These fried enoki mushrooms are thinly sliced, deep-fried to crispy perfection, and served with a creamy and spicy sriracha mayo—no leftovers for this one.
Can't get enough of enoki mushrooms? Try my spicy enoki mushrooms recipe.
Enoki mushrooms have a uniquely stringy and crunchy texture. They're commonly served in soups and stews as they soak up the flavors around them, but this recipe takes it in a whole different direction - the fryer. This is sometimes called enoki fries.
In this recipe, we dredge enoki mushrooms in a light cornstarch batter and deep fry them to crispy perfection. When fried, the enoki mushroom's strands flair out slightly, creating individual strands of crispiness. They're perfect as an appetizer for a light meal or late-night snack. And when dipped in a creamy sriracha mayo? Irresistible.
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🥘 What are fried enoki mushrooms?
Fried enoki mushrooms are making their rounds on social media as a new trendy appetizer or snack. They consist of enoki mushrooms that have been separated into thin strands, coated in a light batter, and then deep-fried until golden and crispy. The result is deliciously crunchy and satisfying.
Typically they're served with spicy mayo sauce or a side of ketchup; both are good options that help add additional flavor.
🧂 Ingredients
- Enoki mushrooms - the star ingredient! They have a uniquely stringy and crunchy texture. Choose enoki mushrooms that are bright white, not wrinkled, and have no brown spots.
- Flour - provides crunchiness and structure to the batter.
- Corn starch - we replace some flour with corn starch to create a crispier and lighter crust.
- Baking powder - creates tiny bubbles in the batter, which expand when cooked, creating a crispy and bubbly surface.
- Water - mixed with the dry ingredients to create the batter
- Salt - just a little bit to give flavor to the batter; otherwise, it will taste very plain.
- Sriracha - a spicy chili sauce used commonly in East Asian cooking. You can find this in the condiments section of most Asian grocery stores.
- Mayonnaise - any brand of mayonnaise will work for the spicy mayo sauce.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1. Prepare mushrooms
Cut off the base of the enoki mushrooms (leaving about 1 inch so they don't separate into individual strands). Rinse them under cold tap water, then dry them on paper towels or use a salad spinner. Cut mushrooms into thin slices and set aside.
Step 2. Make sriracha mayo
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha, and mix well. Optionally add a teaspoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to elevate the flavor.
Step 3. Make batter
Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Add cold water and mix until just combined.
💭 Tip
The batter should have the consistency of thin paint, meaning it should be light enough to easily flow and run off the mushrooms yet thick enough to coat them evenly. If the batter is too thick, the crust will be overly thick, and the fried enoki mushrooms will taste greasy. Add extra water or flour as needed.
Step 4. Dredge and fry
Heat 1 inch of oil to 375°F in a dutch oven, high-walled pot, or wok.
Working one at a time, dip a slice of enoki mushroom into the batter and shake off the excess - like, really shake off the excess. You want the thinnest coating possible; otherwise, there will be more batter than mushroom, and it will taste overly greasy.
Fry 3-4 pieces at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer fried enoki mushrooms to a plate lined with paper towels to allow excess oil to drain. Serve with creamy sriracha mayo or a side of ketchup, and enjoy!
💭 Top Tips
- Dry the enoki's thoroughly so they end up crispier. I like to use a salad spinner to fling off the water vigorously, then dab each mushroom with paper towels to pick up any remaining moisture.
- Ensure the batter is the consistency of thin paint. If the batter is too thick, too much will cling to the enoki, and the crispy enoki mushrooms will taste greasy. Add extra water or flour as needed.
- Ensure you shake off excess batter when dredging the mushrooms so you don't end up with too much batter, which will taste greasy.
- Don't overcrowd the pot when frying; otherwise, the oil temperature will drop too much, and the crust will absorb extra oil and be greasy.
