Skillet-Crisped Oyster Mushroom "Chicharrones" (Friday Night Botana)
Friday nights in our Brooklyn apartment have a specific energy: everyone is exhausted, but nobody wants the week to end without a little party. Years ago, craving real pork chicharrones but unwilling to heat a vat of oil before someone asked for a snack, I stared down a box of oyster mushrooms. That's where the magic happened.These Skillet-Crisped Oyster Mushroom "Chicharrones" are pure flavor logic. You tear them up-jagged edges mean maximum crunch-and hit them with screaming-hot heat. No deep frying, just a heavy cast-iron comal or skillet and tantito oil. While they crisp (about 10 minutes, standard mom math for 'time to pour a margarita'), you blitz a quick blender avocado crema.Why do I love these? They feel like an absolute celebration but take zero stress. We scoop them straight from the pan with bodega chips.Make it yours: Bodega Mode: Dust them with whatever chili powder you have and a heavy squeeze of lime. If You've Got a Mexican Market Nearby: Toss them in toasted ground guajillo. Don't skimp on the salt; mushrooms need tough love there. Taste it-then decide. We're not suffering for dinner, ándale! Let's get snacking.
Featured Recipe
Skillet-Crisped Oyster Mushroom 'Chicharrones' (Friday Night Botana)
Friday night means we need snacks that feel like a party but take 15 minutes to pull together. We're taking torn oyster mushrooms, screaming-hot heat, and a little flavor logic to create jagged, shatteringly crisp 'chicharrones' without deep frying. Scooped up with bodega chips and a quick blender avocado crema, it is the ultimate weeknight botana.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 1 lb Oyster mushrooms(Torn by hand into bite-sized shreds, do not use a knife)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil(Or any neutral oil with a high smoke point)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt(Divided use)
- 1 tsp Ancho chile powder(Pantry Mode: swap for smoked paprika)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder(For that savory, street-snack base)
- 1 whole Ripe avocado(Halved and pitted)
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema(Sour cream works fine here too)
- 1 whole Jalapeño(Roughly chopped (remove seeds if you want it mild))
- 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro(Stems and leaves)
- 2 whole Limes(One for juice, one cut into wedges for serving)
- 1 bag Tortilla chips(Sturdy ones, you need them to hold up to the swoop)
Instructions
- 1
Tear your 1 lb oyster mushrooms into bite-sized strips using your hands. I know you want to use a knife, but don't. Tearing creates jagged edges that get shatteringly crisp in the pan. We are building texture here.
3 min
Tip: Make the pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- 2
Get a large cast-iron or heavy skillet screaming hot over medium-high heat. Toss the torn mushrooms in a bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil so they are lightly coated. Do not salt them yet! Salt draws out moisture, and we want a hard sear, not a steam bath.
2 min
Tip: If your pan isn't smoking slightly, wait another minute.
- 3
Drop the mushrooms into the dry, hot skillet. Spread them out into a single layer and then step away. Listen to me: do not touch them for 5 minutes. Pour yourself a drink or start the dip. Let the pan do the work of caramelizing those edges.
5 min
Tip: If your pan is small, do this in two batches. Crowding equals steaming.
- 4
While the mushrooms are doing their thing, throw 1 ripe avocado, 1/4 cup Mexican crema, 1 jalapeño, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt into a blender or food processor. Blitz it until totally smooth and bright green. Taste it—then decide if it needs a tantito more salt.
3 min
Tip: If it's too thick to blend, add a splash of water, one tablespoon at a time.
- 5
Back to the skillet. The mushrooms should look deeply browned and crispy on the bottom. Give them a toss. Sprinkle in 1 tsp ancho chile powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Toss to coat and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes until crispy all over.
4 min
Tip: The spices will toast quickly, so keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
- 6
Assembly time. Swoop the avocado crema onto a wide plate or shallow bowl like you're fancy. Pile the hot, crispy mushrooms right in the center. Squeeze a little juice from your remaining 1 lime (cut into wedges) over the top. Serve immediately with 1 bag tortilla chips. Ándale, Friday night is officially on.
2 min
Tip: Serve immediately—these 'chicharrones' are best when they are hot and crispy against the cool crema.
Chef's Notes
Real life note: If you have a Mexican market nearby, grab Tajín to sprinkle over the finished plate instead of just salt and lime. If you're feeding a crowd on a Friday, double the mushrooms but please, use two skillets. We are not suffering through soggy mushrooms for dinner.
María “Mari” Santiago
Oaxacan comfort, Brooklyn shortcuts, weeknight bright.
María “Mari” Santiago was born in Oaxaca, where her earliest kitchen memories are measured in scent: chiles toasting on a comal, cinnamon and chocolate blooming in mole, and the warm, nutty snap of a tlayuda folded in half for the walk home. She learned by watching—first her tías, then her abuela—picking up the small, practical rules that never made it into written recipes: how to tell when the garlic is *just* right, how to rescue a too-spicy salsa, and why you always taste the broth before you add the salt. Now in Brooklyn, Mari cooks the food she grew up on while raising two little kids and juggling real-life time limits. Her style is “real flavor, real life”: traditional Oaxacan and everyday Mexican dishes—moles, caldos, frijoles, enfrijoladas, salsas, and crispy tlayudas—made weeknight-friendly with smart shortcuts, brighter salsas, and more vegetables without losing the soul of the dish. She’s not precious about rules, she’s big on swaps, and she’s on a mission to prove that you can cook deeply flavorful Mexican food with what you can actually find at a normal grocery store (and still get dinner on the table before a meltdown). Mari’s recipes read like a friend texting you from the produce aisle: clear, funny, and unpretentious, with a side of abuela wisdom. If there’s a hard-to-find ingredient, she gives you a realistic alternative, tells you what will change (and what won’t), and keeps the focus where it belongs—on food that tastes like home, even when home is a small Brooklyn kitchen.