No, these aren’t luscious scallops you are seeing. Although the mushrooms are intentionally cut into a scallop shape. These braised king trumpet mushrooms are so rich and savory you’ll want to make it again and again. And the best part? This recipe is so easy you can go start to finish in under 15 minutes (depending on how quick you are with your knife skills)

Mushrooms are one of my all time favorite ingredients. From the simple button (ok these are boring), to the elite chanterelles, boletes, maitake, morels and more. One of my favorite edible mushrooms is the king trumpet, also known as the king oyster mushroom.
Not only are these Chinese braised king trumpet mushrooms easy to make, they are one of my favorite mushroom recipes of all time. Unlike some mushrooms, the meaty stems of this ‘shroom are not only edible, but delicious. They have a firm yet tender consistency, which makes them perfect for this style of Chinese braising.
This recipe is inspired by Shandong style abalone, a delicacy in China. I have quite a lot of Chinese recipes because I actually lived there for over four years. While I am not against the traditional abalone, I thought these trumpet mushrooms would be a perfect substitute. Note that this recipe is not vegan or vegetarian because it uses butter, chicken stock, and oyster sauce.
How To Make Chinese Braised King Trumpet Mushrooms

This recipe is very easy and comes together in about 15 minutes, give or take. Not to mention the sauce is pretty similar to most Chinese braising recipes, so feel free to make extra of the sauce to use in multiple ways.
Ingredients
- 400 grams King Trumpet Mushrooms (also called king oyster, French horn, eryngi, boletus of the steppes and more)
- 250 ml Chicken Stock
- 4 tbsp Butter or Neutral Oil (I like butter with mushrooms but oil is more traditional)
- 6 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1.5 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1.5 tsp Dou Ban Jiang (this is a Chinese spicy bean paste. If you can’t find it at your local market you can buy it here. You can also substitute in some gochujang instead, although the flavor is slightly different
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp MSG
- Spring Onion (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
Begin by whisking together the chicken stock, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, dou ban jiang, corn starch, and MSG in a bowl. Set aside.

The first step is to portion out the trumpet mushrooms. I slice off the cap and base and then cut into rounds about 5-6 centimeters tall (about 2-2.5 inches).

Next take the sharpest knife you have and cut a grid into the top of the mushrooms. I only go down about 1-2 centimeters. This will provide so many nooks and crannies for the delicious sauce!

Set a pan on medium-high heat and add the butter or oil. Place the mushroom medallions and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Mushrooms are hard to overcook, but if you are using butter you don’t want to burn the actual milk solids in the butter.

Once the mushrooms are nice and browned on each side add in your minced garlic and quickly stir it around. Garlic cooks extremely fast so after about 15 seconds of adding the garlic, I add the rest of the sauce.

Pour in the sauce. It will thicken quite quickly, so you only need a couple minutes here. While the sauce is getting up to temperature, take a small spoon and baste the mushrooms. You want all that saucy umami goodness to penetrate into the cuts so meticulously made.

I like to serve these braised trumpet mushrooms as an appetizer or side dish when the main is something very meaty like salt and pepper pork or walnut chicken. If you want it even spicier then go ahead and add some chili crisp to the finished dish right before serving!

These braised mushrooms are great as is, but you can serve them with white rice if you like. I like to serve them as is, but use the mushroom caps and extra sauce to make a noodle dish for meal #2 so that nothing goes to waste.
You Might Like These Other Tasty Chinese Recipes
- Chinese Takeout Beef And Broccoli
- Chinese Hand Pulled Noodles With Chili Crisp
- Chinese Fried Garlic Pork String Beans (干煸四季豆 )
- Pork And Shrimp Stuffed Peppers Dim Sum (夾餡菜椒)
- Pork Wontons With Chili Crisp
- Sweet Spicy Sesame Chicken
- Shanghai Style Sticky Spare Ribs

Chinese Braised King Trumpet Mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
- 400 grams King Trumpet Mushrooms also called king oyster, French horn, eryngi, boletus of the steppes and more
- 250 ml Chicken Stock
- 4 tbsp Butter or Neutral Oil I like butter with mushrooms but oil is more traditional
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1.5 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1.5 tsp Dou Ban Jiang this is a Chinese spicy bean paste. If you can't find it at your local market you can buy it here. You can also substitute in some gochujang instead although the flavor is slightly different
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp MSG
- Spring Onion chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together the chicken stock, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, dou ban jiang, corn starch, and MSG. Set Aside.250 ml Chicken Stock, 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce, 1.5 tsp Dou Ban Jiang, 2 tsp Corn Starch, 1/2 tsp MSG, 1.5 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- Cut the stem of the king trumpet mushrooms into medallions about 6 cm thick (more or less is fine, use your best judgement). Then use a sharp knife to make a cross hatch pattern on one of the surfaces, going down no more than a centimeter.400 grams King Trumpet Mushrooms
- Set a pan on medium-high heat and add your butter or oil. Place your mushrooms down and let them brown before flipping. Cook on both sides until nicely browned. Make sure they end up with the cross hatch pattern facing up.4 tbsp Butter or Neutral Oil
- Add the garlic to the pan and quickly fry it for no more than 15 seconds. Then pour in the chicken stock mix. Let the sauce heat up and thicken. While this is happening spoon the sauce over the mushrooms so it gets in all the cuts. When the sauce is thickened turn off the heat and plate. Garnish with some chopped spring onion and enjoy!6 cloves Garlic, Spring Onion
Chinese Braised King Trumpet Mushrooms