👩🏻🍳 Substitutions
- Cornstarch can be substituted with any other starch like potato, tapioca, or arrowroot. Rice flour also works in a pinch.
- Baking powder can be replaced by using soda water or beer instead of water. But if you don't have baking powder, you can omit it entirely, and it will still taste pretty good.
👨🏻🍳 Variations
- Spicy - add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 1 tablespoon of gochugaru to the dry ingredients before mixing with water.
- Southwest - add 1 teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of onion powder to the dry ingredients before mixing with water.
- Extra crispy - replace half the water with vodka. Vodka has a lower boiling point than water, so it will evaporate faster, resulting in a crispier crust.
- Indian-Style - add ½ teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon of ground coriander, and ½ teaspoon of ground cumin to the dry ingredients. You can also add ½ teaspoon of curry powder to the spicy mayo.
🥡 Storage & Leftovers
Storing: Store leftover fried enoki mushrooms in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that as they sit in the fridge, the moisture from the mushrooms will be absorbed into the crust, making them soft.
Reheating: To re-crisp them, you can deep fry them in oil for 1 minute at 375°F, but I find them excessively oily when fried twice. You can also reheat them by baking them in the oven at 375°F for 5-7 minutes or pop them in the air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes.
📖 Recipe FAQs
There are a few common reasons your mushrooms aren't coming out crispy. First, you may not have thoroughly dried the mushrooms before frying them. Be sure to pat the mushrooms dry with a paper towel before cooking because too much moisture underneath the batter can make the crust soggy.
Secondly, the oil temperature might have needed to be hotter. Heat the oil to at least 375°F before frying the mushrooms for best results. If the oil isn't hot enough, the crust will absorb more oil, resulting in a less crispy texture.
Thirdly, you may not have fried them long enough. They should be fried for at least a few minutes to drive off the moisture from the batter. Otherwise, the batter will get soggy pretty quickly.
Enoki mushrooms should have their root ends cut off before being fried. The root ends are tough and chewy and can be pretty dirty. Trim the root with a sharp knife to get rid of them. You might only need to trim a small amount from the end of the mushrooms, or you might need to remove a more significant portion, depending on their age.
Yes, you can fry them. They should be battered in a cornstarch or flour-based batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy. Their delicate texture contrasts nicely with the crispy crust.
🍽 Looking for more deep-fried goodies?
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📋 Recipe
Fried enoki mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 deep fryer, dutch oven, wok, or high-walled pot (for frying)
Ingredients
- 1 package enoki mushrooms
- neutral oil (for deep-frying)
Spicy mayo
- 3 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie preferred)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Batter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 150 mL corn starch
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
Spicy mayo
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and sriracha. Optionally add lemon juice and toasted sesame oil.
Fried enokis
- Prepare mushrooms: Cut off the base of the enoki mushrooms (leaving about 1 inch so they don't separate into individual strands). Rinse them under cold tap water, then dry them on paper towels or use a salad spinner. Cut enoki mushrooms into thin slices and set aside.
- Make batter: Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Add cold water and mix until just combined.
- Dredge and fry: Heat 1 inch of oil to 375°F in a dutch oven, high-walled pot, or wok. Working one at a time, dip a slice of enoki mushroom into the batter, shake off the excess, then place it in the hot oil. Fry 3-4 pieces at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve with spicy mayo or a side of ketchup.
Notes
- Dry the enoki's thoroughly, so they end up crispier. I like to use a salad spinner to fling off the water vigorously, then dab each mushroom with paper towels to pick up any remaining moisture.
- Ensure the batter is the consistency of thin paint. If the batter is too thick, too much will cling to the enoki, and the mushrooms will taste greasy. Add extra water or flour as needed.
- Ensure you shake off excess batter when dredging the mushrooms so you don't end up with too much batter, which will taste greasy.
- Don't overcrowd the pot when frying; otherwise, the oil temperature will drop too much, and the crust will absorb extra oil and be greasy.
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