This Air Fryer Mushrooms recipe riffs off of battered deep-fried mushrooms in the best way. Less grease, less mess, but just as much flavor!

Baking sheet covered with parchment paper and breaded mushrooms with a bowl of ranch.

Why You’ll Love These Breaded Mushrooms

This appetizer is a bar food favorite of mine, but I hate deep frying in my kitchen. The splatters, the smell…I cannot. But! The air fryer has come to the rescue again. Since a wet batter isn’t an option with an air fryer, I decided to give breaded air fryer mushrooms a go. You still get that crunchy exterior and juiciness from the mushrooms.

Ingredients & Swaps

Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Mushrooms. I used white button mushrooms here, but Crimini/baby bella work great as well.
  • Panko bread crumbs. I personally wouldn’t move away from panko and use Italian breadcrumbs. Panko offer up that nice crunch you want.
  • All purpose flour.
  • Egg.
  • Seasoning. I like to blend a little garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning into my bread crumbs for a little extra oumph, but if you prefer a more plain breaded mushroom, you can stick to just sea salt.
  • Cooking oil spray. This is optional, but a spritz of cooking oil helps the breading get a nice golden crisp.
Raw button mushrooms on cutting board with bowl of panko bread crumbs and bowl of spice mix.

Can You Air Fry Mushrooms Without Oil?

Yes, you can. However I do encourage a small spritz of cooking oil over the mushrooms prior to air frying so that they develop a nice golden crisp. Totally optional, however.

A Few Quick Tips

  • Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Make sure the mushrooms have space between them or else they’ll steam and won’t get crispy. You might have to air fry them in batches.
  • Keep bite-sized mushrooms in tact, but cut larger ones in halves or in quarters depending on their size. You want the mushrooms to be around the same size so they cook at the same rate.

How to Make Breaded Air Fryer Mushrooms

  1. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove dirt and cut the rough stems off.
  2. Prepare an assembly line with three shallow bowls or trays: flour, lightly beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs. Season the bread crumbs.
  3. Give the bottom of the air fryer basket a quick misting of cooking spray.
  4. One by one, dredge the mushroom pieces into the flour, the egg, and the breadcrumbs. Pop the breaded mushroom into the air fryer basket. Repeat until either the air fryer basket is full or you’re out of mushrooms.
  5. Cook the mushrooms for 7 minutes at 360º F.
  6. When done, carefully transfer them to a serving plate. Cook another batch of mushrooms if you have more to cook.
  7. Serve hot with a dipping sauce, like a nice buttermilk ranch.
Breaded mushrooms in air fryer basket.
Hand holding up breaded mushroom that's been dipped in ranch dressing.
Baking sheet full of breaded fried mushrooms with a small bowl of ranch dip.

What to Serve Breaded Mushrooms With

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

  1. These mushrooms will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
  2. You can freeze these, which is super convenient! I suggest popping them onto a baking sheet to let them cool, then pop the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour to partially freeze them. Then you can transfer them to a gallon-sized freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
  3. To reheat from the fridge, simply pop them back into the air fryer and cook in 1 minute increments until heated through. From frozen, you’re looking at about 6-8 minutes in the air fryer.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Other Air Fryer Appetizers You’ll Love:

Baking sheet full of breaded fried mushrooms with a small bowl of ranch dip.

Breaded Air Fryer Mushrooms

This Air Fryer Mushrooms recipe riffs off of battered deep-fried mushrooms in the best way. Less grease, less mess, but just as much flavor!
4.87 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 109kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 12 oz white button mushrooms
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, extra if needed
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Optional Extra Seasoning for Breadcrumbs:

  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Carefully clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a damp cloth or giving them a gentle scrub it with a vegetable scrubber.
  • Mushrooms that are already bite-sized can be left alone. Larger mushrooms should be sliced into halves or quarters, depending on size. You want all of the mushrooms to be close to the same size.
  • Make yourself an assembly line with a shallow bowl of flour, one with lightly beaten eggs, and a bowl of breadcrumbs. Season the bread crumbs to your preference, either with the seasoning I've included here or with sea salt and pepper.
  • Lightly mist the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
  • One by one, dredge each mushroom in flour, then egg (let any axcess egg drip off), and bread crumbs. Carefully place each breaded mushroom into the air fryer basket and repeat until the air fryer basket is full or you're out of mushrooms. Tip: Be sure not to pile the mushrooms on top of one another. The mushrooms should have a little space between one another. You might have to cook them in batches.
  • Air fry the mushrooms for 7 minutes at 360º F. When they're done, transfer them to a serving plate. (Careful, they're hot!) Repeat until allof your mushrooms are cooked and serve hot with a dipping sauce, like buttermilk ranch!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g