Sautéed Mushrooms

 

Add Sautéed Mushrooms to your go-to side dish list. They cook quickly, taste buttery, herby, and garlicky (a.k.a. DELISH), and have total steakhouse vibes that will make you feel fancy when you serve them.

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

• Mushrooms. Earthy and savory, mushrooms pair nicely with just about any type of main dish. (Need more mushroom sides? You’ll love Roasted Mushrooms.)
• Olive Oil + Butter. I use both oil and butter for a dynamic duo that pairs searing (oil) with rich, satisfying flavor (butter). (I also use both in my Sauteed Spinach.)
• Garlic. Garlic and mushrooms are besties. The garlic plays especially nicely with the butter.
• Soy Sauce. I love the unexpected background touch of umami soy sauce lends the mushrooms. You could also use Worcestershire.
• Balsamic Vinegar. As with the marinade in these Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, the lightly sweet acidity of balsamic is a divine mushroom pairing. It balances the butteriness and gives depth to the mushrooms.
• Fresh Thyme. For a beautiful presentation and a tasty touch of fresh herb flavor, I like to use a bit of woodsy fresh thyme. Fresh parsley or rosemary are also excellent herbs for sautéed mushrooms.

MARKET SWAP

When it comes to mushroom varieties, many taste great when sautéed.

• For ultimate ease, make this recipe with presliced cremini mushrooms (also called baby bella mushrooms). They are widely available at grocery stores. Also used in Air Fryer Mushrooms.
• For a more elevated take, use a mix of mushrooms, such as trumpet, oyster, and shiitake.
• DO NOT use plain white button mushrooms. These lack flavor, especially when compared to other readily available varieties like cremini.
• Love portobello? Cut your caps into slices prior to sautéing, or save them for a Portobello Mushroom Burger.

Recipe Variations

• Red Wine Mushrooms. Omit the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, swapping in 2 tablespoons of red wine. This enhances the savory flavor of the mushrooms. You don’t need to use anything special, but select a wine that you like to drink. You can make sautéed mushrooms with white wine, too.
• Balsamic Mushrooms. Increase the amount of balsamic vinegar in this recipe to 2 to 3 teaspoons.
• Parmesan Mushrooms. Finish your sautéed mushrooms with a shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.
• Extra Garlic Mushrooms. As written, these sautéed mushrooms are quite garlicky. That said, if you’d like to up the garlic factor further, feel free to add 1 to 2 additional cloves. You could even add a splash of lemon juice here!

My Tips for the BEST Sautéed Mushrooms

The secret to sautéed mushrooms is a large pan and some patience.

• Mushrooms have a high water content, so they will cook down substantially.
• When you start this recipe, it will look like a ridiculous amount of mushrooms, but you’ll end up with a much smaller amount in the end.
• To make sautéed mushrooms that are not soggy, you’ll want to cook the liquid the mushrooms release all the way off (or drain it away). Until it does, the mushrooms won’t be able to brown.
• Your sauté time will vary based on the amount of liquid and the size of your pan. If the mushrooms have space in the pan, sauté mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes. If your pan is very crowded (as when making a big batch like this one), you’ll need to cook them longer.

How to Serve Sautéed Mushrooms

• These simple sautéed mushrooms are great for pairing with just about any main dish, from Grilled Pork Chops to Air Fryer Salmon.
• You also can use them as a filling for a yummy Air Fryer Grilled Cheese or add them to the Roasted Cauli Broccoli Grilled Cheese in my cookbook.
• Use sautéed mushrooms for burgers, like Blue Cheese Burgers or try on a sandwich—hello, Steak Sandwich.
• Yep, sautéed mushrooms for pasta are also delish. They’re the star in Mushroom Pasta, and great with this Butternut Squash Pasta and Turkey Bolognese.
• Upgrade pizza night with scrumptious sautéed mushrooms. Add them to your homemade pizzas made with Broccoli Pizza Crust or Whole Wheat Pizza Dough.