Five Great Chicken of the Woods Recipe Ideas - Mushroom Site (2024)

The chicken of the woods mushroom is the closest non-meat ingredient to, well… chicken. You’ll find them growing on the side or at the base of trees in a bright ruffled rainbow of oranges, golds, and yellows. This makes them fairly easy to spot and identify. See my article, Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms — the Complete Guide, to learn more about foraging for these mushrooms.

Aside from being one of the prettiest-looking mushrooms on the planet, their robust flavor is what seals the deal. While they may have a meaty texture to them, the question of whether or not they taste like chicken depends on who you ask. Perhaps with the right set of ingredients and cooking techniques, they could?

Either way, the one thing everyone can agree on is that this magnificent mushroom tastes delicious.

So if you are lucky enough to have found a flush of Chicken of the Woods, or if you see them in your local farmer’s market, we’ve rounded up the top 5 chicken of the woods recipe ideas for you to try.

1. Pickled Chicken of the Woods Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lb. clean chicken of the wood mushrooms
• 6 cups of water
• 3 teaspoons of salt
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 cups of white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Mix the water, salt, crushed garlic, and thyme in a stockpot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook them through for about 10 minutes until they’ve released their juices.
3. Mix in the white vinegar and transfer the mixture – liquid included – into pickle jars, leaving about half an inch of headspace at the top of each one.
4. Use a pH tester to ensure that the pickle juice pH level is lower than 4.2.
5. Use a water bath canner for the final phase of the process. This should take about 20 minutes.

2. Crispy Fried Chicken of the Woods Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 2-oz. chunks of clean mushrooms
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour for breading
• ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup of cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. For this chicken of the woods recipe, start by trimming off the hard base before you cut the mushrooms into chunks.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and beat the eggs in a separate bowl.
3. Toss the mushrooms in the flour, making sure they’re well coated. Dip them in the eggs and then back in the flour again. Repeat this flour-egg-flour process until you’ve coated your mushrooms nicely.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a pan together with the butter before adding the breaded mushrooms.
5. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown. Add extra oil to the pan if necessary.
6. Blot the mushrooms on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
7. Sprinkle the thyme to garnish and serve while hot.

3. Grilled Chicken of the Woods Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 2-oz. of clean mushroom chunks
• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder

For the sandwich toppings in this chicken of the woods recipe you’ll need:

• Whole wheat toasted buns
• ½ a medium-sized shaved, rinsed, and chilled red onion
• A few leaves of spinach or swiss chard
• 4 tablespoons of mayo

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Heat the oil in a cooking pan and cook the mushrooms for about 4 minutes on each side until they turn golden brown and crispy.
3. Transfer the mushrooms onto a lightly greased tray and season them with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Roast for an additional 8 minutes in the oven.
5. Assemble your sandwich the way you like.

4. Cream of Chicken of the Woods Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ lb. of clean mushrooms
• ½ onion
• 2 celery stalk
• 1 medium-sized carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup of unsalted butter
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 3 cups of water
• 1 cup of coconut milk (full fat)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. To make this chicken of the woods recipe, start by dicing the onion, celery, and carrot, and mincing the garlic as well. Set aside.
2. Chop the mushrooms into 1-inch strips.
3. Melt the half of the butter in a pot and add the mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes before adding the diced onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Add the celery and thyme and stir.
5. Add the flour and remaining butter. Keep stirring to ensure that it doesn’t burn.
6. Add the water and coconut milk, and mix well. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve while hot.

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5. Roasted Chicken of the Woods Salad With Hazelnuts Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs. of clean mushrooms
• ½ cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
• 3 heads of sliced Belgian endives
• 5 cups of loosely packed green-leaf lettuce
• ½ cup of loosely packed parsley leaves
• 1 oz. of shaved Swiss cheese
• 3 tablespoons of toasted hazelnuts (chopped)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil before seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Roast for about 8 minutes on each side.
4. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and vinegar, and add the shallot. Let it sit for 10 minutes to allow it to soften.
5. Add the olive oil and whisk until it looks frothy.
6. Place the endives, lettuce, and parsley in a separate serving bowl and season lightly with a little salt.
7. Add the roasted mushrooms and vinaigrette, and mix the contents thoroughly but gently.
8. The final touch of this chicken of the woods recipe involves topping the salad with cheese and toasted hazelnuts.

A Versatile Ingredient for Hearty Meals

Please see our article entitled Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms — the Complete Guide, for more information on where to find Chicken of the Woods.

Get creative. Experiment with different variations of your favorite ingredients to get the flavor intensity you like. These simple, healthy, no-fail chicken of the woods recipe ideas are guaranteed to satisfy any craving you may have.

And for more ideas for cooking all kinds of mushrooms, a great book is The Mushroom Cookbook: A Guide to Edible Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms — And Delicious Seasonal Recipes to Cook with Them.

Speaking of cravings, are you hankering for a lobster dish? Check out our Complete Guide to the Lobster Mushroom and discover a whole different kind of lobster!

For a more detailed overview about cooking mushrooms, see our article The Essential Guide to Cooking Mushrooms.

And see our main recipe page for tons of other mushroom recipe ideas.