Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (2024)

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These Lion’s Mane Mushroom Recipes will blow your mind, featuring a Vegan Mushroom Crab Cake so delicious you won’t believe it is meatless!

Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (1)

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If you have been hearing about a popular new ingredient called a lion’s mane mushroom (hericium erinaceus), you are not alone! Sometimes referred to as a lion’s head mushroom, this mushroom is popular in vegan and vegetarian recipes. It is absolutely delicious and provides an amazing hearty and firm texture, very similar to crab. It is mild in flavor and is an excellent vehicle to take on the different flavors that you are cooking with.

Cooking this mushroom is also surprisingly easy! It can be prepared in a number of ways including pan sauté, oven roasted and grilled! I want to share with you some of my favorite lion’s mane mushroom recipes, including my absolute favorite: vegan and vegetarian mushroom cake!

Why this recipe works

  • If you have ever wondered how to cook lion’s mane mushroom, I will teach you how!
  • This mushroom is super easy to work with, takes on the flavor you are cooking with and is super delicious even with basic preparations. If you are a vegetable lover, you will love my Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Beets.
  • The mouth feel and texture is hearty and serves as an excellent meat or seafood substitute in many vegan and vegetarian recipes.

Ingredients in this recipe

  • Fresh Lion’s Mane mushroom
  • Egg or flax egg: To make a flax egg, mix one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Allow to sit refrigerated for about 10 minutes to thicken.
  • Panko breadcrumbs: I love panko breadcrumbs in this recipe but you can also use regular breadcrumbs.
  • Onion: Sweet onion recommended.
  • Mayonnaise or Vegan Mayonnaise: If you are enjoying the vegan version of this recipe, I recommend this Vegan Mayonnaise.
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Old Bay seasoning: If you don’t have old bay seasoning, you can use Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning for a slightly different (but still delicious) flavor profile. You might also love my Tempero Baiano Brazilian Spice Blend.
  • Dijon mustard: You can also use course ground mustard.
  • Parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • Oil (to fry cakes): Canola, vegetable or olive oil all work well.
  • Optional Garnish: Lemon wedges.

How to make this lion’s mane mushroom crab cake

Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (2)
  1. Hand shred mushroom into small pieces resembling texture of flakey crab.
  2. In large bowl, combine egg, mayonnaise, onion, Worcestershire sauce, old bay seasoning, Dijon mustard, parsley (finely chopped), salt and pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.
  3. Mix in mushroom until fully incorporated.
  4. Mix in Panko breadcrumbs until fully incorporated.
  5. Form mixture into 3-4 equal size round flat patties (about ½ to ¾ inch thick).
  6. Heat oil in sauté pan on medium/high heat.
  7. Cook patties for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Should be golden brown and cooked throughout.
  8. Add optional garnish, squeeze of lemon and enjoy!

Other lion’s mane mushroom recipes

This mushroom is super versatile and mild in flavor, making it an excellent choice for many lion’s mane mushroom recipes. Some of my favorite lion’s mane mushroom recipe preparations include:

  • Pan Sautéed with butter
  • Oven roasted with olive oil or butter and seasoning of choice
  • Grilled
  • Vegan crab cakes (my favorite!)

For some other more creative preparations, you can enjoy mushroom powder in a mushroom latte, lion’s mane tea or coffee or mushroom paste in a soup or pasta sauce.

Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (3)

Health benefits

An article published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health indicates that “Hericium erinaceusa culinary and medicinal mushroom is a well established candidate for brain and nerve health.” It cites that studies support “neurite outgrowth and neuronal health benefits” and could assist health problems and cognitive abilities in an aging population. To read the full article: Neuronal Health – Can Culinary and Medicinal Mushrooms Help?

Many companies sell lion’s mane in different forms such as supplement as capsules, pills, powder or extract.

Where to buy

You may be lucky enough to live in area where this mushroom is available in your grocery store or local farmer’s market. However, if you don’t live in area where lion’s mane is sold fresh, you have a few options.

Buying online is one option. There are a number of companies online that will sell and ship to you. I purchased my mushrooms on Etsy because of the additional Etsy protections should anything go wrong with your order. The price for this product can vary quite widely so if you are able to purchase fresh, you can avoid shipping costs.

Another option is growing them yourself. This is becoming very popular and you can purchase lion’s mane mushroom kits on Amazon and Etsy. You can also purchase the dried version on Amazon. The dried version is excellent in soups and rehydrated in pastas.

Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (4)

FAQ and expert tips

How to store lion’s mane mushroom?

Storefreshlion’s mane mushroomsin a paper bag in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Does Whole Foods sell lion’s mane mushroom?

