Have you spotted these beauties while hiking? Chicken of the Woods have distinctive coloring and can be found on deciduous trees all over Ohio throughout the summer and fall. Chicken of the Woods is one of our favorite mushrooms because they are delicious! They taste like chicken, hence the name. Seriously – we’ve given to friends and family and they didn’t know what they were eating. Chicken of the Woods have the texture of chicken – it’s not what you’d expect from a mushroom.
This is an easy and delicious way we enjoy cooking chicken of the woods mushrooms – it’s kinda like chicken tenders!
| Servings |
- 1 lb chicken of the woods mushrooms
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 whole eggs, whisked
Ingredients
| |
- Clean chicken of the woods mushrooms.
- Dip clean, dry mushrooms in a shallow bowl of whisked eggs.
- Dredge mushrooms in a shallow bowl of panko breadcrumbs.
- Fry mushrooms until golden brown in hot oil, about 4-5 minutes per side.
My son and I started mushroom hunting during the pandemic lockdown and haven’t stopped! It is a new hobby that has provided hours of fun hunting and countless meals!
This harvest and photos are by my son, Ohio Woodsman (go give him a follow if you like the outdoors, bushcraft, and anything Ohio!).
Before we go further, I should warn you that like any food, people can be allergic to chicken of the woods, so eat in a small amount your first time through and be sure it’s chicken of the woods that you are eating by doing mushroom research. In Northeast Ohio, you can hunt edibles in any state forest, state park, state wildlife management area, and of course, private property. The national park does not allow forging.
Although not necessary, my son loves using his Benchmade Bugout Mini for mushroom hunting to get a clean cut while leaving enough behind for future growth.
This recipe includes a simple egg soak and panko breadcrumb dredge. 
We usually cut the mushroom down to nugget size for this recipe.
Fry in a little oil or deep fry!
If you want to get creative, you can cut shapes in the mushrooms – just like the dino-shape chicken nuggets and your kids will gobble them up!
How cute is this?!
These pictures don’t do the texture justice – they really have a good texture and taste that reminds me of chicken. Chicken of the woods are large gourmet mushrooms that are versatile because of their unique taste and texture for many recipes. Enjoy as is or with your favorite dipping sauce.