Learn How to Make the Base Recipe
Easy Sauteed Mushrooms
This is one of our base recipes—flexible formulas designed to help you cook with confidence. Sautéed mushrooms are a great addition to any meal! Mushrooms are packed with health benefits and can make a satisfying plant-forward substitute for meat. They’re full of flavor, texture, and umami—a savory meatiness that makes dishes shine.
Must-Know Skills
To make this recipe even easier, check out these videos to learn how to:
Learn how to slice and dice like a pro in our Knife Skills 101 course!
Culinary Tips for the Best Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe
Wash and dry mushrooms well. This helps them crisp instead of turning mushy.
How to clean mushrooms: Give them a quick rinse, then wipe with a towel if dirt remains. Don’t soak in water—they’ll absorb it and steam instead of sauté.
Yes, you can eat mushroom stems! Just trim any dry ends.
Fire, fat, food! Heat your pan, add butter and oil, then the mushrooms for max flavor.
Don’t stir right away. Let mushrooms caramelize before moving them around.
Avoid overcrowding. Spread mushrooms out so they sauté instead of steam.
Salt at the end. Adding salt too early pulls out moisture and prevents browning.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions for Sauteed Mushrooms
- Mushrooms: use any mushroom of your choice! Cremini, baby bella, button, and/or shiitake are all good choices!
- Unsalted butter: use salted butter (reduce added salt) or swap for oil.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: substitute canola or avocado oil. If you are looking for some quality extra virgin olive oil, head over to Enzo’s Table. Not only are their oils delicious, but their company name is the same as Chef V’s oldest son!
- Garlic: substitute 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste! Keep it simple or spice it up!
Use these additional ingredients for even more flavorful mushrooms.
- Shallot: substitute red, yellow, or white onion.
- Spices: use your favorite! We like cayenne, coriander, cumin, garam masala, ginger, and all types of paprika with mushrooms.
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, chives, dill, Italian parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme all pair well with mushrooms.
- Lemon: You can use the bottled kind if you don’t have fresh, but it won’t be quite the same 😉
- Balsamic vinegar: If you don’t have balsamic, you could use another vinegar, but none really compare to balsamic. We would just go with another mix-in!
- Soy sauce: use reduced-sodium soy sauce to keep the salt down or substitute tamari.
- Red or white wine: use any wine you enjoy drinking!
- Grated Parmesan: substitute pecorino, gruyere, feta, or any other cheese that you think tastes good with mushrooms! After all, this recipe is made to YOUR taste!
We like to buy our spices from the Spice House. They have great quality, variety, and flavor!
Check out our variations for more ideas and inspiration!
Soy Sauce Mushrooms
Sautéed Baby Bella Mushrooms with Balsamic
Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme
Equipment Recommendations for Cooking Mushrooms
For recipe success, use the following pieces of equipment:
- Cutting Board & Chef’s Knife – for easing slicing and dicing
- Large Saute Pan – no steaming allowed
- Measuring Spoons – precision counts
- Mixing Spoon – to keep things moving, after the mushrooms brown of course
Check out our essential equipment guide to stock your kitchen with ALL the tools you need to prepare anything and everything!
Health Benefits of Mushrooms
This recipe features mushrooms, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a good source of prebiotic fiber, Vitamin D, and phytonutrients. They contain the amino acid glutamate, giving them a distinct umami taste. Umami is the savory taste sensation often found in meat.
Garlic
Garlic has strong medicinal properties – it may reduce blood pressure, boost the immune system, and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a key component of the Mediterranean Diet. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. These nutrients may reduce inflammation, helping prevent cancer, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.
Explore our Ingredient Guide for more tips on choosing the freshest, most flavorful picks for your recipes. Because great ingredients = great food! 🌟🍴
How to Serve Sauteed Mushrooms
Serve these easy sauteed mushrooms as a side to your favorite protein, top a beef and bean or bean burger, or add to a quesadilla or burrito bowl. The options are endless!
Learn how to build a healthy balanced meal with our Whole Life Plate, meal plan, and book!
Storage Tips
Allow mushrooms to cool, then store in an airtight container. Leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Wondering how to freeze mushrooms? They can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. We found that you can reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop, either frozen or thawed.
Want more healthy mushroom recipes?
Love this recipe? Try our other mushroom favorites:
Vegetable Thai Curry with Mushrooms
Share the Love – Leave Us a Review!
Unlike many other recipe blogs, we encourage you to tweak our recipes to suit your taste. Try it out, leave us a review, and tell us what changes you made! We love hearing how you make it your own.
Sauteed Mushrooms Base Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced (~4 small cloves)
- 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix-ins to YOUR taste:
- 2 Tablespoons shallot diced small
- 2 teaspoons spices up to, adjust to taste
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, reduced sodium soy sauce (omit salt if using), wine (red or white)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
- 0.5 small lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Give the mushrooms a quick rinse, then wipe with a towel if dirt remains. Cut into ¼” slices.
- Heat a large sauté pan (12”) over medium heat. Add butter and oil. Once butter melts, add mushrooms, garlic, and optional shallot and spices. Spread the mushrooms out as evenly as possible - don’t worry they will shrink!
- Sauté for ~3-4 minutes without stirring. Then cook for ~7-9 minutes more until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
- If using balsamic, soy sauce, or wine, add to pan and stir, scraping up brown bits, while liquid evaporates.
- Turn off heat and garnish with optional fresh herbs, lemon juice, and/or Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
This Post Has 2 Comments
This sautéed mushrooms base recipe is amazing! I made it last night and the flavor was rich and perfectly seasoned. It’s now my go-to base for so many dishes so simple yet so delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!