Have you tried making sautéed mushrooms before, only to be disappointed by a soggy texture and bland flavor? If so, you HAVE to try this tutorial for how to sauté mushrooms so they’re browned and SUPER flavorful! The secret to perfectly cooked mushrooms lies in how frequently you stir it (spoiler alert: NOT very frequently!).
You can use these sautéed mushrooms in pasta or quiche, serve them on top of steak or meatloaf, or just eat them on their own as a healthy vegetable side dish!
There’s one big trick that’s going to be so helpful for you if you’ve struggled to cook mushrooms correctly in the past, or if you don’t know how to do it yet. And there are a few other little tips and tricks I’m going to share that will ensure this technique is easy and FAST.
What kind of mushrooms to buy
You can use any mushrooms for this, but you’ll save some time if you buy pre-sliced mushrooms. They aren’t much more expensive, and they’re all ready to go!
My go-to for the most flavorful mushroom that you can buy at most grocery stores is baby portobello mushrooms. These are also known as cremini mushrooms. They’re inexpensive, and a little more flavorful than regular white mushrooms.
But using this cooking method will help bring out a LOT of concentrated mushroom flavor, so any kind will do!
How to wash mushrooms
Just place the sliced mushrooms in a colander, rinse with cold water, and shake off as much excess water as you can. Easy!
You may have heard that you need to wipe mushrooms clean with a towel instead of cleaning them with water. This is NOT the case! In fact, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the author of The Food Lab (a GREAT, accessible read for the science behind why cooking works), details why in his book.
I also used to think you couldn’t “wash” mushrooms the traditional way because they would absorb too much water, and therefore be soggy and not as flavorful. In The Food Lab, Kenji experiments with just how much water mushrooms absorb when washed the traditional way and spun in a salad spinner.
He found they absorb only 2% of their weight in water, and there was no discernible difference in taste or texture if they were washed.
He DID recommend making sure you use them right away after washing- don’t let them sit for more than 15 minutes before using. And while he recommended using a salad spinner to dry them, I found that was unnecessary- a few shakes in the colander got a lot of the excess water off.
That said, if you prefer using a cloth to wipe mushrooms clean, you do you!
How to sauté mushrooms
It’s so easy to cook the perfect sautéed mushrooms in a skillet- just sauté in some butter, with a pinch of salt, and don’t stir frequently. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.
- While you’re washing the mushrooms, melt two tablespoons of salted butter in a skillet. You can use unsalted if you want, but you’ll need to add more salt.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet immediately after washing them and shaking the excess water off. This will ensure the mushrooms don’t have time to absorb any excess water.
- Add a pinch of salt to the mushrooms. Salt will flavor the mushrooms, of course, but it also helps to draw out the moisture in the mushrooms, so they get more browned.
- Stir to coat the mushrooms in the butter. Then spread them out in an even layer.
- DON’T TOUCH THEM for 4-6 minutes! This is the most important part. The moisture will be drawn out of the mushrooms, so you’ll see it in the skillet. Then, if you don’t disturb it, the moisture will evaporate from the heat of cooking, leaving you with concentrated mushroom flavor!
- Stir 1-2 more times, leaving them alone for a couple of minutes in between.
- Once there is almost no moisture left in the skillet, and the mushrooms are a deeply browned color, you’re done!
What kind of skillet to use
While any skillet will work, I recommend using a nonstick skillet to make sautéed mushrooms. I’ve found it the easiest way to cook the mushrooms perfectly every time.
If you use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, there may be little bits that get stuck to the pan. This is fine, if you plan on deglazing the pan and continuing to cook. Or, if you are fine spending a little more time washing the pan.
Here’s a link to the nonstick skillets I use. I find that they cook evenly, they last for a long time if you take care of them, and I love that they are oven safe, so you can easily use them for frittatas or the like.
How to use sautéed mushrooms
These sautéed mushrooms are so delicious on their own, they’d be great as a side dish! If you want, you can add herbs, like oregano, thyme, or rosemary, and/or onions, when you begin sautéing.
You can also use them to serve on top of steak, meatloaf, chicken, or fish, put them in a quiche or frittata, or add them to a salad or pasta.
Recipes that use this technique
You’ve got to try out these easy recipes that use sautéed mushrooms as the base. Here are my favorites:
- One-Pot Orzo with Mushrooms, Brown Butter, and Thyme
- Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
- Mushroom and Cheddar Omeletes
- Easy Mushroom Gravy
- Mushroom Brie Soup
- Healthy Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
- Creamy Mushroom, Chicken, and Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms
Looking for more basic cooking techniques? Make sure you check out all my Cooking Techniques, Tutorials, and FAQs!
