Vegan Jamaican Jerk Mushroom Skewers

Bringing you these delicious Vegan Jamaican Jerk Mushroom skewers because no Summer cookout is complete without all the sides!

This mushroom side dish offers all the flavors you love from traditional jerk dishes, but with a healthy, vegan twist! The grilled mushrooms become so tender and meaty, you won't even miss your chicken or steak!

Jamaican Jerk seasoning is the flavor of the Caribbean. It is spicy, smokey, and slightly sweet, and tastes delicious on everything from chicken to vegetables. Including this mushroom skewer with pineapple! The key spices in play here are garlic powder and onion powder. Cayenne powder and paprika for some spice and smoke. And brown sugar for a hint of sweet. Of course there are many more spices involved which is why jerk seasoning is such a unique and delicious flavor. You can buy jerk seasoning from your local grocery store, or make it yourself as I did here.

The best mushrooms to grill are those that are bigger such as Portobellos and large shiitakes. This is because they contain more water so are more forgiving if you over cook them a tad. They also lend themselves well for grilling because their large size keeps them from falling through the grills. Despite this, smaller mushrooms are delicious when grilled as well! Take these small cremini mushrooms for example.

When grilling a small mushroom, you will need to use skewers or a grilling basket. Since they will cook fast, it is best to cook them over direct heat which will allow them to get a nice char on the outside while the inside cooks and becomes tender. Since you will be cooking the inside and outside simultaneously, you run less of a risk of over cooking. Compared to if you let it become tender over indirect heat then moved the mushrooms over to direct heat to char.

This Vegan Jerk Mushroom Skewer recipe is super easy to make since it involves so few ingredients. These are cremini mushrooms, sweet onions, pineapple, and lots of spice.

Step 1 - Preheat your grill to high, roughly 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2 - If desired, chop the tough stems off of the mushrooms. Cut the pineapple into chunks and chop the onion. Add the mushrooms and onion to a large bowl and set the pineapple aside. Gather all your spices and make your Jamaican jerk seasoning.

My favorite way to chop an onion for skewers is to first cut it in half. Then cut the onion half into 3 sections vertically, then into another 3 sections horizontally. You should be left with a 3x3 grid, or 9 sections of onions. From here, you can easily ply apart the onion layers and set them aside until you are ready to thread them on to your skewer.

Step 3 - Add the olive oil and jerk seasoning to the bowl with the mushrooms and onions. Toss until the vegetables are well coated in the seasoning.

Step 4 - Thread the mushrooms, onions, and pineapples through the skewer in any order.

If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 1 hour before grilling so they do not burn.

Step 5 - Transfer the skewers to the grill. Cook the skewers for 2 minutes then flip. Brush the skewers with a small amount of olive oil after each flip. You'll want to continue flipping the skewers for roughly 10 minutes until they are nice and tender.

Step 6 - Remove from grill and garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme if desired. Serve and enjoy!

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