Stir Fry Shitake Mushroom Jerky

There are so many ways to eat mushrooms. One being, mushroom jerky. We love to be outdoors so we're always thinking of tasty, healthy snacks to bring on the trail.

Mushroom jerky is one of them.  But also, can add these to ramen noodle soups on that multi camping trip for that much needed fresh food craving.

I decided to experiment using already dried mushrooms, and instead of soaking them in water to bring it back to life, I will soak them in an asian flavored marinade.  I got the 1 oz bag from Amazon, organic Shiitake mushrooms by Mycological.

Choosing the Mushroom

Like portabella mushrooms, shiitake has a great meaty texture.  When dried, shitake's flavor profile intensifies.  They are known for their rich, smoky flavor.  Because we are using packaged dried mushrooms, no need to brush off any dirt or slice.

Let's make the marinade!

Making the Marinade

I love shiitake mushrooms in my stir fry dishes, the inspiration for this recipe.

Mix ingredients in bowl and pour into ziplock bag with dried shiitake mushrooms.  The exotic aromas fill the air, yummy!  Place in refrigerator and marinade anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.

Mushrooms are great for soaking up liquid. Flip the bag to make sure all mushrooms are evenly soaked.

Drying the Mushrooms

After marinading, use a colander to drain the liquid.  Place mushrooms on paper towel.

Pat the mushrooms gently with paper towel to take off any excess liquid.

The mushrooms are ready. Place on dehydrator tray.  Make sure they are evenly spaced so they are not sitting on top of one another.  I used my Nesco dehyrator to make this recipe.

I set the temp to 125F and let it dehydrate anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.

Testing for when the jerky is finished

Taste test it at 4 hours.  If you like it a little on the crispier side like I do, dehydrate on the longer side.

Eat asap! This is delicious.  Tamari flavor shines through with hints of chili paste.  Tamari is like soy sauce, just with less wheat and salt content.  The shiitake mushroom already has that earthy, smoky flavor and the marinade deepens the umami flavor.