Grilled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Macha Crema Recipe
Tacos are the ultimate vessel for featuring any flavor and ingredient combo your heart and stomach can dream up. Dress them up, dress them down ... tacos are versatile, walkable, and always a hit for entertaining. If you want to venture beyond standard chicken, pork, or beef fillings, these grilled mushroom tacos with salsa macha crema are a perfect place to start. Delicate and feathery oyster mushrooms are transformed into crispy, meaty, and succulent bites enveloped in a spicy, creamy salsa macha and a crunchy, citrusy cabbage slaw. Topped with tangy cotija cheese and cooling avocado, these tacos burst with layers of flavor and texture. Extra salsa macha is the crowning, fiery glory to drizzle on top.
Technique is crucial in getting the most out of your mushrooms. Choose very fresh, large clusters and keep them whole during preparation. Don't be tempted to wash your mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms tend to be pretty clean once they make it to market since they literally grow on trees, but any bit of dirt or debris is best removed with a pastry brush to prevent the mushrooms from absorbing water and becoming soggy. You want your mushrooms to only absorb the marinade. When grilling, it might seem awkward to throw the whole clusters on the grates, but gently pressing on them with a large metal spatula will help to expel liquid and allow the mushrooms to become charred and crispy. Take the time to keep flipping and pressing, as the result is worth it!
Gather the grilled mushroom tacos with salsa macha crema ingredients
This recipe starts with making your salsa macha. You will cook raw pepitas, sesame seeds, and fresh garlic in avocado oil until the nuts start to pop and the garlic turns golden. To this you will add dried chiles de arbol and Sandia chiles (anchos are another great option). After turning your salsa macha mixture into a paste, you will add a portion to full-fat sour cream to create the crema. For the slaw, you will need green cabbage, fresh cilantro, a shallot, limes for juicing, a bit more avocado oil, black pepper, and sea salt (also used in the salsa macha). To make the marinade for your oyster mushrooms, you will need more avocado oil, soy sauce, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and garlic powder. To assemble the tacos, select large corn tortillas for encasing all of the filling, an avocado, and crumbled cotija cheese.
Step 1: Heat the oil for the salsa macha
Start making the salsa macha by heating the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the garlic, pepitas, and sesame seeds
Add the garlic, pepitas, and sesame seeds and cook and stir until the seeds begin to toast and pop (about 2 minutes).
Step 3: Add the chiles
Add the chiles and cook for 1 minute longer.
Step 4: Turn off the heat and add the salt
Turn off the heat, stir in the salt, and cool the mixture for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a food processor
Transfer the salsa macha to a food processor.
Step 6: Process to a paste
Pulse into a paste.
Step 7: Mix some of the salsa macha into the sour cream
Mix 2 tablespoons of the paste into the sour cream in a small bowl.
Step 8: Cover the salsa macha crema
Cover and reserve the crema and remaining salsa macha until ready to serve.
Step 9: Toss the slaw
In a large bowl, toss together all the slaw ingredients until evenly coated.
Step 10: Cover the slaw and set it aside
Cover and set aside until serving.
Step 11: Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish
Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish, keeping the clusters intact.
Step 12: Whisk together the mushroom marinade
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.
Step 13: Brush the marinade on the mushrooms
Brush this mixture onto the mushroom clusters, being sure to coat all sides.
Step 14: Preheat the grill
Preheat a grill with well-oiled grates to 450 F.
Step 15: Place the mushrooms on the grill
Add the marinated mushroom clusters to the grill and press down gently with a metal spatula. Continue to press and grill on one side until golden brown and crispy.
Step 16: Flip, press, and grill the mushrooms until crispy
Flip the mushrooms and press and grill on the other side until caramelized and crispy, flipping and pressing as needed.
Step 17: Cut the mushroom clusters into 12 total pieces
Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and create 12 total clusters, cutting where needed, and tent with foil to keep warm.
Step 18: Warm the tortillas on the grill
Turn off the grill and briefly warm the tortillas on the hot grates.
Step 19: Start assembling the tacos
To assemble the tacos, spread some of the salsa macha crema on each tortilla.
