How long does Spanish garlic mushrooms take to make?

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Ready in: 15 minutes

Is Spanish garlic mushrooms vegan-friendly?

It sure is. Champiñones al Ajillo is 100% vegan-friendly.

Spanish Garlic Mushrooms

Name: Spanish Garlic Mushrooms (Champiñones Al Ajillo)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 17 oz. 500g button mushrooms; 6 cloves of garlic (finely sliced); 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika; 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup of parsley roughly chopped; Lemon zest (optional); Salt and cracked black pepper (seasoning); ½ fresh baguette (sliced lengthways)

(Champiñones Al Ajillo)

A plate of Spanish garlic mushrooms on some fried bread

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Spanish garlic mushrooms (Champiñones al Ajillo) is a classic tapas recipe that you’ll find served all over Spain. Spanish garlic Mushrooms are delightfully simple to make at home and require only a large pan and some good quality fresh ingredients: garlic, mushrooms, olive oil, paprika, parsley, and seasoning. The smoked paprika really elevates the flavors to the next level.

Garlic mushrooms are best when served piled onto some lightly toasted or fried bread that has soaked up the delicious paprika-infused oil. This vegan-friendly recipe makes a great tapas or tasty breakfast treat and serves 4 with minimal fuss in under 15 minutes.

Serving:

2-3 servings

Ready in:

15 Minutes

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

Lemon wedges

ingredients for making Spanish garlic mushrooms are laid out on a table.

Ingredients you’ll need

17oz. (500g) button mushrooms
6 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of parsley roughly chopped
Lemon zest (optional)
Salt and cracked black pepper (seasoning)
½ fresh baguette, sliced lengthways

Equipment needed

1 large frying pan or skillet 10-12 inches (25-30cm)
1 medium-sized pot (for boiling the mushrooms)

Watch step-by-step recipe video

If you’re looking for this recipe’s video and many other great recipe ideas, why not check out our Spanish Radish YouTube Channel? We’ve got everything from quick and easy tapas recipes, delicious main meals, and incredible Spanish dessert options too.

Why you’ll love this recipe?

Easy to make
Made in 15 minutes
Great for tapas and sharing
Healthy breakfast option
Comfort food

Best mushrooms to use?

Button (White) Mushrooms or portobello mushrooms.

We use button mushrooms as they are readily available here and taste great. Portobello mushrooms are larger in size, more mature, and more open. Pick whichever you prefer, or even another type of mushroom.

Oyster mushrooms also work really well and have a more ‘meaty’ texture that goes really well with smoked paprika.

Why use smoked paprika?

Smoked paprika is an amazing flavor enhancer and with this garlic mushrooms recipe, just a level teaspoon of smoked paprika really adds layers of flavor and color. We add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, which also gives a little spice to the dish. You could also use sweet paprika for a less spiced flavor. Find out the differences between Spanish paprikas.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It goes almost without saying that for recipes with so few ingredients, you should always aim to use the best quality ingredients you can find.

We use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) extensively in cooking and this recipe is a great example of why you should use the best quality EVOO you can. Oh, and it’s super healthy too!

Check out this handy olive oil guide nutrition guide for cooking tips, nutrition information, and tasting notes. And find out the best Spanish olive oils to try in 2024.

How to make Spanish Garlic Mushrooms

Bring 1 liter of fresh water to the boil
Meanwhile, quarter the mushrooms and drop them into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain and allow mushrooms to dry (1 minute).
Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the sliced garlic and stir in with mushrooms. Cook for another minute or two before adding the smoked paprika.
Move mushrooms to one side of the pan and add bread, cut side down.
Allow bread to fry for 1 minute pressing down on each slice slightly to absorb the leftover juices and oil.
Remove mushrooms and ingredients from the heat. Allow to cool for 1 minute before adding some chopped parsley.
Add the zest from ½ lemon and stir through.
To serve, pile garlic mushrooms onto lightly fried bread and season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve while hot.

Should you boil mushrooms before frying?

Believe it or not, most mushrooms are best boiled rather than fried. We opt to boil them for around 2 minutes, then dry them. Finally, we fry the mushrooms with all of the garlic, olive oil, and spices so they soak in all the flavor.

