These grilled portobello mushrooms are brushed with a flavorful marinade of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
Ready in just 20 minutes, they're one of my favorite side dishes to make. They go well with so many main courses!
Portobello mushrooms are amazing. Just like grilled eggplants, they have a distinct flavor and meaty texture. I love stuffing them with fillings (these stuffed portobello mushrooms are great), and I also like simply grilling them.
This is such an easy recipe. Bush the mushrooms with a tasty marinade, grill, and serve. Simple and delicious!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Balsamic vinegar: I don't recommend using any other type of vinegar in this recipe.
- Olive oil: Combines with the vinegar to create a flavorful marinade.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best.
- Minced garlic: Freshly minced garlic tastes better than jarred.
- Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Fresh portobellos: Try to find ones that are about the same size.
- Chopped parsley: Used for garnish.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to add spices and herbs to the marinade. Good options I tried and liked include smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, and dried thyme. You can use ½ teaspoon of any additional spice and herb.
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
To make the marinade, whisk together the vinegar, oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Gently twist off the stems and use a spoon to gently scrape out the gills. Using a pastry brush, coat the gill side with about a third of the marinade.
Grill the mushrooms until tender, 4-5 minutes on the first side and 2-3 more minutes on the second side. Brush them with more marinade before flipping them.
Remove the mushrooms to a plate, brush them with the remaining marinade, sprinkle them with chopped parsley, and serve.
Expert Tip
After the first 1-2 minutes on the grill, as the mushrooms begin to soften, you can gently press on them to flatten. This will promote even grilling. But be gentle, or the mushrooms could fall apart.
Recipe FAQs
I use a simple marinade of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It's delicious and greatly enhances the deep earthy flavor of the mushrooms.
You can make your life even easier by simply brushing the mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkling them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder prior to grilling.
Yes. I remove the stems when making this recipe. Though edible, they can be tough and fibrous and unpleasant to eat.
As for the gills, they too are edible, but they tend to release quite a bit of dark-colored liquid. So it's definitely a good idea to remove them with a spoon, as shown in the photo below.
I don't recommend that. Distilled white vinegar is highly acidic and won't taste good in this recipe. It also won't promote browning and caramelizing the way balsamic vinegar does.
Serving Suggestions
Grilled portobello mushrooms make a great side dish to any meat, chicken, or fish. But they are so flavorful and substantial, that you can also serve them as a main course.
Just add a couple of side dishes, such as mashed cauliflower and broccoli salad. You can also serve them with a couple of fried or poached eggs.
Another option is to use these mushrooms to make portobello burgers. Try cloud bread or 90-second bread for a gluten-free and low-carb bun.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, but I actually prefer them cold.
I make an antipasto plate with cold leftover grilled portobellos, meats (such as this beef jerky), and cheeses.
More Portobello Recipes
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Recipe Card
Balsamic Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 4 portobello mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley - for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and kosher salt.
- Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Gently twist off or cut off the stems. Use a spoon to gently scrape out the gills.
- Using a pastry brush, coat the gill side with about a third of the marinade.
- Heat a 2-burner griddle, a grill pan, or an outdoor grill on medium heat. Grease the grill well.
- Place the mushrooms, gill side down, on the grill. Grill until the gill side is browned and tender, 4-5 minutes.
- When the gill side is almost ready, brush the tops of the mushrooms with another third of the marinade.
- Flip the mushrooms so that they're gill side up. Continue grilling them until they are browned and tender, 2-3 more minutes.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a plate. Brush them with the remaining marinade, sprinkle them with parsley, and serve.
Video
Notes
- The best way to vary this recipe is to add spices and herbs to the marinade. Good options that I tried and liked include smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, and dried thyme. You can use ½ teaspoon of any additional spice and herb.
- After the first 1-2 minutes on the grill, as the mushrooms begin to soften, you can gently press on them to flatten. This will promote even grilling. But be gentle, or the mushrooms could fall apart.
- I remove the stems when making this recipe. Though edible, they can be tough and fibrous and unpleasant to eat. As for the gills, they too are edible, but they tend to release quite a bit of dark-colored liquid. So it's definitely a good idea to scrape them off with a spoon.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave, but I actually prefer them cold. I make an antipasto plate with cold leftover grilled portobellos, meats, and cheeses.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
John B Cochran
Easy and DELICIOUS!!!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm glad you liked it, John!