If you are fan of beef jerky, you will love this naturally low carb mushroom jerky recipe that I made in the air fryer. Portabello caps are marinated and then dehydrated in the air fryer for a chewy and meaty vegetarian jerky. You won’t believe all the beefy flavor you can get from this mushroom jerky and ½ the recipe has just 4.6g net carbs!
You might also like these portabello mushroom chips.
Portabello mushrooms are often used as a plant based substitute for meat. Their meaty texture and flavor work perfectly in this low carb mushroom jerky recipe. And while I made this in the air fryer, you could make it in the oven or food dehydrator too.
This is a great keto vegetarian snack for those who are trying to cut back on their meat intake or who just want love jerky and want to try something new. I love the flavor and texture and half the recipe only has 4.6g net carbs!
The health benefits of mushrooms.
Mushrooms have many health benefits. They are a great tasting low calorie, low carb food that is a good source of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, selenium and magnesium. They are also a good source of an amino acid ergothioneine, which prevents or slows cellular damage.(source)
What type of mushrooms to use for mushroom jerky?
While there are many kinds of mushrooms such as crimini (baby bellas), shiitake, morel, button, porcini or oyster mushrooms, I used Portabello caps.(learn more). I like them because they are very large and popular so you can easily get them at the grocery store.
If you are familiar with the other kinds feel free to experiment. I would not use white button mushrooms because they will shrink down to nothing. You will see below what the portabellos look before and after making the jerky and they shrink considerably.
Making the low carb marinade for jerky.
All you need to make this vegetarian jerky recipe are the flavorful marinade ingredients and 2 portabello caps. The marinade consists of olive oil, regular soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and Swerve brown sugar sweetener.
Note you can substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce if you can use it. Or use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer.I didn’t think it needed salt because the soy sauce is salty but you can always add black pepper or even hot pepper flakes for a little heat.
If you don’t care about sugar or carbs you can use regular brown sugar or even white sugar. I like the flavor of brown sugar though for this recipe.
Also you can use more portabellos if you want but I just had 2 on hand.
To make the marinade, just whisked everything together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
How to make keto mushroom jerky in the air fryer.
Step 1: Whisk together the marinade and set aside. Get out the mushroom caps and scrap the gills on the underside gently with a spoon and through away.
Never use water to clean mushrooms as they will absorb the water and get soggy. Just use a paper towel and wipe away any dirt.
Step 2: Then slice them into about ¼ – ½ inch slices like those pictured below. Place them in a backing dish or in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over top. Place in the the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or even overnight.
Step 3: Get out your air fryer racks or trays and spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Take the mushrooms from marinade and place on some paper towels to get the excess liquid off. Then place them on the racks.
Step 4: Place them in the air fryer and heat to 250°F and bake for 2-3 hours. You can check them periodically to see if they are done. Baking times will vary depending on the model of air fryer you are using.
Also I made them once and it took 3 ½ hours and another time it only took 2 hours. So just keep checking after 2 hours.
Step 5: When the are done they should look like those below. You want them to be dark, a little crispy and have a chewy texture. As they cool they will get a bit more chewy.
Store them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
As I mentioned above I only used 2 mushroom caps but I wish I had used more because I ate these quickly. They are soooooo good!
To make mushroom jerky in the oven.
You can also make this recipe in the oven. Just marinade as mentioned above. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Shake off the excess marinade and place the slices on the baking tray.. Bake in a 275°F oven for 2-3 hours or until they are a big chewy and crispy.
Note baking time will vary. Start checking at 2 hours to see if they are the right texture.
Other keto jerky recipes to try.
If you are on a low carb diet, jerky makes amazing snacks to have on hand. I have ideas for more jerky recipes but so far I have a smoked beef jerky and a classic beef jerkyrecipe made in the air fryer. I also made chicken jerky for my dog that is super easy.
Other low carb mushroom recipes to try.
If you love the Unami flavor of mushrooms then you are sure to love some of these healthy and low carb recipes below.
- low carb spinach artichoke, buffalo chicken and vegetable stuffed mushrooms
- keto cream of mushroom soup
- creamy keto baked mushrooms
- keto creamy shrimp and cauliflower risotto and meatloaf stuffed portabellos
- stuffed pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce and burgers with a creamy sauce
While this homemade mushroom jerky is not much to look at it certainly is a delicious recipe. I can’t wait to make them again but I do tend to go through it quickly. I hope you enjoy this healthy snack too!
The nutritional information for half of the batch (1 cap) is 300 calories / 27.2g fat / 5.6g carbs / 1g fiber / 2.4g protein = 4.6g net carbs*
*Note this calculation takes into account all of the marinade and you throw quite a bit away.
Keto Mushroom Jerky in the Air Fryer
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Additional Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
This easy mushroom jerky recipe is made in the air fryer or oven for a delicious plant based snack that that's a great alternative to beef jerky.
Ingredients
- 2 portobello mushroom caps
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons Swerve brown sugar sweetener
Instructions
- Clean the dark gills out of the mushroom caps by scraping them off with a spoon. Slice the mushrooms about ¼ -½ inch slices and place in a baking dish or ziplock bag.
- In a small mixing bowl, make the marinade by pouring the olive oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and Swerve brown sugar sweetener. Pour over the sliced mushrooms and place the baking dish or ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Marinate at least 2-4 hours or even overnight.
- When ready to bake, take your air fryer rack and spray with nonstick. Place the mushroom slices on a piece of paper towel to absorb the excess marinade and the place on the air fryer rack.
- Place the rack in the air fryer and bake at 250°F for 2-3 hours. They should be chewy and a bit crispy when done. Keep checking at 2 hours as cooking time will vary depending on your air fryer and thickness of the slices.
- To make in the oven, preheat to 275°F and spray a baking sheet. Lay the slices on the baking sheet and cook for 2-3 hours until done. Start checking at 2 hours until you get the texture you want.
- Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator.
Notes
The nutritional information for half of the batch (1 cap) is 300 calories / 27.2g fat / 5.6g carbs / 1g fiber / 2.4g protein = 4.6g net carbs*
*Note this calculation takes into account all of the marinade and you throw quite a bit away.
You can add some hot pepper flakes to the marinade if you like a little heat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 300
