Fried Oyster Mushroom Po' Boy Sandwich

Fried Oyster Mushroom Po' Boy Sandwiches | Soft French bread is the base for crispy fried oyster mushrooms, fresh strips of lettuce, juicy pickles and tomatoes, and a tangy, creamy remoulade like sauce.

So what is a po' boy sandwich?

Origin of the name

From my research, a Po' Boy is a traditional sandwich from the southern United States, Louisiana to be specific. The sandwich was originally fed to striking streetcar drivers as a show of support by the owners of a restaurant in New Orleans in 1929. The sandwich got it's name during this time, shortening from poor boy to po' boy as the brothers referred to the workers filing in as 'another poor boy coming in'.

Typical ingredients in a po' boy sandwich

A po' boy is served on fresh french bread loaves with a choice of meat or fish (oyster po' boys are very common), lettuce, tomato and pickles and mayonnaise.

My po' boy sandwich recipe

I've been dreaming of making a po' boy since I had my first one in Florida at an authentic little shop that isn't there any more. The taste of the fresh soft bread with a little tug in the dough and thin and crackly crust, the tangy spiced remoulade sauce and the grill seared, spiced and charred shrimp will live forever in my taste buds.

But the restaurant is gone and I'm left to my own devices to try to replicate that delicious sandwich. This fried oyster mushroom po' boy sandwich brings back all those memories, it's pretty fantastic.

For my oyster mushroom po' boy I still go with the french style bread loaves, as well as the lettuce tomato and pickles. BUT! the po' boy I had was served with the most delectable remoulade sauce.

The day I first made this sandwich for testing, I used what I had in the house for the sauce, and I really liked it so I didn't mess with it further. I didn't add hot sauce to mine and instead went with gochugaru, a Korean red pepper flake. Read more below about the ingredients.

Also, I eat a mostly vegetarian diet and I think fried oyster mushrooms are 100% perfect for this recipe, but you can of course use a meat if your prefer. Cajun-style grilled chicken or shrimp would be fantastic.

Use the table of contents below to jump to any section of this blog post. You can also use the jump to recipe link above to get right to the recipe card.

Jump to:

• So what is a po' boy sandwich?
• My po' boy sandwich recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips + FAQs
• Recipe

Ingredients

About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.

• oyster mushrooms: This is the filling for this sandwich, as a plant based nod to the classic oyster po' boy. My grocery store sells oyster mushrooms in 100 gram packages so that is what I'm using. This will make enough for 2 footlong sandwiches, so about 4 servings, depending on bread size and appetites. You can double or triple the entire recipe.
• all-purpose flour and cornstarch: To make a batter. The cornstarch helps the batter crisp.
• gochugaru pepper flakes: I get this at my local Asian grocery, they are Korean red pepper flakes. I use this because it's what I have on hand, I have a giant bag. You can substitute for the same amount of hot sauce (once the water is added) or a cajun seasoning.
• spices: Onion powder, garlic powder and paprika - this is to flavor the batter. Use your favorite spices. I've also tried this recipe with ½ teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning and it was really good, but I wanted to list more common spices. I use kosher salt. If using table salt, use half the amount called for.
• cold water: use very cold water (you can ice it) in the batter helps the batter get super crispy when it hits the hot oil.
• panko bread crumbs: I prefer panko crumbs to regular bread crumbs because they are bigger, flakier and lighter so they fry up super crispy.
• bread: french style sub buns are typical for this. The dough has a higher water content, resulting in a fluffy bread with a thin crackly crust.
• toppings: I go for the typical toppings which are romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, and pickles.
• sauce: Mayo is typical for this sandwich but I make an almost remoulade sauce which is what I had on my first ever po' boy sandwich and it's just what I like. Use whatever sauce makes you happy.

Instructions

For this sandwich, you'll start off by making my Fried Oyster Mushrooms recipe. I'll tell you everything you need to know here, but if you want more details and a video, go read that blog post.

RECIPE TIP: You can wrap the whole sandwich in parchment paper first to make it easier to cut. Twist the end of the parchment paper in opposite directions so it holds and then cut with a serrated knife. This helps keep everything in and is perfect if you're taking this sandwich on the go.

Substitutions

✔ This Oyster Mushroom Po' Boy sandwich is vegetarian.

> To make this sandwich vegan, use a vegan mayonnaise in the remoulade sauce.

> Try using a different mushroom if you like.

> Top the sandwich with your favorite sandwich toppings and sauce.

Equipment

I use my favorite non-stick pan to fry the mushrooms, along with a pair of chopsticks for turning them because I find they give me the most control, but you can also use a pair of small tongs. I also use parchment paper to wrap the sandwich in before cutting it. This helps keep everything inside the sandwich.

Storage

I would make this sandwich as needed. You can make the mushrooms slightly ahead of time and bake them again to warm them at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, but they are best fresh, like most fried foods.

More recipes like this

• Fried Oyster Mushrooms
• Turkey Pesto Sandwich on Focaccia
• Vegetable Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Feta and Spinach Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tips + FAQs

Recipe

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

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