This week I’m bringing you a classic Japanese home-style recipe that checks all the boxes: minimal cleanup, tons of flavor, and a cozy, steamy reveal that makes dinner feel a little special. Who doesn’t love getting their own perfectly portioned bundle of flavor, just for them?” Kinoko Foil—literally “mushrooms in foil”—is beloved for a reason. You pile in a mix of mushrooms and seafood, drizzle it with a miso-based sauce, add a pat (or two!) of butter, wrap it all up, and let the steam do the work. What comes out is deeply savory, buttery, and bursting with umami, with the kind of luscious broth that demands a bowl of rice or a chunk of crusty bread to soak it all up. It’s fancy enough for date night, but simple enough for a Tuesday. These heavenly packets can serve as either an elegant starter or light supper, so let’s get into it:
Foil packets are popular in Japanese cuisine and are used in the same way that Parchment serves French cuisine. It creates an enclosed cooking environment allowing all of your ingredients to simmer together. And who doesn’t love a little drama and mystery at meal time? I don’t really recommend parchment being used here because there’s quite a bit of liquid which just makes the parchment soggy and difficult to handle. The foil is much sturdier and keeps the moisture contained.
Kinoko Foil is the kind of cozy, satisfying food that feels fancy but is secretly very low effort—perfect for a weeknight dinner or a low-key dinner party. I start by making the sauce, which has all the heavy hitter usual suspects of Japanese cuisine- mirin, soy sauce, sake, and miso. The combination of these ingredients alone is a powerfully delicious sauce, but then we add the richness of butter which takes this dish to another level.
Combine all the sauce ingredients, except the butter, to a bowl or measuring cup.
Give everything a good stir:
Then I move on to prepping the mushrooms. I like to use a mix of enoki, shimeji, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms for a beautiful contrast in both color and texture. If you can’t find all four, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of the others. Keeping the mushrooms around the same size helps everything cook evenly.
Start by trimming the base of the enoki mushrooms and then cut the long strands in half:
Then break them into smaller bunches by shredding them with your fingers.
Then trim the bottom of the shimeji:
Separate them into smaller clusters:
Trim the bottoms of the king oyster mushrooms and then cut the stalks in half:
Then break down into 1/4 slices:
Then trim and slice the shiitakes:
Now I make the foil packets. Arguably this is the hardest part, but I’m going to show you each step. (and if all else fails I give a cheat in the notes!)
Start by folding the foil in half lengthwise to create a crease—this will help you shape the bottom of your pouch:
Fold the bottom edge up about ½ inch, then fold it over two more times. These creases help create the flat base that you want so your packets stand up on the baking sheet or pan. Then unfold those folds you just made.
Now do the same for the sides—fold them in ½ inch and repeat two more times to create the side seams. Now only the top has an opening.
Carefully open up the pouch and flatten the bottom using the creases you made earlier. Stick your hand in there and gently push along the bottom to help.
See those triangle folds in the corners? Press them flat up against the side to help the pouch hold its shape like a little foil basket.
Now it’s time to start layering all the goodies in your little foil packets. Layer in the sturdier shimeji, shiitake and king oyster mushrooms first to create a cozy bed for the seafood.
Then layer the seafood on top of the mushroom bed:
Carefully divide the sauce between the pouches:
Top with the more delicate enoki mushrooms:
Don’t forget the butter!
Carefully fold down the top of the foil pouch ½ inch, then fold it two more times to seal it tight. You want to trap all that steamy goodness inside.
Now it’s time to cook these babies! I give instructions for baking them in the oven, grilling them outside, or steaming them in a pan on the stovetop on the recipe card.
If going with the stovetop, put the foil pouches in a pan, seam side up. Use a large heavy bottomed pan with a domed lid. If you’re using a flat lid, you might need to nudge and flatten the pouches a little so everything fits.
Cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. You can check the contents of the pouch by VERY carefully (no one likes a steam burn) unrolling the opening. The liquid will be steamy and bubbling and the seafood plump and just cooked through.
Sprinkle with scallions and a little freshly ground pepper to finish. You can serve the pouches as-is or plate them up. Either way, you’re gonna want bread or rice to soak up that buttery, umami-packed sauce.
Whether you’re making this for an elegant starter or a cozy supper for two, kinoko foil is one of those quietly comforting dishes that always hits the spot. It’s simple, satisfying, and full of earthy, umami-rich flavor. Try it and let me know what you think. And don’t forget to tag us in your beautiful kinoko foil pics @funkyasiankitchens.
If you’re in the mood for more Japanese home cooking, check out some of my other favorites like Oyakodon, Shrimp Zosui, Beef Curry, or this Potato Salad.