Some Whole Foods locations sell fresh lion’s mane mushrooms, as well as other derivative products such as lion’s mane powder, capsules or coffee/tea. You can search by location on the Whole Foods website.

Looking for other delicious healthy recipes?

  • Vegan Blondies
  • Banana Flour Pancakes
  • Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

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Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (5)

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Recipes: Crab Cakes

These Lion’s Mane Mushroom Recipes will blow your mind, featuring a Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cake so delicious you won’t believe it is meatless!

5 from 295 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 cakes

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Aubrey

Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Lion's Mane mushroom
  • 1 egg (or flax egg)
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup onion (finely diced)
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¾ teaspoon old bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (to your taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2-3 tablespoon oil (to fry cakes)
  • 2 optimal garnish: lemon wedges

Quick Tartar Sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
  • ¼ teaspoon old bay seasoning

Instructions

  • Hand shred Lion's Mane Mushroom into small pieces resembling texture of flakey crab.

  • In large bowl, combine egg, mayonnaise, onion, Worcestershire sauce, old bay seasoning, Dijon mustard, parsley (finely chopped), salt and pepper. Mix until fully incorporated.

  • Mix in Lion's Mane Mushroom until fully incorporated.

  • Mix in Panko breadcrumbs until fully incorporated.

  • Form mixture into 3-4 equal size round flat patties (about ½ to ¾ inch thick).

  • Heat oil in sauté pan on medium/high heat.

  • Cook patties for approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Should be golden brown and cooked throughout.

  • Add optional garnish, squeeze of lemon and enjoy!

Notes

  1. Leftovers and Storage: Transfer to airtight container or dish. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Can reheat and serve.
  2. Vegan/Vegetarian Substitutions or Omission: You can use vegan mayonnaise and flax egg in place of regular mayonnaise and egg in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AubreysHealthyKitchen or tag #aubreyshealthykitchen!

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About Aubrey

My name is Aubrey. I am a busy lawyer and momma. While I am passionate about both, I have a place in my heart for great food and want to share it with other food lovers!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Aubrey

      Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!

      Reply

  1. Hillhikerz

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (7)
    My 5th time making this recipe. It’s moving up the monthly list fast, meaning it will probably be a once a month staple. My vegan friends were completely taken with it. Myself I’ve added scallops, crab and shrimp but one doesn’t need to.

    Reply

    • Aubrey

      Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you are enjoying!

      Reply

  2. Sheila

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (8)
    5 star restaurant quality….these are AMAZING! I made mine with creole seasoning and added some cut up nori and used onion powder instead of diced onion. Sooo good!

    Reply

    • Aubrey

      Thanks Sheila! So happy you enjoyed! I so appreciate your kind words.

      Reply

  3. SPerry

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (9)
    So, today at a local Farmers Market in OC, MD, this guy had some fresh mushrooms. His oyster mushroom in that past were fabulous, but he only had Lion’s Mane, of which I never heard. He said that they are a great substitute instead of crab in a crab cake. Well, being the newbie in cooking now that I’m retired, I took the plunge and found this recipe. They. Were. Delish! I’m grabbing some more next week. Thnx.

    Reply

    • Aubrey

      So happy you enjoyed! 🙂

      Reply

    • Meg

      Found Lion’s Mane at the Berlin Farmers Market today and making the crab cakes tonight. I was so happy to see your review, what did you make with the oyster mushrooms?

      Reply

      • Meg

        Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (10)
        The Lions Mane crab cakes were delicious 😋

        Reply

  4. Lori

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (11)
    These are AMAZING! Sprinkled a little lemon juice and extra Old Bay instead of tartar sauce – yummy!

    Reply

  5. H

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (12)
    Great recipe, normally I try something once and move on to something else. This is being printed out and is making it into the favorites folder.
    Thanks

    Reply

  6. Jan

    Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (13)
    These “crab” cakes were amazing. As a Marylander, I had to change two things. I did not use panko but fresh bread crumbled into little pieces (per the recipe on the Old Bay can), and I baked them at 400 degrees rather than fried them. When they came out of the oven I brushed with melted butter. Scrumptious!

    Reply

    • Roy

      Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (14)
      Thanks Jan,
      As someone from the Bay Area, I would use bread crumbs, not panko, and Japanese KEWPIE mayonnaise (in the squeezy container). And I would not use butter, since I am lactose intolerant. I wonder how a topping of olive oil would do.

      Reply

    • Kay

      Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (15)
      Jan: How long did you bake them at 400?

      Reply

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Lion's Mane Mushroom Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the best ways to eat lion's mane? ›

Cooking lion's mane mushrooms is as easy as it is delicious. The best way to cook lion's mane mushrooms is to sauté or roast them. Once they're cooked, you can eat them in a sandwich, stir-fry, or on their own. Sauteeing or roasting is a great place to start if you've never cooked lion's mane mushrooms before.

