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Cooking Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Tips, Techniques & Recipes

Cooking Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Tips, Techniques & Recipes cover
Written by Real Mushrooms - Updated: August 16, 2024

Thinking about cooking lion’s mane mushroom? Maybe you’ve heard of some of the health-supporting benefits of lion’s mane and want to find some tasty ways to add them to your diet.

Perhaps you want to branch out from your standard portobello and button varieties and try your hand at a different gourmet mushroom. Whatever the reason, you’re in the right place to learn how to make the most of cooking this versatile, delicious mushroom.

Along with a couple of simple recipes, we’ll cover where to buy lion’s mane and how to clean, store, and prepare it. We’ll also briefly review some of the fascinating ways this mushroom can support your health.

What’s in this article:

  1. What is Lion’s Mane?
  2. Lion’s Mane Health Benefits
  3. What Does Lion’s Mane Mushroom Taste Like?
  4. Where Can You Buy Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?
  5. How to Store & Clean Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
  6. Techniques for Cooking Lion’s Mane Mushroom
  7. More Lion’s Mane Recipes
Fresh and dried lion's mane mushroom
Cooking with fresh lion’s mane mushroom (left) or the dried variety (right) will yield different textures but just as much delicious versatility, nutritional benefits, and cognitive support.

What is Lion’s Mane?

Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a common mushroom found throughout the Northern United States and Canada. They’re often found growing on dead and decaying trees, including birch, beech, elm, and oak trees.

The lion’s mane mushroom gets its name from its shaggy, mane-like appearance. They’re large, white, and covered with hair-like structures called teeth that hang down around the mushroom. Its fuzzy appearance is also what earned it the nickname the bearded hedgehog mushroom and the pom-pom mushroom.

This unique mushroom is used all over the world for culinary purposes and for its health-supporting properties. It’s a versatile mushroom and can be enjoyed and eaten raw, cooked, dried, or steeped as a tea. Lion’s mane extracts are often used in supplements for health support.

Lion's mane mushroom teeth
The hair-like structures that give the lion’s mane mushroom its characteristic look are called “teeth.” Lion’s mane is one of the few mushrooms in the world with this kind of feature.

Health Benefits of Cooking with Lion’s Mane Mushroom

One advantage of cooking with lion’s mane mushrooms is the health benefits they provide, not to mention they’re delicious! From brain to gut health to being possibly one of the best mushrooms for anxiety, there are a lot of reasons to eat more lion’s mane.

This mushroom has a long history in Asian medicine. In Chinese and Japanese medicine, it has traditionally been used to support spleen and gut health. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners employ this mushroom to promote good digestion, vigor, and strength [1].

Lion’s Mane Brain Benefits

This functional mushroom may be able to support your health in various ways. One of the most exciting discoveries made about them is their potential to support brain health.

Lion’s mane mushrooms contain two unique compounds that may be able to protect the neurons and nerves in our bodies. These compounds are called hericenones and erinacines. Studies show that these compounds may be able to protect the brain from cognitive decline associated with aging [2].

Lion’s mane can increase the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), a compound that maintains neural health in our brains [3]. This compound is linked to supporting the growth of nerve tissue and nerve function as shown in animal studies [2].

 

Research suggests that this mighty mushroom may also be able to support brain health in other ways, such as:

  • Counter oxidative stress on the brain [2]
  • Support short and long-term memory [2]
  • Enhance cognitive function [4]
  • Regulate emotions [5]

Lion’s mane may be one of the best mushrooms for anxiety. In a clinical trial, this mushroom was able to decrease feelings of anxiety, irritation, and frustration [6].

Lion's mane could support your health in other areas of your body as well. For instance, it can promote a healthy immune response. Studies show that it can do this by regulating bacteria in the gut and intestines [7].Animal studies also show that these mushrooms can support immune system strength by regulating intestinal mucosal activity [8].

Health Highlight: Preliminary research suggests that lion’s mane could potentially improve sleep quality by supporting overall neural health.

Nutrients in Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Cooking with lion’s mane mushrooms is also a fantastic way to get more nutrients in your diet. Mushroom proteins contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to stay healthy. Amino acids are the building blocks of each individual cell, and finding complete sources of all essential amino acids is required to give your body the fuel it needs to function.

Together with the low-fat content and high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, these nutritional properties add to the significant health value of lion’s mane mushrooms. When reliable extraction methods are used, lion’s mane extract can be used as a supplement to more easily tap into some of the desirable health-supporting benefits mentioned above [9].

Lion’s Mane Nutrition Chart

Lion’s mane offers a range of nutritional benefits in addition to its culinary versatility. Below is a chart highlighting the key nutrients found in this remarkable mushroom.

lion's mane mushroom nutrition chart
Lion’s mane mushroom proteins contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to stay healthy. It is also an excellent source of potassium and fiber.

What Does Lion’s Mane Mushroom Taste Like?

If you’ve never tasted lion's mane mushrooms before, you’re in for a treat. When it’s cooked, it’s juicy, delicate, tender, and meaty.

