Vegan Pernil

Vegan Pernil, a plant-based version using oyster mushrooms brushed and marinated in sazon, herbs and garlic then roasted in the oven until tender and crispy.

Sliced oyster mushroom pernil off the mushroom stack on a cutting board.

Do I miss meat? Honestly, no. What I do miss though are the memories and connections I created because of it. And Pernil is one of those meats I grew up with. Since going vegan I haven’t had it, but the memories, the textures, and flavors are still there and it made me want to revisit this family staple and do it some justice with plant based ingredients. Is it possible to make a satisfying vegan pernil? Yes! And we’re doing it with mushrooms.

Not traditional, but the texture of oyster mushrooms in this flavor marinade makes me think of home and makes me feel more connected to the traditions I did grow up with in a Dominican household. So if you’re missing that connection too as a plant based eater, this one is for you.

Bowl of rice and beans topped with sliced vegan pernil, plantains, and avocado.

What Is Pernil?

Pernil is pork shoulder or pork leg that has been marinated in a signature Latin seasoning and then slow roasted for hours until the meat is tender and the outside skin is crispy. It is often the main centerpiece served at Christmas in many Latin American homes including the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Typical preparation of the meat involves coating and deeply inserting sazon (sofrito), garlic and other herbs and spices like oregano into cuts made into the meat. The meat is then covered and slow roasted for hours, then roasted again without the cover to get the skin crispy. It’s a process I’ve watched my family do time and time again!

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pernil

  • It’s nostalgic. If you are a Latin American plant-based eater, but not wanting to miss out on traditions that keep you close to your heritage, this recipe is for you.
  • Less roasting time compared to real meat. Honestly, this advantage alone is a big win for me. In total, these mushrooms take 45 minutes to prepare compared to the 9 hour prep and cook time it takes to make the traditional meat based version.
  • High on flavor. To match those classic flavors we are basting our mushrooms in the sazon that my family has used to prepare their pernil of Christmas past. It is then roasted until perfectly tender and crisp around the edges to help lock in those flavors into the mushrooms.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Oyster Mushrooms: The star of our recipe and the key to the incredible texture of this dish. Just tear into large flat clusters, no need to shred the mushrooms before starting. For the best texture, I highly recommend sticking to these mushrooms.
  • Oil: Opt for a good quality high heat oil. I used avocado oil because it is also neutral in flavor.
  • Bouillon: Many preparations utilize sopita (a chicken based bouillon). I keep it vegan by using a good quality vegetable bouillon paste or a vegan chicken based bouillon like Better Than Bouillon (check for vegan symbol) or this vegan based chicken bouillon cube.
  • Sazon: I love the seasoning from Eat Loisa, but you can also find versions by Badia you can buy in bulk. If you can’t find sazon in your local market, use some adobo or a little more smoked paprika. Just smoked paprika is not the same, but helps in a pinch for this recipe.
  • Additional Dry Seasonings: Oregano, coriander, thyme, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
  • Citrus: I used both orange juice and lime juice. The lime can also be swapped for lemon juice.
  • Fresh Garlic: Garlic cubes are a critical piece to flavoring pernil. To help evenly spread and cook it, opt to grate or crush your garlic really well with a garlic press or mortar and pestle.
  • Fresh Herbs: Cilantro and parsley. If you happen to have access to culantro, that’s even better! I used cilantro as that is more readily available where I am.

How to Make Vegan Pernil

Preheat oven the oven and set a large skillet or griddle over medium heat on the stovetop. Drizzle pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and add the mushrooms in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Press down on the mushrooms with a spatula frequently to help flatten them and release more moisture for an additional 2 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and repeat pressing down on the mushrooms for an additional 4-5 minutes or until both sides are golden. Place cooked mushrooms on a paper towel lined plate, then repeat with remaining mushrooms.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Place a mushroom cluster in the center of a sheet pan and brush with the marinade. Layer another on top and brush it with marinade. Continue stacking and marinating the remaining mushrooms. Place 2 skewers through the mushroom stack to stabilize and place in the oven for 8 minutes.

Remove stack from the oven and baste with additional marinade on all sides. Place mushrooms back in the oven to roast for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the mushrooms appear to crisp.

Slice into short strips. Serve with Moro, platanos fritos and avocado.

Expert Tips

  • Don’t shred the mushrooms before cooking. We want to roast them in clusters to get a better meaty texture while also getting the edges to crisp as it roasts. After testing it both ways, the method being shared here helps to achieve that more authentic look and texture.
  • Avoid overcrowding your pan with mushrooms. Use a large skillet and make sure the mushrooms are spread out enough in a single layer. This will allow them enough room to brown without excess moisture causing the mushrooms to get wet and rubbery.
  • Press down on the mushrooms as they are cooking in the pan. Use a spatula to press down on the mushrooms as they cook to help them flatten into the right shape as they release their moisture in the cooking process.
  • Baste each layer when assembling the stack for the oven. It’s important that each mushroom get brushed with the marinade, so that each mushroom is evenly flavored.
  • To make the sazon quickly, just blend everything in a small blender until well combined. You can also mince the herbs by hand and use a garlic press or place the ingredients into a mortar and pestle.
  • Save the remaining marinade. You can warm cook with it to flavor beans or use it to coat and marinade tofu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace the oyster mushrooms with a different mushroom?

