How To Tell When Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Are Done
Grilling portobello mushrooms is a great way to add a delicious and healthy dish to your summer barbecue.
They offer a uniquely robust flavor that is easily enhanced by marinating them or basting them as they grill.
The big question here is, how to tell when a grilled portabella mushroom is done cooking?
You can tell by timing how long they cook, feeling the texture, or by just looking at them. Let’s dive into just what to look for when determining the doneness of your grilled mushroom.
Instructions to tell if portabella mushrooms are done
Portabella mushrooms don’t have an exact doneness temperature to go by as they are fungi and not meat. You want to get them to the desired tenderness and juiciness before pulling them off the grill.
You gain the savory meaty taste and texture in this amazing vegan or vegetarian grilling option!
Grill time
Judging the doneness of your grilled mushroom by how long they have been on the grill can help you to know if they are done.
It is best to use this method along with looking at them and checking the tenderness as well.
Typically portabella mushrooms will take about 20-25 minutes to cook on the grill.
This will vary depending on whether you are using a gas grill or a charcoal grill and also the temperature you choose to cook them at.
Texture
I find the tenderness to be the best way to know if your grilled portabella mushroom is done or not. You want it to be tender, not tough.
If they feel rubbery or dry then try flipping them over or giving them more time to tenderize.
Allow time for the marinade or baste to soak into the mushroom while it grills. This will make it perfectly juicy.
Look at the portabella
Once you have your portabella mushroom on the grill you can look at it to determine the doneness.
The cap will darken in color slightly and will have nice grill marks when you flip it over. You will also notice that the mushroom looks juicy.
If it looks dry then allow it to cook a little longer. It hasn’t had enough time to release all of its natural juices.
How long to grill portabella mushrooms
Preheat your grill to 400°F and place the mushrooms on the grill. They will take around 20-25 minutes to cook.
You do not need to cook them to a specific temperature for food safety, but you should remove them when they have nice grill marks and have a slightly darkened color.
Grill for about 15 minutes with the cap side down and then flip them over and cook for another 10 or minutes.
This will achieve good textured and flavored portobello mushrooms.
How to grill a portabella mushroom
Start by dusting off the caps of the mushrooms removing any dirt that might be stuck to them. Do not rinse them underwater as they are like sponges and will just soak up and retain the water.
Next, you want to remove the stems using a small knife cutting them down to the gills, or are you can usually snap them off easily with your fingers.
Place them in a shallow dish with the gill sides facing up. Then pour the marinade into the portabella’s gills and also in the bottom of the dish.
Place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to marinate. You don’t want to over-marinade them.
If you are grilling baby portabella mushrooms you will want to grill them on foil or in a grilling basket so that they do not fall through the grates.
Preheat the grill to 400°F. Once the grill is up to temperature place the portabella mushrooms cap side down on the grill. Close the lid of the grill.
Allow them to cook for about 10-15 minutes. Stand by to make sure there are no flare-ups cause you will end up with blackened portabella mushrooms!
After about 10-15 minutes, flip the mushrooms over and continue to cook them for 7-10 minutes.
If they look good and juicy, go ahead and pull them off the grill and serve them up!
Summary
- Wipe clean with a dry rag removing the dirt.
- Marinate portabella mushrooms for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill to 400°F.
- Place them cap side down on the grill so that the gills are facing upward.
- Flip them over after about 10-15 minutes and continue to cook for 7-10 minutes.
- Remove them from the grill and ENJOY!
If you are one of those people that always struggle with cooking leftovers I have another post that might help with how to tell when hot dogs are done.
FAQ
There are a few things to keep in mind when grilling portobello mushrooms. First, you should remove the stems because they can be tough and fibrous. This is easy to do with your fingers or a sharp knife.
Second, you can leave the gills on or remove them. The gills have a slightly muddy flavor, but they are edible.
When you place your portabella mushrooms on the grill you want to lay them cap side down on the grill grates. The cap side is the top of the mushroom so you will have the gill side face upward.