The taste of lion’s mane mushrooms is best described as seafood-like, and it’s usually compared to crab, lobster, and other shellfish. This is why it’s often used as a vegetarian substitute in seafood dishes.

Flavor Boost: Enhance lion’s mane's seafood-like taste with simple spices like garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika for an extra burst of flavor.

Where Can You Buy Lion’s Mane Mushrooms?

You can purchase lion’s mane mushrooms fresh, dried, or as a powder. Each variety is useful for different culinary purposes.

Fresh and dried lion’s mushrooms may be better for frying and grilling, whereas powders are ideal for broths, baking, and drink mixes.

Mushrooms are very absorbent, which is great for marinades and sauces, but this also means they can absorb pesticides. That’s why it’s best to purchase organic lion’s mane mushrooms.

If you’re on the hunt for fresh or dried lion’s mane mushrooms, the first place to look would be your local health food or farmer's market. They are sometimes sold in Asian markets as well. 

Just make sure they are grown organically.

Not having any luck finding them in your area? Organic mushroom powders can be found in some health food stores and easily online. If you are buying mushroom powders to support your health, make sure you are buying the highest quality product.

Check out our four-point buying guide for lion’s mane powder extracts to learn how to spot a quality mushroom product.

shop lion's mane mushroom
farmed organic lion's mane mushroom
If you will be buying fresh lion’s mane for cooking, make sure it is from an organic farming operation. Mushrooms are highly absorbent and will retain any chemicals or pesticides they are exposed to.

How to Store & Clean Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

To make the most of your lion’s mane mushrooms, it’s important to store and clean them properly. Here’s how to keep your mushrooms fresh and ready for cooking.

Storing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Fresh is always best. But you don’t want any extras to go bad before you can enjoy them. If you’re not planning on eating them right away, you’ll need to store them properly.

  • Short-term storage: If you plan to eat your lion’s mane mushrooms within a few days, store them in the refrigerator. Use a roomy paper bag so they can breathe and keep them away from water and other liquids to prevent mold.
  • Signs of aging: As lion’s mane mushrooms age, they may turn yellow. Cut off any yellow parts to preserve their flavor. If they turn orange, feel soft or slimy, or show signs of rot, discard them.
  • Long-term storage: Lion’s mane mushrooms can last about a week in the fridge if fresh. For longer storage, consider drying them. First, clean off excess dirt by rinsing with water or using a mushroom brush. If rinsed, let them sit in the sun for a couple of hours to evaporate excess water.

Storage Tip: Always use a paper bag. Plastic bags trap moisture and can lead to quicker spoilage, while paper bags allow the mushrooms to breathe and stay fresh longer.

Cleaning & Preserving Lion’s Mane Mushrooms

Once your mushrooms are clean, you can preserve them by dehydrating or freezing to ensure they stay fresh and retain their nutritional value. These methods allow you to enjoy lion’s mane mushrooms long after they’ve been harvested.

Dehydrating

  1. Using a sharp knife, cut the lion’s mane from top to bottom into quarter-inch-thick slices.
  2. Place the slices on dehydrator trays or parchment-lined baking trays in a single layer, ensuring they don’t touch each other.
  3. If using a dehydrator, set the temperature to 135°F for four to six hours. For a less firm and more delicate texture, you can dehydrate at a lower temperature for a longer period.
  4. If using an oven, set it to the lowest temperature and let the mushrooms dry for two to four hours.
  5. When the mushrooms can be easily snapped between your fingers, they’re ready. Let them cool, then place them in airtight canning jars or storage bags to prevent spoilage. Properly stored, dried lion’s mane mushrooms can last indefinitely.

Freezing

  1. Due to their high water content, it’s best to sauté lion’s mane mushrooms before freezing.
  2. Cook them as you normally would, or follow the sautéed mushrooms recipe below, then let them cool.
  3. Place the cooled mushrooms in an airtight freezer bag or a vacuum-sealed bag to prevent freezer burn.
  4. Store them in your freezer for up to a year.
Sautee fungi
If you want to take advantage of the delicate seafood-like flavor of lion’s mane, then sautéing the fresh mushroom is ideal.

Techniques for Cooking Lion’s Mane Mushroom

The best way to cook lion’s mane mushrooms is to sauté or roast them. Once they’re cooked, you can eat them in a sandwich, stir-fry, or on their own.

Sautéing or roasting is a great place to start if you’ve never cooked lion’s mane mushrooms before. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could try making your own lion’s mane “crab” cakes, or using them in a vegan lobster roll.

How to Cut Lion's Mane Mushroom

Proper preparation is essential when figuring out how to eat lion’s mane mushroom in different dishes. Rinse them in water or use a mushroom brush to remove any excess dirt. If rinsed, set them out to dry for a couple of hours, preferably in sunlight, so the extra water evaporates.

The bottom of the mushroom is likely dirty and maybe a little tough. You’ll want to cut that piece off and any other dirty or yellowing spots.

Depending on the dish you’re using your mushrooms in, you can either cut them into slices or shred them into pieces.

If slicing, use a chef's knife to cut the mushroom in half from top to bottom. From there, you can cut it into half-inch segments for a thicker slice, or quarter-inch segments for a crispier slice.

