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Chicken of the Woods Tacos with Chipotle Aioli

Cook Time:

Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes

Serves:

Yield: 6–8 tacos

About the Recipe

Chicken of the woods is one of those wild mushrooms that practically begs to become a taco. Its firm, meaty texture holds up beautifully in a hot skillet, developing crisp golden edges while remaining tender inside.

These tacos keep things intentionally simple: seasoned chicken of the woods, thinly sliced white onion and a smoky chipotle aioli tucked into warm corn tortillas. A squeeze of fresh lime is really all they need.


Ingredients

For the Chicken of the Woods

  • 12 oz (340 g) fresh chicken of the woods

  • 3 cups (720 ml) water

  • 1 Tbsp Dashi Dust

  • 1–2 Tbsp neutral oil

  • 1–1½ tsp Road Dust O.B.

  • 1 fresh lime

For the Chipotle Aioli

  • ½ cup vegan mayonnaise

  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely minced

  • 1–2 tsp adobo sauce, to taste

  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice

  • Pinch of salt, if needed

For Serving

  • 6–8 small corn tortillas

  • ½ small white onion, very thinly sliced

  • Fresh lime wedges

Preparation

Prepare the Chicken of the Woods

Clean the chicken of the woods carefully, brushing away debris and trimming away any tough or woody portions. Leave the tender mushroom in fairly large pieces for now.

Place the mushrooms in a saucepan or shallow skillet and add enough flavorful vegetable or mushroom stock to mostly cover.

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and have absorbed some of the flavor from the stock.

Remove the mushrooms from the stock and allow them to cool until comfortable to handle.

Don't discard that stock!

Strain and save it for soup, ramen, rice, sauces or another meal.

Once cool, tear the mushrooms along their natural grain into irregular strips. This gives them that wonderful shredded texture while keeping some larger pieces for bite.

Sauté

Heat 1–2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the torn mushrooms in a single layer.

Let them sit long enough to develop a good sear before tossing.

Season with Road Dust O.B. and continue sautéing until the edges are deeply golden and slightly crisp.

Finish with fresh lime juice.

Then build the taco:

Warm corn tortilla → chicken of the woods → thinly sliced white onion → chipotle aioli → squeeze of lime.

Chef's Notes

Know Before You Forage" ALWAYS BE SURE TO POSITIVELY ID YOUR MUSHROOMS AND COOK THOROUGHLY

Let the mushrooms sear. Chicken of the woods contains plenty of moisture. An overcrowded pan encourages steaming, so give the pieces room and resist the urge to constantly move them around.

Use the tender growth. Young chicken of the woods should be tender and juicy. Older specimens can become woody, particularly near the base. Trim those tougher sections rather than trying to make them tender in the skillet.

No chicken of the woods? This preparation also works beautifully with shredded king trumpet or oyster mushrooms. It won't mimic chicken of the woods exactly, but you'll still get those wonderful crisp edges and substantial bite.

Keep the toppings simple. That's intentional. The white onion brings sharpness, the chipotle aioli brings smoke and richness, and lime brings acid. Anything more starts competing with the mushroom.

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