To get the right texture, I highly recommend sticking to the oyster mushrooms. Not only will they crisp up better, but they also are unique in that they pull into shreds similar to the texture you would get in Pernil. If you do use a different mushroom just know you will likely end up with something softer without the shred and chewiness.

Do I need to stack the mushrooms?

I recommend stacking for a better texture overall. I saw this method originally used by Gaz Oakly, The Edgy Veg, and Justine Doiron. Stacking allows for the mushrooms to cook similar to how pernil is. Pernil cooks together as a single chunk roast that is penetrated with the marinade. As it cooks, the inside gets tender while the outside edges cook nice and crisp. Stacking the mushrooms helps to mimic this. You get flavor ladened mushrooms with tender centers and crispy edges.

Can I bake the mushrooms initially instead of pan frying?

Yes, but it will take a much longer time. You can start roasting them with oil for about 15 minutes, then place another sheet pan overtop and press a heavy oven safe object on top to mimic the pressing of the mushrooms in the pan. Do this for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the juices of the mushrooms have cooked off and they have browned evenly on both sides.

How long does it keep?

Once prepared, cut and store any leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing these mushrooms. To enjoy as leftovers, place in a pan to warm back through.

Plate of vegan pernil served with moro, fried plantains, and avocado slices.

How to Serve

Pernil is most often served with rice and beans. For the holidays growing up, we would load up a plate of pernil with moro de guandules, platanos fritos and avocado slices.

If you want to enjoy this with extra protein during the holidays, you may wish to enjoy this with a few slices of this brown sugar glazed tofu, some Vegan “Pollo” Guisado using tempeh, Latin spiced lentil loaf or maybe snack on some protein rich appetizers like these Cranberry Chili Meatballs before building your main plate.

More Vegan Holiday Recipes

Close up view of a plate of vegan pernil, avocado, moro, and plantains.
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Sliced oyster mushroom pernil off the mushroom stack on a cutting board.

Vegan Pernil

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 34 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Dominican
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Vegan Pernil, a plant-based version using oyster mushrooms brushed and marinated in sazon, herbs and garlic then roasted in the oven until tender and crispy.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs oyster mushroom clusters, broken up into large flat clusters
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (or culantro), finely minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp sazon
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dry thyme
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base paste or 1/2 bouillon cube
  • 4 tbsp avocado oil
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of half an orange (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F and set a large skillet or griddle on the stove top over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and add the mushrooms in a single layer on the pan without overcrowding and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. With a spatula, gently press down on the mushrooms frequently to help flatten them and release more moisture for an additional 2 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and repeat pressing down on the mushrooms for an additional 4-5 minutes or until both sides are golden. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate, then repeat with any other mushrooms that remain.
  2. Prepare the marinade by combining the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. On a parchment lined baking sheet place one mushroom cluster in the center of the pan and brush it with the marinade. Layer another cluster on top and brush it with marinade. Continue stacking and marinating the mushrooms until you get to the top of the mushroom tower. Place 2 skewers through the mushroom stack to stabilize and then place the stack in the oven for 8 minutes.
  4. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and baste the mushrooms very well with additional marinade on all sides. Place the mushrooms back in the oven to roast for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the mushrooms appear to crisp up.
  5. Allow the mushroom stack to rest for a few minutes and then slice into it to create short strips. Serve with Moro, platanos fritos and avocado.

Notes

Don’t shred the mushrooms before cooking. We want to roast them in clusters to get a better meaty texture while also getting the edges to crisp as it roasts. After testing it both ways, the method being shared here helps to achieve that more authentic look and texture.

Avoid overcrowding your pan with mushrooms. Use a large skillet and make sure the mushrooms are spread out enough in a single layer. This will allow them enough room to brown without excess moisture causing the mushrooms to get wet and rubbery.

Press down on the mushrooms as they are cooking in the pan. Use a spatula to press down on the mushrooms as they cook to help them flatten into the right shape as they release their moisture in the cooking process.

Baste each layer when assembling the stack for the oven. It’s important that each mushroom get brushed with the marinade, so that each mushroom is evenly flavored.

To make the sazon quickly, just blend everything in a small blender until well combined. You can also mince the herbs by hand and use a garlic press or place the ingredients into a mortar and pestle.

Save the remaining marinade. You can warm cook with it to flavor beans or use it to coat and marinade tofu.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

 Catherine

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