Kinoko Foil
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 2 as appetizer or light dinner 1x
- Category: small plates, sides
- Cuisine: japanese
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 3 Tablespoons miso
- 3 Tablespoons sake
- 1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mirin (sweet cooking sake)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
For the Foil Packets:
- 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (3 oz, 85 g)
- 1 package shimeji mushrooms (3.5 oz, 100 g)
- 1 package enoki mushrooms (3 oz, 85 g)
- 2 pieces king oyster mushrooms (eringi) (7.5 oz, 113 g)
- 8 pieces large shrimp
- 6 sea scallops
For Garnish:
- 2 Tablespoons minced green onion
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Make The Sauce– In a small bowl, combine miso, sake, soy sauce, and mirin. Mix well and set aside.
Prep The mushrooms- Cut the growing medium off the bottom of the enoki mushrooms, about 1 inch. Cut the enoki mushrooms in half lengthwise. Break the mushrooms into small bunches. Trim the ends off of the shimeji mushrooms. Separate the mushrooms into small clusters. Trim the bottom of the king oyster mushrooms. If they are very long, cut them in half lengthwise, and then slice them into ¼ inch slices. Cut and discard the stems of the shiitake mushrooms. Then slice the mushrooms into ¼ inch slices. All of the mushrooms should be around the same size so they cook evenly in the pouch.
Make The Foil Packets– Cut two sheets of aluminum foil, 16-inches wide by 12-inches long. Fold the packet in half on the long end. Lay the folded foil on the counter so the folded crease is at the bottom. Fold the bottom ½ inch and then fold again. Unfold those folds. Fold the sides ½ inch, and then repeat twice more so the sides are secure. You now have a packet that has only the opening at the top. Open the packet carefully by placing your hand inside and flatten the bottom using the creases you made earlier as a guide. Use your fingers to push the corners of the pouch flat, creating a triangle at the corners. Push the triangular folds up against the side. Now you have created a pouch that’s flat at the bottom and can sit on a tray or pan.
Widen the opening so you can easily place the ingredients. You will be dividing the ingredients in half for each pouch. Start with the oyster mushrooms, the shimeji, and shiitake mushrooms, making a bed at the bottom. Add the garlic slices. Place the seafood on top of the bed.
Divide the sauce for the two pouches, pouring it on top of the seafood. Finally top with the enoki mushrooms and add 2 tablespoons of butter to each pouch.
Fold the top ½ inch down and then fold twice more to ensure a tight seal.
Cook The Foil Packets- There are several ways you can cook these foil packets: on the stove top, in the oven, or over a mesh grate if you have a gas stove or grill.
In The Oven- Pre-heat the oven to 425 and set the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Place the pouches standing on a rimmed baking sheet (in case your seal is not tight and leaks) and bake for about 16-18 minutes. You can check the contents of the pouch by VERY carefully unrolling the opening. The liquid will be steamy and bubbling and the seafood plump and just cooked through.
On The Stove- Use a large deep pan and place the pouches into the pan and cover with a lid. This works best with a dome lid. If you only have a flat lid, reshape the pouches gently so they fit into the pan with the lid. Cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. You can check the contents of the pouch by VERY carefully unrolling the opening. The liquid will be steamy and bubbling and the seafood plump and just cooked through.
On A Gas Stove or Grill- Place pouches on a metal grate on medium low heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. You can check the contents of the pouch by VERY carefully unrolling the opening. The liquid will be steamy and bubbling and the seafood plump and just cooked through.
Garnish- Very carefully unroll the opening, or you can also snip across the top with a pair of scissors. Sprinkle it with scallions and a little fresh ground pepper. Place the pouches on a plate and serve immediately.
Notes
*If you are having problems making the pouch or even understanding the instructions, simply fold the piece of foil in half and then open it up and stack the ingredients on top of the fold. Then starting rolling up one side of the opening, going up almost to the top. Then start rolling up the other side going up again almost to the top. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the pouch and toss in the butter. Finish rolling up the foil so you have a tight semi circle that kind of looks like a foil hand pie. You are now ready to cook.
Finally, you can cook this on the stove, bypassing the foil packet entirely. Add the sauce and all of the mushrooms, except the enoki, into a deep pan, cook on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked through. Add the butter, seafood, and the enoki mushrooms. Add a lid, lower the heat to medium, and cook for another minute or two until the scallops are just cooked. Garnish, transfer to a dish, and serve.
*These pouches can be prepped ahead the day before and stored in the fridge. Let the pouches warm up on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes before cooking.
*Any leftovers can be reheated gently on the stove or microwaved for a couple of minutes.
*The sauce that remains in the pouch is like liquid gold. Serve this dish with bread for dunking or rice to stir into the pouch for a more filling meal.
Keywords: enoki, kinoko, mushrooms, japanese home cooking, seafood, shrimp, scallops
