Crispy Beer-Battered Fried Mushrooms With Homemade Ranch Recipe

Recipe developer Erin Johnson tells us that these crispy fried mushrooms can be "a perfect snack, appetizer, or addition to your game-day spread" — and this is especially true if you need something that's suitable for vegetarians to eat. Without the dressing, these mushrooms are also A-OK for vegans, though you could always pick up some plant-based mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk substitutes to replace the dairy in the dressing.

Even though this recipe is for beer-battered mushrooms, it is also possible to make an alcohol-free version. One way to do this would be to use any of the many refreshing non-alcoholic beers that are widely available these days, which would give the batter a similar flavor without the booze. As Johnson notes, "A light beer works best for this batter," and you can't get much lighter than 0% ABV. "If you don't want to use beer, you can substitute club soda," Johnson tells us, while a non-flavored seltzer would also work.

The ranch dressing in this recipe is made from mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. For the beer batter, you'll need flour, baking powder, Old Bay seasoning, and, of course, beer. Add some whole button mushrooms and oil for frying, and you're all set to start cooking.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a small bowl.

Add dill, parsley, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add flour, baking powder, Old Bay, and the remaining onion powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Pour in the beer, stir to combine, and allow batter to sit for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot.

Once the batter has rested and the oil is hot, dip the mushrooms in the batter to coat, then drop them into the hot oil, working in batches as needed.

Fry mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining batches of mushrooms.

Serve warm with the prepared ranch dressing.

If you like your fried food crispy, you won't want to make these in advance. As Johnson notes, "These mushrooms should be fried immediately before serving and will not keep well." This means that if you don't need 6 servings, you should probably just make a smaller batch. The same thing goes for the batter: Though it benefits from sitting for 10 minutes to result in a crispier crust, Johnson explains that it won't keep for much longer.

The seasoned dip, however, is a different story. Johnson tells us the ranch dressing can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you're ready to enjoy it. Stored in an airtight container, it will last for about a week. Dairy-based dressings and sauces don't take too well to being frozen, since creamy ingredients tend to curdle.

One great thing about this recipe is that it's a twofer — the duo being the batter and the ranch dressing — that you can divvy up and put to other purposes. Johnson suggests using the batter to make the fried fish for fish and chips, while it would also be good for fried shrimp, fried chicken, fried onion rings, and fried pickles. As Johnson puts it, "You can use this batter to fry almost anything."

As for the homemade ranch dressing, you can, of course use it on a salad, perhaps thinned out with a little milk, water, or even vinegar for extra acidity. This ranch dressing can also be repurposed as a dip for crudites or chicken wings or spread onto wraps, burgers, and sandwiches. For something totally different, try using it as a coating or marinade for baked chicken dishes.