Best Mushrooms for Pizza

Mushrooms are a classic topping for pizza, and their earthy, robust flavor compliments cheese and other pizza toppings nicely. You may be asking yourself, what are the best mushrooms for pizza? Or you might be looking for a fantastic mushroom pizza recipe. We’ve got your answers in this post.

Mushrooms are a very versatile ingredient. You can use several types of mushrooms to get a deeper flavor profile, or you can stick with just one kind of mushroom to accentuate your favorite one.

No matter which way you choose, there are a lot of different types of mushrooms you can choose from as a pizza topping, so we’ve broken down the options here for you.

What Are The Best Mushrooms For Pizza?

We’ve already established that there are dozens of varieties of mushrooms to choose from for your pizza. If all you’ve ever considered are button mushrooms, you can and should branch out from there.

Here is a profile on some of the best mushrooms for pizza to get you started on the right ‘shroom for you!

Button Mushrooms

Button mushrooms are the most common mushroom used for pizza. They have a mild, earthy flavor that compliments the other toppings well. Button mushrooms are also affordable and easy to find at most grocery stores.

Cremini Mushrooms

Cremini mushrooms are the same variety as button mushrooms but are picked when they’re mature, so they are deeper and richer in flavor. They are also known as Baby Bella Mushrooms because they are the same variety as Portobello but picked at a stage younger. 

Portobello Mushrooms

Portobello mushrooms are popular for their robust and savory taste. They also have a meaty texture, making them a great addition to a vegetarian pizza, especially if you want to please meat eaters at the same table.

Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are a delicious addition to any pizza. They have a smoky flavor and would go great with smoked cheeses. Like portobello mushrooms, they also have a meaty texture, making them an excellent meat substitute.

Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are a little more delicate, so they are a great mushroom to try if you’re new to mushrooms or if you want to pair them with a bolder mushroom so you get varying textures and tastes. They are slightly sweet and go well with garlic and olive oil.

Chanterelle Mushrooms

Chanterelle mushrooms have a slightly nutty and sweet flavor that makes them a delicious pizza topping. They are a more expensive mushroom but worth it if you want something special and unique.

Morel Mushrooms

Morel mushrooms are another more expensive but delicious option for pizza toppings. They have a rich, earthy flavor and pair well with savory toppings.

Fresh vs. Canned Mushrooms

If you’ve ever had a pizza with canned mushrooms, you don’t need to ask which is better between fresh and canned mushrooms. There is just no comparison. Fresh is the only way to go for a mushroom that has a good texture and flavor.

Canned mushrooms tend to be spongy and waterlogged. They will add too much water to your pizza, and the flavor is often off-putting too. Stick with fresh mushrooms whenever possible.

How to Clean Mushrooms for Pizza

When it comes to preparing mushrooms for pizza, first, you must clean them. If they are wild mushrooms, toss them in a bowl of water and let the dirt sink to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to rub them a bit to remove all the dirt.

Alternatively, you can rinse them off in the faucet, gently brushing off the dirt with your fingers. Dry the mushrooms well. You do not want a soaked mushroom. At best, your mushroom will become very spongy. At worst, the water will leech onto your pizza, making a soggy mess.

With cultivated mushrooms, you can wipe off any excess dirt with a dry towel or paper towel.

If you want to learn more about cleaning mushrooms, check out this article.

How to Prepare Mushrooms

There are several methods you can try for preparing your mushrooms.

• Sautéing mushrooms in olive oil or butter is a great way to release natural flavors and add richness to the pizza.
• Grilling or smoking can bring out the natural smoky flavor of mushrooms.
• If you’ve washed your mushrooms, cooking them beforehand is also a great way to evaporate some of the excess water.
• Add the mushrooms raw to the pizza if you prefer a milder flavor.

What If You Don’t Like Mushrooms?

Some people do not enjoy mushrooms, and I empathize because I have only recently started eating them myself. I never touched a mushroom until last year. While they may be an acquired taste, I think what usually puts people off is the texture.

They can be soft or spongy, which may not be your favorite mouthfeel. If that is you, I suggest you dice the mushrooms up very small; that way, you don’t get the texture, you only get the rich, umami flavor and wonderful nutrition packed inside those little fun guys (get it… fungi)?

Bad puns aside, a good place to start is with mushrooms on pizza. You have the crust, sauce, and toppings to help introduce you to the wonderful flavor of mushrooms!

Mushroom Pizza Recipe

Below is the recipe I used for my Best Mushroom Pizza. I was happy to find 4 oz. of pre-cleaned and sliced mixed mushrooms for my pizza – they were Cremini, Shiitake, and Oyster mushrooms. Check your grocery store because it saves a lot of time and prep work, plus money because you don’t have to buy multiple containers of mushrooms.

Best Mushroom Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

• One 12” pizza crust – store-bought, or find one of our pizza dough recipes here
• 4 ounces mushrooms – cleaned and sliced (or diced, if you prefer a smaller bite)
• 6 ounces pizza sauce – give or take, you can add a little less or more, depending on your preferences, but be careful not to add too much. It will make your toppings slide around
• 8 oz pizza cheese – I like using an Italian Style Blend; the one I used included mozzarella, provolone, romano, parmesan, fontina, and asiago. But you can use your favorite.

Instructions

1. Roll out the pizza dough and place it on a pizza peel or pizza pan.
2. Add sauce. Spread the sauce around the pizza evenly, using the back of a spoon or a spatula.
3. Evenly top the pizza with your mushrooms, then add the cheese. Follow the baking instructions per your pizza dough recipe.
4. With our homemade pizza dough recipe, preheat the oven to 450 and cook for 20-22 minutes.
5. We also like using a dual method of baking the pizza for 12 minutes and then sliding it off the pizza pan onto the pizza stone that has been preheating in the oven with the pizza. We then turn the oven off and let the pizza finish baking on the stone for about 3-5 minutes.

For the pizza in the pictures, we cooked in our Solo Stove Pi (Outdoor Pizza Oven). The stone temperature was 800 degrees, and we cooked it for 4 minutes. We rotated the pizza a quarter turn once every minute.

November 25, 2023