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Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches

By 33 Comments

A vegetarian BBQ sandwich? Yes please! Sweet. Smoky. Spicy. And finger-licking good! Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches come together in about 30 minutes and are freezer friendly! vegan + gluten free

Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches

Being a former Texas girl, I’ll never relinquish my love of BBQ flavors. Back in the day, BBQ pulled pork, or smoky sausage was how I liked my BBQ sandwiches, with plenty of sauce. Never in a million years would I have thought at the time that one day I’d give it up to find new ways to enjoy vegetarian BBQ sandwiches.

After-all, there are still ways to love a smoky BBQ sandwich living a meat-free life. 

Pulled mushrooms are a fabulous stand in for a meatless BBQ sandwich. They’re easy to work with, accessible, delicious and healthy! I use portobello mushrooms in this recipe but oyster and/or cremini can be used as well, and I’m sure many more I’ve not tried. They all shred! 

Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches    Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches    Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches

Ingredients for Pulled Mushroom Sandwiches:

It’s such a short list for MAJOR mouthwatering deliciousness!

How to Make Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches:

Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches come together with ease, offering a little hands off time while the mushrooms are roasting to whip up a batch of easy coleslaw or other sides.

  • First, roast the mushrooms.
  • Next, while the mushrooms are roasting, saute the onions.
  • Once the mushrooms are out of the oven and have a bit of time to cool, shred the mushrooms.
  • Continuing, mix the mushrooms and onions together.
  • Last, slather in your favorite tangy BBQ sauce.

This vegetarian BBQ sandwich is ready!  It’s really that simple! 

Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce   Quick Cole SlawPulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches  Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches

A Few Recipe Notes:

  • Make Homemade Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce at least a week ahead for an easy, weeknight or weekend dinner. 
  • Shredded BBQ mushrooms are also fabulous stuffed into lettuce wraps or a baked sweet potato.
  • Serve this finger-licking vegetarian BBQ sandwich with corn on the cob, coleslaw, Texas Potato Salad AND always with plenty of extra BBQ sauce for slathering! 
  • Freezer friendly – Yes please! For up to two weeks (to avoid that terrible freezer burn!).

More Vegetarian BBQ and Sides to Love:

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches

Sweet. Smoky. Spicy. And finger-licking good! Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches come together in about 30 minutes and are freezer friendly! vegan + gluten free
Total Time30 mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pulled Mushroom, Vegan BBQ Sandwich, Vegetarian BBQ Sandwich
Servings: 2 - 3 Sandwiches
Author: Traci York | Vanilla And Bean

Ingredients

  • 3 (450g) Portobello Mushrooms about 1 lb
  • 1 Tbs Coconut Oil unrefined
  • 1 C (150g) Yellow Onion diced, about 1/2 a medium onion
  • 1/2 C (100g) Homemade Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce plus more for serving
  • 1/4 + 1/8 tsp Liquid Smoke I like hickory (optional but recommended)
  • 2- 3 Hamburger Style Buns gluten free if needed

Serve With (optional):

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F (220C), place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a sheet pan with silpat or parchment paper. 
  • Remove the stems of the portobello and set aside (they don't need to be roasted like the tops.. they're already dry). Turn the mushroom caps, bottoms up, on a work surface. Using a small metal spoon, gently scrape out the "gills" on the underside of the mushroom. Doing this helps reduce the moisture content further (toss the gills into the yard, garden or compost!). Place the mushroom caps, bottoms up, on the sheet pan and roast for 20-25 minutes. This helps dry them dry out. 
  • While the mushrooms are roasting, add the oil to a saute pan and heat until it shimmers. Turn the heat to low to medium-low and add the onion, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, slice the stems removing the smallest amount possible at the base to remove the tough edge. Use two forks to "pull" the mushroom stems separating pieces with your fingers if needed until they are shredded. Set aside in a medium bowl. 
  • Remove the portobello from the oven and once cool enough to handle, and using two forks again, shred the mushrooms, separating larger pieces with your fingers if needed until they are shredded. Add them to the same bowl with the shredded stems. 
  • To the sauted onions, add all the shredded mushrooms, BBQ sauce and liquid smoke. Cook on medium-low for about five minutes to warm through stirring occasionally. Put the lid on to keep warm until ready to serve. Serve on warmed buns, stuffed into a sweet potato or cooled slightly in sturdy lettuce wraps. Top with coleslaw or pickles and serve with potato salad, corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans... anything that you love with BBQ!
  • Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to two weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently reheat on the stove-top. 
Tried this recipe?Loved it? Leave a comment below! Take a snap of what you made and share it on social: @VanillaAndBean, tag #VanillaAndBean!
A vegetarian BBQ sandwich? Yes please! Sweet. Smoky. Spicy. And finger-licking good! Pulled Portobello BBQ Sandwiches come together in about 30 minutes and are freezer friendly! vegan + gluten free

