This Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe is ready in under 12 minutes! From steak, chicken, burgers, omelettes, pizzas, sandwiches or just a quick side dish, it is simple yet tasty!
When you are in doubt, cook in garlic butter! When combined together, garlic infuses the rich butter with its slightly sweet flavor and aroma, creating a magical combination that enhances the taste of whatever is being cooked in it. Whether it is garlic butter shrimp pasta or this simple shrimp and rice, it makes everything taste so good!
I love the savory umami flavor of mushrooms! They are incredibly versatile, made into a chicken and mushroom pasta recipe, mushroom fried rice or as air fryer mushrooms, they are one of my all time favorite vegetables. The earthiness will add tons of depth to any dish with very little extra effort.
This sautéed mushrooms has to be the best pan fried side that you will love to make in minutes like this pan fried asparagus. It is not elaborate but is simply sautéed in garlic butter for about 10 minutes and it turns out succulent, garlicky and meaty.
You do not need any fancy varieties, wine, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauces. It shines in it's purity!
Few simple pantry ingredients along with thyme for a delicious side dish or a tasty topping for steak, burgers, quesadillas, chicken breast. Sautéed mushrooms is amazing on it's own or as a filling to make a tasty mushroom sandwich.
Mushrooms come in lots of different shapes, sizes, colors and are available year round in most grocery stores. So, pick up a pack next time and give this nutritious fungi a try.
Why this recipe works?
Sautéed mushrooms are often soggy and bland. Cooked the wrong way, they begin steaming leaking copious amount of liquid into the pan, instead caramelizing into a golden brown glory.
I’ll walk you through the process, to make them shine in it's succulent perfection. The trick is to have them be in contact with medium-high heat, for caramelization to takes place and then reduce the heat to finish cooking!
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Mushrooms - We recommend using baby bellas, which is a more mature version of white button variety with a robust flavor. They are commonly found year round in all grocery stores or simply use white button variety.
- Butter - Most sautéed mushroom recipes use a combination of butter and olive oil because olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter and will stop the butter from burning. Whereas, I love that butter is 80% fat and has a luxuriously creamy, sweet melt in your mouth feel that compliments the earthines of sautéed mushrooms.
- Garlic - Lots of minced fresh garlic. Chop the garlic fine with a knife instead of using a garlic press.
- Herbs -The very best flavor comes from thyme in this satueed mushrooms recipe. It adds a sweet peppery, mint flavor to the dish.
Substitutions & Variations
This sautéed mushrooms is delicious in all its simplicity, here are a few ideas to switch up the taste:
- Other types of mushrooms to use: Brown variety provides an intense umami flavor and heartier texture, similar to cremini or baby portobello. Regular Portobello will make a great substitute because of a great meaty flavor. Oyster or shiitake can also be used.
- Saute sliced onions along with baby bellas to make a delicious burger topping.
- Add garlic powder along with fresh garlic for a more garlicky punch.
- Switch up the herbs like oregano, Italian seasoning or parsley.
- Add teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce for extra umami flavor.
- Add balsamic vinegar or lemon juice at the end.
- Toss in a handful of baby spinach leaves along with garlic.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Slice cleaned mushrooms into ½-inch thick slices. Add butter into a medium skillet and place over medium high heat. When hot, add sliced mushrooms and toss with the butter mixture.
Pro tip: Give a toss right away! The minute mushrooms hit the skillet, the bottom layer soaks up the butter, leaving the top layer deprived of the goodness. So, give them a quick stir to make sure that every slice has a chance to soak up as much butter as possible, before they start to leech moisture.
Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Resist every urge to stir them often. It will get a nice brown sear on the bottom and the butter will create a silky glistening coating!
Tip: I found that slicing the mushrooms into ½-inch thick slices works best for this sautéed mushrooms recipe. It cooks super quick in less than 5 minutes, has more surface area for caramelization and is easy to be piled into a sandwich or burger.
2 & 3. Reduce heat to medium, add all remaining ingredients, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked and garlic is fragrant. Adding garlic during the last few minutes of cooking ensures that you don't risk it burning due to high heat.
Tip: Let your mushrooms cook before you salt them! If you salt them before cooking, they will begin oozing out moisture and you will essentially end up steaming them in the pan.