So, why boil them at all? Mushrooms absorb a lot of water, so they can quickly become soggy when fried, especially when crowded in a pan.

To avoid the dreaded soggy mushroom saga, boil them first with a pinch of salt. Once dried, they fry better and absorb way more flavor than non-boiled mushrooms!

Great breakfast recipe

Besides being quick to make and tasting delicious, Spanish garlic mushrooms are a very healthy way to start the day.

Garlic mushrooms for breakfast provide your body with plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients. Garlic has long been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Mushrooms are a great source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants whilst being low in calories.

Check out the nutrition facts below for more information.

Nutrition facts

Serving size: 150g
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	193
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14.4g	19%
Saturated Fat 2.1g	10%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 106mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 13.3g	5%
Dietary Fiber 2.3g	8%
Total Sugars 0.5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 35mg	3%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 129mg	3%
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day* is used for general nutrition advice.

Quick and easy Vegan snack

Garlic mushrooms are the ideal vegan-friendly snack that can be whipped up in 15 minutes from start to finish.

With just 8 easy-to-find ingredients, garlic mushrooms are cheap to make and a healthy snacking option.

a plate of garlic mushrooms on a piece of toasted bread

Spanish Garlic Mushrooms (Champiñones Al Ajillo)

Byron

Champiñones al Ajillo is a classic Spanish tapas recipe that you’ll find served all over Spain. Spanish garlic Mushrooms are delightfully simple to make at home and require only a large pan and some good quality fresh ingredients: garlic, mushrooms, olive oil, paprika, parsley, and seasoning.

The smoked paprika really elevates the flavors to the next level. Garlic mushrooms are best when served piled onto some lightly toasted or fried bread that has soaked up the delicious paprika-infused oil. This vegan-friendly recipe makes a great tapas or tasty breakfast treat and serves 4 with minimal fuss in under 15 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Course appertizer, Breakfast, Snack, tapas

Cuisine American, Authentic Spanish recipe, Spain, vegan, vegetarian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 193 kcal

Equipment

1 large frying pan or skillet 10-12 inches (25-30cm)
1 medium-sized pot (for boiling the mushrooms)

Ingredients

17 oz. 500g button mushrooms
6 cloves of garlic finely sliced
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of parsley roughly chopped
Lemon zest optional
Salt and cracked black pepper seasoning
½ fresh baguette sliced lengthways

Instructions

Bring 1 liter of fresh water to the boil
Meanwhile, quarter the mushrooms and drop them into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Strain and allow mushrooms to dry (1 minute).
17 oz. 500g button mushrooms, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for around 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the sliced garlic and stir in with mushrooms. Cook for another minute or two before adding the smoked paprika.
6 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
Move mushrooms to one side of the pan and add bread, cut side down. Allow bread to fry for 1 minute pressing down on each slice slightly to absorb the leftover juices and oil.
½ fresh baguette
Remove mushrooms and ingredients from the heat. Allow to cool for 1 minute before adding some chopped parsley. Add the zest from ½ lemon and stir through.
1 cup of parsley roughly chopped, Lemon zest, Salt and cracked black pepper
To serve, pile garlic mushrooms onto lightly fried bread and season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve while hot.

Video

Keyword 15-minute-meal, easy, Easy tapas, garlic, garlic mushrooms, Mushrooms, Spanish tapas, tapas, vegan, vegetarian

Cooking Tips and FAQs

How long does this recipe take to make?

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 15 minutes

What does Champiñones Al Ajillo mean in English?

‘Champiñones’ translates to mushroom, and ‘Al Ajillo’ literally translates to ‘with garlic’.

Is this recipe healthy?

Champiñones Al Ajillo is made using fresh ingredients and with a mere 193 calories per 150g (5 oz) serving, it is very healthy. This recipe is low in sodium, contains “good” fats, and has no cholesterol.

Is this recipe vegan-friendly?

It sure is. Spanish garlic Mushrooms (Champiñones al Ajillo) is 100% vegan-friendly.