Sautéed mushrooms are an easy, tasty, and juicy 15-minute side dish and a versatile ingredient for pasta, soups, lasagna, salads, and many other dishes.
You’ll love sautéed mushrooms in gravy, mushroom Alfredo, mushroom risotto, on bruschetta, and polenta.
Similar recipes: stuffed mushrooms, roasted mushrooms, and air fryer mushrooms.
Knowing how to make sautéed mushrooms is a great cooking skill because they can be used as an ingredient in many recipes, from a quick and easy hummus pasta to a fancy mushroom risotto.
Add them to vegetable lasagna, farro salad, barley salad, or crunchy crostini for a quick and tasty amuse-bouche.
You can use most mushroom varieties for this recipe. We use white button and portobello mushrooms, which are widely available in most supermarkets.
Our tip is to slice the mushrooms between 1/6 and 1/8 of an inch, or about 4 mm, for optimal results. Avoid slicing them too thinly, as they’ll lose their texture as they cook.
We find that pre-chopped mushrooms from the supermarket work well for this cooking technique. They’ll also save you at least 10 minutes of chopping and cleaning up!
Ingredients
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Mushrooms
We use a mix of white button mushrooms and portobello mushrooms because those are most often available in our grocery store.
You can use most varieties of fresh mushrooms, including brown button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, baby bella mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, porcini, chanterelle, shiitake, and more.
We don’t mind buying whole mushrooms and cutting them ourselves; however, if you buy pre-chopped mushrooms, ensure they are cut between 1/6 and 1/8 of an inch (about 4 mm) and not thinner.
You can sauté frozen mushrooms, too, but don’t expect the same browning. Frozen mushrooms contain more water than fresh ones, and it’s hard to get them to dry on the pan.
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is the best fat to sauté mushrooms because it can withstand high temperatures and long cooking times thanks to its high content of antioxidants that make it stable.
We start cooking the mushrooms with oil, then add butter or non-dairy butter for flavor towards the end.
Garlic
You can add more or less garlic to this recipe, depending on your preference.
For example, if you want a mild garlic aroma, add a crushed clove of garlic, then remove it before serving the mushrooms.
If you want more garlic aroma, add grated or minced garlic. In this case, add the garlic towards the end to prevent the garlic from burning once the mushrooms are almost cooked.
Parsley
Parsley and mushrooms are fantastic together. We recommend finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
You can substitute fresh thyme for parsley.
Salt and pepper
Mushrooms need a good amount of salt – we recommend sea salt or kosher salt, and black pepper – we recommend freshly ground.
Butter
Butter or dairy-free butter is optional.
You can add butter toward the end to boost the flavor of the mushrooms.
We don’t recommend sautéeing the mushrooms with butter from the start because the butter burns quickly and can make your mushrooms bitter.
Instead, start with oil and add butter for flavor at the end.
Note: To enhance the taste of this sauteed mushrooms recipe, you can add a few drops of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice just before the mushrooms are ready.
How to make sautéed mushrooms
If you are using whole mushrooms, you might have to clean them before cutting them.
You can brush the dirt off with a damp paper towel if the mushrooms are not soiled.
If they are heavily soiled, rinse them under cold water and pat them dry with a kitchen cloth.
Chop the mushrooms into 1/6 to 1/8 inch slices (4 mm). Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. You can use non-stick, cast iron, enameled cast iron, or stainless steel.
When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, season with salt and black pepper, and stir well.
Tip: we use an 11-inch skillet and cook up to 2 pounds (900 grams) of mushrooms at a time so they have enough room to brown.
Saute mushrooms on medium-high heat for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes.
The mushrooms will first release their liquid.
Keep cooking them until all the liquid has gone, the pan is dry, and the mushrooms start to squeak and brown. Browning builds taste.
When the mushrooms are almost done, lower the heat and add the butter and the grated garlic.
Stir for one to two minutes until the butter melts and you can smell the garlic aroma.