If shredding, you can simply use your hands to pull the mushroom apart into bite-sized pieces. Just like with slicing, the smaller you shred the mushroom, the crispier it will be.

Quick Tip: For even cooking, try to keep all your mushroom slices or pieces a uniform size. This ensures they cook at the same rate and achieve the desired texture.

Sauteed Lion’s Mane Recipe

Sauteing is an easy and quick way to prepare lion’s mane mushrooms. Here is a tasty and simple recipe for sauteing mushrooms.

 

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of lion’s mane mushroom
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Clean the mushrooms, cut off the bottoms, and slice them to the desired thickness.
  2. Heat a medium skillet with olive oil. Add the mushroom slices and cook them on medium heat until golden brown. It should take about two minutes.
  3. Flip and allow the opposite side to brown for about two minutes. Stir in the garlic powder, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve in a stir fry, sandwich, or on their own. Enjoy!

Roasted Lion’s Mane Recipe

Roasting is a decadent way to cook lion’s mane mushrooms without having to do a ton of prep work. Try this method to impress your friends and family at your next dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces of lion’s mane mushroom
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Clean mushrooms, cut off the bottoms, and slice them to the desired thickness.
  3. Mix olive oil, thyme, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Place all sliced mushroom pieces in the bowl and toss well to coat.
  4. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden and soft.
  5. Serve with rice, polenta, potatoes, or on their own. Bon appétit!

More Lion’s Mane Recipes

We’ve assembled a collection of seven more delicious meals that you can make using this mushroom in our article, “Lion’s Mane Recipes: 7 Creations Using This Unique Mushroom.”

We hope you have fun trying these tasty lion’s mane recipes! We’d love to hear how they worked for you. Share your mushroom dishes in our Facebook Group or on Instagram, and don’t forget to tag @Real_Mushrooms.

Related Articles

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Resources:

  1. Spelman, K., Sutherland, E., & Bagade, A. (2018, December 6). Herbal Medicine for Alzheimer's disease: Lion's mane (hericium erinaceus). Restorative Medicine. Retrieved May 25, 2022, from https://restorativemedicine.org/journal/neurological-activity-lions-mane-hericium-erinaceus/#:~:text=In%20Chinese%20and%20Japanese%20medical,%2C%20general%20vigor%2C%20and%20strength.
  2. Spelman, Kevin; Sutherland, Elizabeth; Bagade, Aravind. December 19, 2017 Journal of Restorative Medicine, Volume 6, Number 1, 3 December 2017, pp. 19-26(8) https://restorativemedicine.org/journal/neurological-activity-lions-mane-hericium-erinaceus/
  3. Lai PL;Naidu M;Sabaratnam V;Wong KH;David RP;Kuppusamy UR;Abdullah N;Malek SN; (n.d.). Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, hericium erinaceus (higher basidiomycetes) from Malaysia. International journal of medicinal mushrooms. Retrieved May 27, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24266378/
  4. Saitsu, Y., Nishide, A., Kikushima, K., Shimizu, K., & Ohnuki, K. (2019). Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan), 40(4), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.40.125
  5. Ryu, S., Kim, H. G., Kim, J. Y., Kim, S. Y., & Cho, K. O. (2018). Hericium erinaceus Extract Reduces Anxiety and Depressive Behaviors by Promoting Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Adult Mouse Brain. Journal of medicinal food, 21(2), 174–180. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2017.4006
  6. Nagano, M., Shimizu, K., Kondo, R., Hayashi, C., Sato, D., Kitagawa, K., & Ohnuki, K. (2010). Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan), 31(4), 231–237. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.31.231
  7. Diling, C., Chaoqun, Z., Jian, Y., Jian, L., Jiyan, S., Yizhen, X., & Guoxiao, L. (2017). Immunomodulatory Activities of a Fungal Protein Extracted from Hericium erinaceus through Regulating the Gut Microbiota. Frontiers in immunology, 8, 666. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00666
  8. Sheng, X., Yan, J., Meng, Y., Kang, Y., Han, Z., Tai, G., Zhou, Y., & Cheng, H. (2017). Immunomodulatory effects of Hericium erinaceus derived polysaccharides are mediated by intestinal immunology. Food & function, 8(3), 1020–1027. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7fo00071e
  9. Wachtel-Galor S, Yuen J, Buswell JA, et al. 2011. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi): A medicinal mushroom. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal medicine: Biomolecular and clinical aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; Chapter 9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/

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Real Mushrooms is the premier provider of organic mushroom extracts, verified for the beneficial medicinal compounds like beta-glucans and free from starchy fillers like grains. With over 40 years of mushroom growing experience, Real Mushrooms prides itself on providing a transparent source of functional mushrooms that you can trust. All the information provided on our blog has been reviewed by our science and medical team.

Disclaimer: The information or products mentioned in this article are provided as information resources only, and are not to be used or relied on to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information does not create any patient-doctor relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. The information is intended for health care professionals only. The statements made in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information in this article is intended for educational purposes. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by licensed medical physicians. Please consult your doctor or health practitioner for any medical advice.

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