms were super delicious! We just ate them on a toast, no mayo needed.
    Thank you for the recipe, I will be back to your site.






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for making :)

    2. Neil lengel says:

      You say about foraging in your article. I’ve read many articles that it is illegal to forage wild lions mane. I thought I’d mention this for you to check so you don’t misguide folks and have people arrested. The articles never said where it was illegal so I’m leaving that up to you to research






  25. Susan champion says:

    Found lions mane mushrooms at Raley’s/bel air markets for the very first time. Our family loves all mushrooms!
    Delighted to find your recipe and will put it in front of the family tomorrow.
    Send me a camera!
    Thank you both






  26. Mef says:

    I’m curious, your photos don’t show lions mane mushroom, why is that?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      These are store-bought lion’s mane mushrooms in the photos. They can have variation in the length of the tendrils.

  27. Anonymous says:

    I love that they have recipes for ingredients you don’t see often. I bought some Lions Mane mushrooms at our farmers market. I found their receipt and it was great.






    1. Dude says:

      That’s where I got mine, today; a nice forager had a booth at the local farmer’s market. I learned these existed yesterday.






    2. Carol DiNardo says:

      I just read an article by the Mayo Clinic that says that Lion’s Mane mushrooms benefit neuro-transmitters in the brain. Anonymous, I would be very interested to hear what evidence your statement rests upon.






    1. Anonymous says:

      This was my favorite recipe for lions mane mushrooms! It was easy, fast, and delicious. Just be careful not to add too much salt or soy sauce!






  28. Karen Zaffke says:

    Delicious…simple…great instructions and info!! 5 stars






  29. Elizabeth says:

    Not true that there are no health benefits. Holy cow, it’s supposed to be revelation art for brain health, memory, and cognitive function!!<3

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