Comments

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  1. Brianna says

    July 10, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    Yum! We just made this tonight and absolutely loved it! I’m a vegetarian also and share the need for BBQ sauce! Thanks!

    Reply

  2. Tonya says

    June 26, 2018 at 12:44 pm

    This was sooooo delicious! My whole family (hubby and 2 sons ages 11 and 14) LOVED them. And even though my shrooms didnt look as lovely as the picture after roasting, they looked just like the photos after I pulled them apart. I also pressed them btw towels to remove more moisture which I think may have allowed increased absorption of that fantabulous BBQ sauce. I had to keep myself from eating that as a dessert soup! Truly. After making this and some other great dishes from you, V&B is my new go-to recipe finder!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      June 26, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      Hey Tonya! My goodness…. a total WIN-WIN for everyone, right? Thank you for the tip about removing more moisture – I’ll do it! I completely understand the dessert soup – lol! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note… big smile here!

      Reply

  3. Claudia says

    June 25, 2018 at 9:48 am

    This recipe is AWESOME!! Never knew you could do this with mushrooms. Have made this twice already and was a huge success. And the BBQ sauce is outstanding! Thank you so much, Traci. You never disappoint me.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      June 26, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      Oh my gosh Claudia! You’re the sweetest. I just want to slather that sauce on EVERYTHING (gotta watch that sugar tho) :D !! So happy to receive your note, Claudia. Thank you :D .

      Reply

  6. Chris and Kerwin says

    June 15, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    Thank you! My husband and I LOVED this pulled portabello barbeque sandwich. I am preparing the pressed Italian now for tomorrow! Really appreciate your blog and delicious recipes! Soo soooooo YUMMY!

    Reply

  7. Asha Shivakumar says

    June 13, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    Oh my dear, this looks just perfect. Who will miss the meat, when they can have this. LIke MaryAnn says, it’s probably one of the most innovative uses of portobello mushrooms. Like I always say, your posts are so inspirational and so well thought out. Great job my friend.
    xox

    Reply

  9. Emily says

    June 12, 2018 at 9:33 am

    Shredded mushrooms! Never thought to do that- such a great idea! Ryan always orders a meat burger while I order my portobello, but this one looks better than any other that I’ve had. seriously. your photos here are mouthwatering, as usual! xo

    Reply

    • Traci says

      June 11, 2018 at 10:16 am

      All heart eyes, right? I’m such a big fan of mushrooms, but Rob is not. Therefore I ate this recipe, all. by. myself… and froze a bit for later (hello lunch!).

      Reply

  15. Jean says

    June 9, 2018 at 7:14 am

    I’m in total agreement with Mary Ann-such an original idea for a pulled BBQ recipe. Mushrooms are such flavor sponges so with the combination of sauteed onions and your Bourbon BBQ Sauce and Mango Avocado Salsa you’ve hit all the right notes, Traci!

    Reply

  18. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    June 8, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    This has to be one of the most creative and delicious recipes I’ve seen in quite a while Traci! I would have never thought to shred mushrooms. Leave it to you to come up with such an awesome idea! Tom would even love this BBQ sandwich because mushrooms are one of his favorite veggies! Perfect with your Texas potato salad and that fabulous bourbon BBQ sauce! Seriously droolworthy! Well done my friend!

    Reply

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