It’s the Summer of Mushrooms: Three Top Tips to Enjoy Mushrooms on the Grill from BBQ Pro Katherine Salom, @GirlGoneGrilling

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. (July 22, 2025) — Mushrooms are a must-have for summer grilling, according to Katherine Salom, a Houston-based grilling enthusiast recognized on social media as @GirlGoneGrilling.

“Mushrooms are the ultimate grilling ingredient – meaty, flavorful and perfect for soaking up marinades and seasonings,” Salom says. “With a range of varieties, each with their own size, shape, flavor and texture, mushrooms are delicious in a ton of grilling applications.”

In fact, mushrooms are one of the most popular vegetables for backyard cooking, with 52% of grillers reaching for mushrooms when they fire up the grill, according to a trend report from the Acosta Group.¹ Shoppers stock up on jumbo, grill-friendly portabella mushrooms and 16-ounce or larger size mushroom packages to feed a crowd. It’s no surprise sales for these particular items surge during summer barbecue season each year.²

“Grilling mushrooms is a fantastic way to bring out their savory, umami-rich flavor while adding a bit of smokiness and char,” Salom says.

Mushrooms already are packed with flavor, but you can dial up the deliciousness with a quick marinade, especially global flavors that are a top grilling trend.

“Mushrooms pair perfectly with a variety of marinades, so they easily bring those tasty global flavors to the grill,” Salom adds. From Korean BBQ and Asian-style glazes to Mediterranean herbs, flavors both savory and swicy shine with the versatility offered by grilled mushrooms.

 
Three Tips to Enjoy Mushrooms on the Grill

As grilling season heats up, Salom is sharing her top tips for perfectly grilled mushrooms every time.

1. Stock up on portabellas. Portabella mushrooms are a grill’s best friend, and for good reason. These umami-rich, hearty mushrooms can go straight on the grill since they’re large enough not to fall through the grates. Marinate or brush them with oil to boost flavor and keep them juicy. “Portabellas are great as a burger patty or main dish,” Salom says.
2. Grab your skewers. Smaller size mushrooms like white button or crimini can be grilled on skewers either whole or sliced to keep them from falling through the grates. Salom also suggests using a grill basket to toss the smaller mushrooms easily and cook them evenly.
3. Try The Blend. A hit on restaurant menus, The Blend combines finely chopped fresh mushrooms with ground meat. The Blend is an easy way to add delicious umami flavor, moisture and nutrition to burgers while also extending the number of servings from your ground meat purchase. A 25:75 mushroom-to-meat blend is the perfect consistency for burgers.

Grill-Ready Mushroom Recipes

Try some of these crave-worthy mushroom recipes for your backyard barbecue this summer:

• Sizzling Garlic Butter Steak and Mushroom Kebabs: Salom’s kebabs are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for any summer gathering, featuring juicy steak and savory white button mushrooms grilled to perfection and finished with a sizzling garlic butter drizzle.
• Grilled Portabella Burgers with Garlic Mayo: Whole portabella mushrooms are marinated in a homemade barbecue spice mix and grilled until tender. Serve with sweet grilled red onions and a savory garlic and chive mayonnaise.
• Portabella Satay with Spicy Cucumber Relish and Peanut Sauce: Thick slices of portabella are grilled on wooden skewers to add smoky flavor to this meaty mushroom. Pair with a creamy peanut dipping sauce and a spicy relish of diced cucumbers, shallots and red chiles to bring freshness and crunch.
• Blended Burger: Mushrooms are finely chopped to the consistency of ground meat and evenly mixed together. Form into patties and grill for perfectly juicy burgers!
• Go-to Grilling Mushroom Sauce: Salom created this rich, savory sauce with crimini mushrooms for spooning over steaks, chicken or grilled vegetables that can be whipped up right next to your other grillables.

Visit  www.mushroomcouncil.com for a full collection of summer grilling recipes, nutrition insights and cooking tips. Explore more mushroom grilling recipes by Katherine Salom at @girlgonegrilling on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook.

About the Mushroom Council
The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers and importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information, visit mushroomcouncil.com.

 
References
¹ Grilling Trends. Acosta Group, 2024.
² Circana, MULO+, total U.S. 52 w.e. 2025.