Step 20: Add the mushrooms
Top with the mushrooms.
Step 21: Add the slaw
Add some of the slaw.
Step 22: Garnish with the avocado and cotija cheese
Garnish with the avocado slices and cotija cheese.
Step 23: Serve the tacos
Serve the remaining salsa macha with the tacos.
What can I serve with mushroom tacos?
Grilled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Macha Crema Recipe
Marinated oyster mushrooms are grilled to smoky, crispy-tender perfection and paired with a simple slaw and a salsa macha crema in our vegetarian taco recipe.
Ingredients
- For the salsa macha
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup raw pepitas
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 3 large dried Sandia or ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed and cut into pieces
- 4 dried chiles de árbol
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- For the slaw
- 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- For the mushrooms and assembly
- 1 ½ pounds fresh oyster mushroom clusters
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 large corn tortillas
- 1 small avocado, sliced
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
Directions
- Start making the salsa macha by heating the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, pepitas, and sesame seeds and cook and stir until the seeds begin to toast and pop (about 2 minutes).
- Add the chiles and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the salt, and cool the mixture for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the salsa macha to a food processor.
- Pulse into a paste.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the paste into the sour cream in a small bowl.
- Cover and reserve the crema and remaining salsa macha until ready to serve.
- In a large bowl, toss together all the slaw ingredients until evenly coated.
- Cover and set aside until serving.
- Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish, keeping the clusters intact.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder.
- Brush this mixture onto the mushroom clusters, being sure to coat all sides.
- Preheat a grill with well-oiled grates to 450 F.
- Add the marinated mushroom clusters to the grill and press down gently with a metal spatula. Continue to press and grill on one side until golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the mushrooms and press and grill on the other side until caramelized and crispy, flipping and pressing as needed.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and create 12 total clusters, cutting where needed, and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Turn off the grill and briefly warm the tortillas on the hot grates.
- To assemble the tacos, spread some of the salsa macha crema on each tortilla.
- Top with the mushrooms.
- Add some of the slaw.
- Garnish with the avocado slices and cotija cheese.
- Serve the remaining salsa macha with the tacos.
Are there any mushroom varieties that I can substitute for oyster?
Although I have a special fondness for grilled oyster mushrooms and the way the thin layers crisp up and caramelize, there are certainly other options. One possibility is using the king oyster variety instead of standard oyster mushrooms. King oysters have a thick, sturdy stem with a top resembling basic oysters. If you choose to use king oysters, it would be best to slice them in half lengthwise before marinating, grilling, and pressing so that there is a bit more surface area and less density for the heat of the grill to penetrate.
Another go-to would be large portobellos. These are very popular grilling mushrooms, often used as a burger patty substitute due to their large and round shape. I would recommend marinating and grilling portobellos whole, then slicing them for assembling in the tacos. You won't get the same crispy texture, but they will be delicious nonetheless. Maitake is one other possibility that would have more of a similar texture to oyster mushrooms, but will have a very different earthy and deep umami flavor.
What is salsa macha and how can I use it?
Although "salsa" is in the name, salsa macha is not your typical chip dipper. Think of salsa macha as a condiment with a paste-like texture and high oil content. Unlike your standard Tex-Mex restaurant version, salsa macha is also a cooked product, with seeds and nuts getting a nice roast in the hot oil along with a variety of dried chiles. Salsa macha can vary with ingredients, but sesame and pumpkin seeds along with peanuts typically form the base, with any number of different chiles added in.
Salsa macha hails from Veracruz and Oaxaca in Mexico, and was originally made with a type of very spicy chile called "comapeño," meant for a brave palate to handle the heat. Today, salsa macha is made more accommodating to a range of tastes by using mild to spicy chiles and nuts and seeds to match. Salsa macha is a fantastic condiment to have in your refrigerator at all times, as it is incredibly versatile. Beyond Mexican cuisine, I adore salsa macha on eggs, grilled fish and shrimp, avocado salad, or in a grilled cheese sandwich. Use it as a topping on pizza or baked mac and cheese, and to add extra flavor to soups, casseroles, or sheet pan dinners.