What is the best way to consume lion's mane? ›

Mix it into drinks: One of the easiest ways to consume lion's mane powder is to mix it into drinks such as water, smoothies, or coffee. Simply add a scoop of the powder to your drink of choice and stir it in until it is fully dissolved.

What can you not mix with Lion's Mane? ›

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with LION'S MANE MUSHROOM. Lion's mane mushroom might slow blood clotting. Taking lion's mane mushroom along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

Is Lion's Mane mushroom safe to eat raw? ›

Lion's mane mushrooms have a flavor that many describe as similar to seafood. They can be eaten raw, dried, or cooked. As a supplement, the mushroom comes in powders, liquids, and capsules. Lion's mane mushrooms are rich in vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin.

Is it better to eat lion's mane raw or cooked? ›

Lion's mane should be well-cooked and not eaten raw: like all raw mushrooms they contain chitin in their cell walls, which can cause gastric upset, or even an allergic reaction in high concentrations. It is decreased through cooking.

Is Lion's Mane healthier raw or cooked? ›

If you cook lion's mane mushrooms, it enhances the taste and texture, making the mushroom more palatable, but may also slightly increase the bioavailability of certain beneficial compounds like hericenones and erinacerins, which are thought to contribute to Lion's mane's support of cognitive and neurological benefits.

What happens when you start taking Lion's Mane? ›

What is lion's mane good for? Lion's mane mushrooms contain many beneficial plant compounds. Research suggests these compounds may stimulate the growth of new brain cells, improve depression and anxiety, and support gut, heart, and immune health.

Is it safe to take lion's mane everyday? ›

Nevertheless, it is widely available in nutrition centers and on the internet and purported to improve memory and cognitive function. The typical dose in 1 to 3 mg daily. The few studies of short term therapy with lion's mane in humans reported few adverse events and scant evidence of any toxicity.

How does Lion's Mane make you feel? ›

Lion's mane medicinal mushroom is not psychoactive, so it does not have any intoxicating effects. However, lion's mane is marketed for its potential to increase focus and is associated with reduced feelings of depression. Again, more rigorous research in humans is necessary to determine its full effects.

Who should avoid Lion's Mane? ›

Lion's Mane mushroom is generally considered safe for humans in both edible and supplement forms. However, there have been isolated cases where individuals who have allergies to other mushroom species have experienced reactions to Lion's Mane mushroom. These reactions include skin rashes 1.

Can Lion's Mane damage liver? ›

Recently, lion's mane has been purported to improve cognition and relieve anxiety and depression. Lion's mane is generally recognized as safe and has not been linked to serum enzyme elevations during therapy nor to episodes of clinically apparent liver injury.

When should you avoid lion's mane? ›

She also said that people who are pregnant or taking blood thinners should avoid lion's mane and recommends that most people try lion's mane as a food first since supplements are also more concentrated than what you'd eat in a meal.

How do you know if a lion's mane is bad? ›

One of the most apparent signs of a spoiled Lion's Mane mushroom is discoloration. If you notice your mushroom turning yellow or brown, it's likely past its prime. A few small spots might not be a cause for concern, but extensive darkening indicates it's time to discard it.

Is there a poisonous lion's mane mushroom? ›

Is lion's mane mushroom poisonous? No, the lion's mane fungus is not poisonous. All varieties of Hericium mushrooms are non-poisonous and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Does lions mane increase estrogen? ›

Oestrogen is the menstrual cycle and bone health superstar, and it can be even more of a star when joined on the stage by our mushroom buddy, Lion's Mane. Research has shown that taking Lion's Mane extract can stimulate the production of oestrogen. That means no more anxiety, depression or lacklustre sleep.

How much Lion's Mane should you eat a day? ›

For instance, when taken as an oral supplement, it is recommended to take between 500-1000 mg daily for optimal benefits. However, for those looking to consume Lion's Mane to treat neurological conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, higher doses of up to 3000mg per day may be required for maximum benefit.

Is Lion's Mane powder or capsules better? ›

A lion's mane extract is more concentrated, which can be beneficial if you want to prevent or combat symptoms of a progressive illness. A powder is usually less expensive and easier to include in your diet but can have an overpowering taste.

Does cooking lions mane destroy nutrients? ›

Does cooking lion's mane destroy nutrients? While boiling or microwaving any mushroom can cause it to lose nutrients, such as vitamin B and potassium, frying or sautéing lion's mane mushrooms can actually help to break down its tough fibers and make it easier for your body to digest and absorb most nutrients.

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