Smoky Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Chilli Peanut Sesame Salsa

Smoky Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Chilli Peanut Sesame Salsa

These tacos are genuinely one of our favourite things to make when we want something that feels a bit special but doesn't take all evening. The pulled oyster mushrooms go properly golden and crispy at the edges, and once they're hit with smoked paprika and cumin they smell absolutely incredible. Then that chilli peanut sesame salsa ties everything together with this brilliant nutty, spicy kick that we honestly could eat by the spoonful. It's the kind of meal that makes people do a double take when you tell them it's all plants. Make these tonight, you won't regret it.

Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Large frying pan
  • Small pan
  • Food processor (to blend peanuts, sesame seeds, chilli crisp, rice vinegar, soy sauce & maple syrup into salsa)

Ingredients

  • 700g oyster mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp bbq sauce
  • 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 80g roasted peanuts
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp chilli crisp (including solids)
  • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp maple syrup or sugar
  • 6 Cantina Del Sabor Tortillas
  • Half a mango
  • Lime wedges

Method

1

Prep mushrooms

  • Shred the oyster mushrooms into long strands
  • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat
  • Add the mushrooms and spread out into a single layer
  • Cook without stirring for 3-4 minutes to get crisp edges (optionally, place something heavy on top to make even crispier) then toss and repeat until golden and reduced
2

Season

  • Stir in the smoked paprika and cumin for 30 seconds until fragrant then add in the tamari or soy sauce and bbq sauce
  • Toss to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and slightly sticky
  • Set aside and keep warm
3

Make chilli peanut & sesame salsa

  • Heat a small pan over a medium heat until hot
  • Toast the peanuts for a 4-5 minutes until golden all over
  • Reserve the pan
  • Combine the peanuts, sesame seeds, chilli crisp, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and maple syrup
  • Taste and season if desired
4

Cook the tortillas

  • Heat the same pan over a high heat
  • Cook the Cantina tortillas for 40 seconds per side until pliable and a little golden
  • Stack under a clean tea towel to keep warm and soft
5

Assemble tacos

  • Slice the mango and place a few slices on the Cantina tortillas
  • Top with a generous pile of smoky mushrooms, a little chilli peanut & sesame salsa and serve with lime wedges for squeezing and fresh coriander leaves
  • Dig in and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

  • Crisp them up even more: We sometimes put a heavy pan or a tin of beans on top of the mushrooms while they cook. It sounds a bit mad but it presses out the moisture and gets them even crispier. Trust us on this one.
  • Make it your own: If you can't find oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms work brilliantly too. Just shred them with two forks into long strips and treat them exactly the same way.
  • Get ahead with the salsa: The chilli peanut sesame salsa actually gets better as it sits, so if you're making these for friends, mix the salsa earlier in the day and let the flavours come together. It's a proper time saver and it tastes even better for it.

Why This Works

The trick is leaving the mushrooms completely alone in the pan for those first few minutes. It's tempting to stir them but if you let them sit and get properly golden on one side first, you get those amazing crispy edges that give the whole dish that pulled meat texture. The chilli peanut sesame salsa is the other secret weapon here, it adds richness, heat, and a toasty depth that makes these tacos taste way more complex than the effort involved.