Turn the heat off, add finely chopped parsley, give it a final stir, and serve.
Tip: To enhance the taste of this sautéed mushrooms recipe, add a tablespoon of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar one minute before turning the heat off. Give it a final stir, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
You can arrange sautéed mushrooms on a serving platter and serve them as a side dish.
To serve them as an appetizer, add them to bruschetta made with our easy homemade bread, crostini, schiacciata, or focaccia.
Recipes with sautéed mushrooms
Mushroom gravy
One of the best recipes with sautéed mushrooms is mushroom gravy.
Ours is an easy recipe you can make with simple ingredients and drizzle on side dishes, especially mushroom wellington, lentil loaf, roasted veggies, roasted potatoes, and mashed potatoes.
Mushroom Pasta
This vegan mushroom pasta is one of our favorite weeknight dishes. It’s ready in about 15 minutes and features cherry tomatoes, parsley, and mushrooms.
Mushroom Alfredo
Mushroom Alfredo is a classic: a creamy, tasty, indulgent Alfredo sauce mixed with our garlicky sautéed mushrooms.
Hummus Pasta
This hummus pasta is another easy, creamy, and protein-rich recipe made with our velvety smooth hummus and sautéed mushrooms.
Chestnut Pesto Pasta
A creamy-dreamy pesto made with chestnuts and hazelnuts tossed with pasta and mushrooms. It doesn’t get cozier than this one. Check out our chestnut pesto pasta.
Savory crepes with mushrooms
This is a beautiful and tasty savory crepe made with chickpea flour and filled with perfectly sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and white sauce. It is excellent for brunch or dinner.
Tofu mushroom
Tofu mushroom is a healthy, tasty, and protein-packed main for lunch or dinner. It’s effortless to make with firm tofu and mushrooms.
This is a reader’s favorite recipe because it’s so simple and delicious.
Questions
Depending on their water content, mushrooms take 10 to 15 minutes to sauté.
Sauté mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil because it won’t burn. Butter tends to burn faster than oil.
If you like butter flavor, add the butter later once the mushrooms are almost ready. Check out our recipe for instructions.
Sauté mushrooms on medium-high to high heat without the lid. You want as much of the liquid in the mushrooms to evaporate so the pan gets dry and the mushrooms brown quickly.
Yes, sautéed mushrooms made with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley are gluten-free.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keep sautéed mushrooms in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Let cool down completely, transfer to a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat: Warm them in the microwave or pan with olive oil.
Similar recipes
MUSHROOM RECIPES: 25 mushroom recipes, mushroom ragu, stuffed mushrooms, roasted mushrooms, mushroom risotto, air fryer mushroom, mushroom Wellington, mushroom gravy.
PAN-FRIED RECIPES: sautéed eggplant, sautéed zucchini, caramelized onions, sautéed asparagus, artichoke hearts, fried tofu.
Sautéed mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 large skillet, 11-inch or 28 cm or more, You can use stainless steel, enameled cast iron, cast iron, or nonstick.
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients
- 1 pound mushrooms any
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter or non-dairy butter
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or soy sauce, optional to boost flavor
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- If you are using whole mushrooms, you might have to clean them before cutting them.You can brush the dirt off with a damp paper towel if the mushrooms are not soiled.If they are heavily soiled, rinse them under cold water and pat them dry with a kitchen cloth.Chop the mushrooms into 1/6 to 1/8 inch slices (4 mm). Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.Add 1 pound mushrooms, season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and stir well.
- Sauté mushrooms on medium-high heat for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes.The mushrooms will first release their liquid.Keep cooking them until all the liquid has gone, the pan is dry, and the mushrooms start to squeak and brown.
- When the mushrooms are almost done, lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic (grated), and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.Stir for one to two minutes until the butter melts and you can smell the garlic aroma.
- Turn the heat off, stir in 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped) and serve.
