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These Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect flavorful, healthy dinner! Large, juicy portabella mushrooms are bursting with fresh pesto flavor and topped with rich, tart sundried tomatoes for an easy, delicious meal.
This easy, vegetarian stuffed mushroom recipe is the definition of “simply delicious.” These pesto mushrooms have a saucy, melty stuffing instead of one loaded with panko breadcrumbs, onions, or other ingredients that might complicate things. Seasoned mushrooms are filled with herby pesto and creamy mozzarella, then topped with chewy, tart sundried tomatoes for a fun burst of flavor.
More stuffed mushroom recipes you should try: Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms, Italian Stuffed Mushrooms, and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Healthy Meal – Each one of these large mushrooms has fewer than 250 calories, about 6 net carbs, and 13 grams of protein. You can work this into many low-carb, keto, or low-calorie diets. Part-skim mozzarella, fresh basil, and meaty mushrooms provide the most flavor here.
- Quick Cooking – You can have these tasty mushrooms on the table in 15 minutes, perfect for a busy night or a quick lunch! There’s very little prep involved, so it’s a great recipe to keep in mind for unexpected guests and last minute parties.
- Easy Ingredients – This recipe uses normal, easy-to-find ingredients that most grocery stores will have onhand. It’s a simple go-to recipe that won’t break the bank, and most of the ingredients can be pantry staples.
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this quick recipe. You will find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Portabella mushrooms – This recipe uses the large kind that are as big as the palm of your hand. If you prefer using baby bella mushrooms (also known as cremini mushrooms) or white button mushrooms, you’re welcome to swap these out. The smaller size would mean they will cook quicker, so remember to adjust the cooking time if you change them. Mushrooms should be clean and have stems and gills removed.
- Avocado oil, Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and Salt – These provide a great all-purpose seasoning, and the avocado oil helps the mushrooms become nice and tender without drying out. You could use olive oil or your preferred cooking oil and seasonings if you’d like. You may choose to add pepper, onion powder, maybe a bit of paprika as well, but I chose to leave these out of this dish. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, mix together some oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil instead.
- Pesto sauce – I love the amazing flavor that comes from a fresh batch of homemade pesto sauce! I highly recommend making your pesto from scratch (bonus: it’s freezable!), but you could always stock up on the jarred, store-bought pesto to make things easier. Classic pesto is made with pine nuts, but you’re welcome to use one made with walnuts, pistachios, or almonds.
- Mozzarella cheese – Shredded, part-skim mozzarella works best in these mushrooms. I would avoid using fresh mozzarella as it has so much moisture, you’ll end up with very soggy mushrooms.
- Sundried tomatoes – You can use the jarred version packed in oil or the type that come in the bag. Some people prefer one over the other, but it’s just up to personal preference.
- Fresh basil leaves – This is for garnish and just adds a lovely aroma and a strong, fresh flavor. You could leaves these out if you don’t have any. Chives, parsley, even a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or parmesan could work nicely, too.
How to Make
This easy appetizer recipe comes together in fewer than 30 minutes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these juicy, cheesy stuffed mushrooms.
Prep tools and ingredients
Start with preheating your oven to 425 degrees and line or grease a large baking sheet. This is just to prevent sticking, so feel free to line it with silicone, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or wax paper. Turn the cleaned, hollowed-out mushroom caps top-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the mushrooms with avocado oil, then set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Sprinkle this seasoning mixture over the mushrooms evenly.
Fill mushrooms
Spoon two tablespoons of pesto sauce into each mushroom, then top the pesto with 1/4 cup of cheese. Arrange the chopped sundried tomatoes on top of the cheese, then repeat until all mushrooms are filled.
Tip: These can be quite delicate, so you want to be really gentle with them. If the sides of the mushrooms break off, the cheesy pesto filling may ooze out of the mushrooms while cooking.
Bake stuffed mushrooms
Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook the mushrooms for 12-14 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and the cheese is melted through. Garnish with the chopped basil and serve.
Tip: If you prefer your cheese browned and bubbly, you may want to broil them for the last minute or so.
Serve
These amazing stuffed mushrooms are surprisingly filling–You’ll love them with this Tomato Galette and a Rosemary Gin Fizz! They also pair wonderfully with these Zucchini Lasagna Rolls, our favorite Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole, or this Butternut Squash Soup. If you just want a quick snack, serve these with Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza Bites or some Cacio e Pepe Zoodles. For the easiest possible meal ever, add one of these amazing Air Fryer Veggies!
Storage Instructions:
Allow these stuffed mushrooms to cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing these as the melted cheese on top just doesn’t seem to keep a nice texture after a freeze and reheat.
Best way to reheat stuffed mushrooms
If the microwave is easiest for you, reheat your stuffed mushrooms at 50% power in 1-minute increments until warmed throughout. I prefer reheating in the air fryer (350 degrees, 3-5 minutes) or oven (350 degrees 5-10 minutes) so the mushrooms retain a few crispy bits around the edges.
If you like these stuffed mushrooms, you will LOVE these mushroom recipes:
- Italian Baked Mushrooms – You are going to have this side dish on repeat once you try it! Sliced mushrooms cook quickly in a garlic butter sauce full of flavor.
- Mushroom Chicken – SO easy and delicious! Tender, tasty mushrooms pair perfectly with juicy chicken breasts and a creamy sauce for a quick, low-carb dinner.
- Easy Mushroom Soup – This healthy, vegetarian soup really brings out the best in the hearty mushroom! Heavy seasoning makes this a gorgeous soup for brunch, too!
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce – This is the perfect creamy sauce to add to steaks, pork chops, cheesy rice, and more. It’s a great side dish to have on hand for tons of meals!
- Mushroom Swiss Omelette – For an easy, veggie-packed breakfast, you can’t beat this easy omelette! It’s full of flavor, and leftover cooked mushrooms can be used to make it even easier.
Want more? Check out this list of the BEST mushroom recipes!
Stuffed Mushroom FAQs
I always remove the stems and leave them out because I like for all of the stuffing to stay put in the mushroom. I’ll often roughly chop these and put them in the fridge for the next morning’s omelets or scrambles. If you really want to use them in this recipe, you could probably just chop them up and mix them in with the pesto.
These mushrooms as written as gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly. Because of the mozzarella and most pesto containing parmesan cheese, these do not work for a paleo or vegan diet. While I haven’t tried any substitutions, I do believe using a vegan pesto and a paleo-friendly or vegan cheese alternative would be a tasty way to make these dairy-free.
Mushrooms soak up a lot of moisture, so you want to avoid soaking or spraying them with water. The best way to clean them is to rub off dirt with a damp paper towel. Be very gentle as portobello mushrooms can be very delicate, leading the sides to break.
Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
Equipment
- Silicone brush
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushrooms, cleaned with stems and gills removed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup pesto sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line or grease a large baking sheet. Place the cleaned and prepped mushrooms top-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the mushrooms with the avocado oil.
- In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Sprinkle the seasoning over the mushrooms evenly.
- Fill each mushroom with 2 tbsp of pesto sauce, then top with ¼ cup cheese. Arrange the chopped sundried tomatoes on top of the cheese.
- Place the mushrooms in the oven for 12-14 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and the cheese is melted through.
- Garnish with basil, then serve!
Notes
- Leftovers store great in the fridge for up to 3 days but I don’t recommend freezing these.
- The mushrooms, although really big, are still fragile around the edges. So when you’re cleaning and preparing them, be careful not to break them too much or the sauce will run out of them during baking.
- If you like the tops more browned, feel free to broil the last minute or two.
- This recipe makes 4 large stuffed portabella mushrooms. Each one has 6.1 net carbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
