Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab” Cakes
Vegetarian lion’s mane mushroom “crab” cakes with crisp edges and a soft centre, made using simple ingredients and a straightforward pan-frying method.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes lean on the natural texture of the mushroom rather than heavy seasoning, giving you crisp edges, a soft centre, and a clean, savoury flavour lifted with lime, herbs, and a little heat.
Lions mane mushrooms are a funny mushroom foraging wise. In some areas they are abundant, whereas in others with seemingly identical conditions, they are non-existent. The amount you find also varies hugely from year to year. In 2024, it seemed every tree in the forest had huge lions mane mushrooms ripe for harvest, and last year, I found just one scraggly specimen. For these reasons, lions mane is actually considered a protected species and illegal to harvest in some regions and countries, including the United Kingdom.
Luckily, they are extremely easy to grow at home, and aside from being a delicious mushroom with a unique texture, they have a huge amount of cognitive health benefits. They were actually the first species I started growing at home, and to this day, it is the species I grow the most, although I tend to make supplements with them, rather than eating them. The strand like texture of lions mane really resembles crab meat, and it even has a mild seafood scent, although this is far more prominent when dried and been through the extraction process.
For me, the best fish and crab cakes are those found in South East Asia, where I spent nearly a decade of my life. Thats why I chose to use those flavours common to that area within this recipe. But you can really play around with flavours here as you like. Just keep the mushroom, egg, and breadcrumb ratio the same, and try to avoid adding any more liquid.
Ingredients Breakdown
Lion’s mane mushroom
Provides the fibrous, crab-like texture that gives the cakes structure once cooked and squeezed dry.
Mayonnaise
Adds fat and moisture, helping the cakes stay tender rather than dry once set.
Egg
Acts as the primary binder, setting the mixture as it cooks and holding the cakes together.
Soy Sauce
Brings savoury depth and seasoning without overpowering the mushroom flavour.
Sambal Oelek
Sambal Oelek is an Indonesian chilli sauce made from crushing hot chillis into a paste using a mortar and pestle (an Ulek). It is often nothing more than chilli, salt, and sometimes a dash of vinegar. It is also a great ingredient for adding spice to a dish and it has a unique spice profile thanks to the vinegar. If you cant find any, then a little chilli paste will work, but just make sure it is thoroughly mixed in.
Spring onions
Give gentle onion flavour and freshness without the harshness of raw onion.
Fresh coriander (cilantro)
I absolutely love coriander. If you are one of those who thinks it tastes like soap, I recommend leaving it out.
Garlic
Adds savoury backbone; it should be finely grated or crushed with a little salt so it blends into the mixture rather than standing out.
Lime zest
Brightens the flavour without adding excess liquid that would loosen the mix.
Breadcrumbs (panko)
Absorb moisture and give the cakes enough structure to shape and fry cleanly.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes: Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the mushrooms
Tear the lion’s mane into chunky, crab-like strands rather than chopping. This keeps the fibres intact and helps the cakes hold their shape.
Wilt and release moisture
Add the mushrooms to a sauce pan with a pinch of salt and 30 ml water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring once, until fully wilted and sitting in their own liquid.
Cool and squeeze dry
Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and allow them to cool until just warm. Using your hands or a clean tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The mushrooms should feel damp, not wet.
Don’t worry about overdoing it and damaging them. Really squeeze as hard as you can, and then squeeze a little more. You want to get them as dry as possible here. Any additional moisture makes wet Lion’s Mane mushroom crab cakes. Lions mane contains a huge amount of water (like many mushrooms). I managed to get 100ml of water out of my mushrooms, which is almost half the weight of the initial mushroom.
Mix the base
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, egg, soy sauce, sambal, spring onions, coriander, garlic, lime zest, pepper, and a small pinch of salt. Stir until evenly blended.
Fold in mushrooms and breadcrumbs
Add the squeezed mushrooms and fold gently to coat. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and mix just until the mixture comes together. It should hold when pressed without feeling dense. Taste it here for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Rest the mixture
Leave the mixture to rest for 10–15 minutes so the breadcrumbs hydrate and the texture firms slightly.
Adjustment: If it still feels loose, add 1–2 teaspoons more breadcrumbs; if too firm, loosen with a teaspoon of oil or water.
Shape the cakes
Divide the mixture into 4 small patties. Shape gently using light pressure; avoid compacting them tightly.
Heat the pan
Heat 30 ml neutral oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.
Pan-fry the cakes
Add the cakes and cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side until deeply golden. Flip carefully and cook the second side for another 3 minutes, adjusting the heat so they brown steadily.
Check doneness
The cakes are ready when both sides are evenly browned and the centres feel set when gently pressed. Lower the heat if they colour too quickly.
Rest briefly before serving
Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and rest for 1 minute before serving to let the crust settle. Serve with some fresh lime wedges, chilli lime mayo, and a sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom “Crab” Cakes
Ingredients
- 225 g lion’s mane mushroom torn into strands
- 30 ml water
- 30 g full-fat mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 0.5 tsp light soy sauce or mushroom soy
- 1 tsp sambal oelek about 1 tsp, or to taste
- 30 Spring onions very finely sliced
- 2 tsp fresh coriander cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove about 3 g, finely grated or crushed
- Zest of 1 lime
- 25 g panko breadcrumbs
- 0.5 g white or black pepper ¼ tsp
- 1 g fine salt plus more to taste
- 30 ml neutral oil for pan-frying
Instructions
- Tear the lion’s mane into chunky strands. Add to a wide pan with 30 ml water and 1 g salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring once, until wilted and sitting in released liquid.
- Tip into a bowl and cool until warm. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands or a clean tea towel.
- In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, soy sauce, sambal, spring onions, coriander, garlic, lime zest, pepper, and a small pinch of salt.
- Fold in the squeezed mushrooms, then mix in the panko until the mixture holds when pressed. Rest 10–15 minutes.
- Shape into 4 patties. Heat 30 ml oil in a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat until shimmering.
- Fry for 3–4 minutes on the first side until deeply golden, flip carefully, then fry 2–3 minutes on the second side until browned and set. Rest 1 minute before serving.
Notes
Yes. The mixed, uncooked cakes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, which actually helps them hold together better. Shape and cook them just before serving for the best crust.
This usually means the mushrooms weren’t squeezed dry enough or the mixture didn’t rest long enough. Make sure the mushrooms are very dry and give the mix at least 10–15 minutes so the breadcrumbs can hydrate.
Yes, but use slightly less. Regular breadcrumbs are finer and absorb liquid faster, so reduce the amount by about a quarter and adjust after resting if needed. They won’t be as crispy with regualr breadcrumbs though.
Reheat them in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat until hot and crisp again. Avoid the microwave, which softens the crust and makes them a bit spongy.
The goal is texture rather than imitation. Lion’s mane gives a similar flake and bite, but the flavour is not the same a crab meat. Lions Mane are one of the less “mushroomy” tasting mushrooms. They are quite sweet and less earthy than most other species.