Pro tip: High or Medium heat to saute mushrooms? Both! The slices are seared in medium-high heat for the first half of the cooking process. This seals in all the juices without making them leak copious amounts of liquid into the pan. Then the medium heat will finish the cooking and help the seasoning permeate into the slices.
How to serve?
Sautéed mushrooms be a big hit however you serve them. It is juicy, buttery, garlicky, succulent and you are going to love this sautéed mushrooms recipe.
They are ideal as a side with almost anything. From air fryer chicken nuggets to simple pasta dishes like spagetti oglio e olio.
Fill skillet sautéed mushrooms into your sandwiches, quesadillas or as a topping for your omelette.
How to store?
Leftover sautéed mushrooms will keep in the fridge for three to four days in an air tight container. Allow them to cool completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate or freeze.
To reheat - Warm them up in a small frying pan over low heat or microwave until warmed through.
Can you freeze?
Sure can! The sautéed mushroom dish freeze well although you might find a slight change in the texture. Transfer cooled dish into freezer safe zip lock bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or leave at room temperature for a few hours.
Helpful tips
- Adjust heat- This not only helps the slices sear and develop a deep caramelization but also helps the released water to simmer away quickly. Lower heat will make them steam instead of browning.
- Use a large skillet - Select a wide enough skillet or saute pan that can fit the mushrooms in even layer without much overcrowding. This will also ensure that the released moisture evaporates faster without steaming them. If you are using a smaller pan, then we recommend cooking in two batches.
- Don't stir too much - Stirring mushrooms too often when cooking will prevent the browning and caramelization. Stir only a few times.
- Don't add the garlic in the beginning - Minced garlic burns very quickly and is best added during the last few minutes to flavor the dish.
- Add herbs at the right time - Fresh herbs are best added just before removing from heat whereas dried herbs like dried thyme can be added along with the minced garlic, so that it has enough time to soften and release the aroma.
- More Butter - Add a tablespoon of room temperature butter just before removing from heat to add more butteriness to the dish.
- Don't slice them thin - Slicing them about ½ an inch in thickness. This gives them enough surface area to cook fast yet maintain the texture instead of shriveling into nothing.
Recipe FAQs
Mushrooms are about 80 to 90 % water! Salting them when cooking, draws out all the liquid and they begin to steam, thus taking a longer time for the moisture to evaporate and it results in loosing it's shape and juiciness. So I like to season during the last few minutes of sautéing, giving the mushrooms a chance to absorb the flavorings.
Mushrooms have a tendency to absorb water like sponges and get soggy if soaked in water for too long! The best way to clean is to lightly brush off specks of dirt or debris, using a damp paper towel or a very quick rinse under the faucet is acceptable as long as you don't let them soak in water.
We have a few tricks that you can follow to ending up with soggy sautéed mushroom.
1. Don't soak them in water when cleaning! Clean any debris with a damp paper towel or a mushroom brush. If you would like to wash, then give them a quick rinse under running water and pat dry right away.
2. Don't cook over low heat. They are about 80 to 90 percent water and will start oozing out all that moisture when cooked over low heat. Whereas, searing in high heat will seal in all the juices and also make them caramelize.
3. Try to use a larger skillet for faster water evaporation. You don't want to pile them into a small skillet which will result in steam cooking instead of sautéing, leaking ample amount of liquid. Overcooking will also make them shrivel and become next to nothing.
More easy side dishes to try:
Sautéed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 pound white or baby bella mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pinches dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 pinches red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Slice cleaned mushrooms into ½-inch thick slices.Tip: I found that slicing the mushrooms into ½-inch thick slices works best for this recipe. It cooks super quick, has more surface area for caramelization and is easy to be piled into a sandwich or burger.
- Add butter into a medium skillet and place over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add sliced mushrooms and toss with the butter mixture. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Pro tip: Give a toss right away! The minute mushrooms hit the skillet, the bottom layer soaks up the butter, leaving the top layer deprived of the goodness. So, give them a quick stir to make sure that every slice has a chance to soak up as much butter as possible, before they start to leech moisture.
- Reduce heat to medium, add all remaining ingredients, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked and garlic is fragrant.Tip: Let your mushrooms cook before you salt them! If you salt them before cooking, they will begin oozing out moisture and you will essentially end up steaming them in the pan.
- Remove from heat and serve as a side dish or make into sandwiches.Tip: Add a small knob of butter just before removing from heat. It melts into the mushrooms resulting in a glistening finish!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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