Did you make this Sautéed Mushrooms recipe? Please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe
Perfectly Browned Sautéed Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter see notes for unsalted
- 16 oz. sliced mushrooms washed (I prefer baby portobello)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt more if using unsalted butter
- fresh cracked black pepper for serving, optional
Instructions
- Melt the salted butter (2 tablespoons) in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and the kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon) to the skillet. Stir to coat in the butter, and spread the mushrooms out in an even layer, with as much surface area in contact with the skillet as possible.
- Allow the mushrooms to cook, WITHOUT STIRRING, for about 5 minutes, until much of the liquid has been drawn out of the mushrooms and has almost fully evaporated.
- Stir the mushrooms, trying to flip them over as much as possible (but not being obsessive about it). Spread them in an even layer again, and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes without stirring.
- Stir one more time and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms are deeply browned and there is almost no liquid in the pan.
- Adjust seasoning if needed, adding black pepper if desired. Serve as is, or use in other recipes such as pasta or quiche.
Notes
- If using unsalted butter, increase the amount of kosher salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter.
- For a paleo/whole30/dairy free version, use ghee or olive oil instead of butter.
- You can wash the sliced mushrooms in a colander under running water- it's not necessary to wipe them clean with a towel to keep them dry. Just shake off as much excess water as you can.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Norma
This is my go to recipe! Can’t go wrong just follow the directions!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Diana
I made them exactly like this recipe and they were delicious.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Carrie M
I’m unable to reply to my previous post – but wow these were amazing!!! You truly don’t need any flavor besides the butter & salt. Best mushrooms I’ve EVER had & so glad I did it like this. I’ve tried to make them using general knowledge & they never got as crispy. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad this worked well for you!
Jean
Wished the recipe would be more specific about how high heat on pan should be. Mine could have been better.
Elizabeth Lindemann
The first step in the recipe states “Melt the salted butter (2 tablespoons) in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.” Hope that helps!
bonno
absolutely delicious! I recommend this recipe. Just do as directed.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Rick
Turned out fantastic
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like it!
Cole T
No need to rinse with water. Wash with damp paper towel. Add salt at end. Not in the beginning. Cast iron is the better pan( no pieces should and won’t stick)..I don’t doubt your recipe, however, I will not try it. Your recipe seems to do everything you are not supposed to do. It can lead to sogginess…ect. However, one thing you have gotten correct is the evaporation of the liquid. The rest of your recipe invites sogginess and/or mushrooms that are not cooked to their potential with releasing their wonderful flavor. Also, mushrooms shrink when cooked. So pre sliced isn’t the best for this recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
My recipes often take traditional methods and tweak them to be faster, easier, and more approachable.
Take a look at the experiments J. Kenji Lopez Alt did on washing mushrooms – he found that no significant water was absorbed by them, so it’s fine to rinse. I actually just saw something else on America’s Test Kitchen about submerging mushrooms in water to rinse more effectively and then transferring to a colander after to shake dry – I’m going to try that next time! I find wiping with a damp paper towel to be tedious and less effective.
Feel free to use a well seasoned cast iron pan if you want. Feel free to slice your own mushrooms if you want. I’ve always heard mixed things about salting your veggies before or after cooking, but I’ve personally found more success with salting before, especially with sautéing, since the salt draws out the water so more can evaporate. The browning doesn’t happen really until the water has evaporated.
All that to say – I had a great result with this method, as did other readers – but feel free to stick with what you know and what works for you!
Melinda
It was good! Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Ann T
Why would anyone want to ‘save time’, by buying ready sliced mushrooms? That means oxydised, dead and who knows how long for. As for ‘rinsing’ in sieve, that would not remove specks of compost, whick sometimes need to be rubbed off by hand. Slice when required.
Elizabeth Lindemann
You certainly feel strongly about slicing mushrooms and wiping them clean – you can definitely do what you’re comfortable with, of course! This website is designed for people who are short on time but still want to eat healthy. You do you. No need to shame people who prepare mushrooms differently than you. Goodness.
For anyone reading this who is concerned about enough dirt being removed from rinsing – sometimes if my mushrooms are particularly dirty I will go and remove dirt by hand before giving them a rinse. Use your best judgement here :-)
(Note: In the interest of transparency, this reader left a one star rating which was deleted since it had nothing to do with the recipe itself, and the original comment was edited to remove unkind words targeted at me and my readers. You can view more about my commenting policy here: https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/faqs/)
Ann T
Sorry to cause offence, not intended. The recipe itself looks good and I will try not moving the mushrooms around pan to allow the flavour to develop for a few mins in future. I like the idea of cooking a large batch and maybe freezing them since punnets of mushrooms wrapped in plastic can go so slimy after a few days. Sometimes I notice bits of compost are so stuck to the mushrooms it takes a finger nail to flick off. Admitedly I am a bit paranoid about pre-prepared veg and have a ‘thing’ about leeks as where I live, all supermarkets and local greengrocers cut off the root, right at the base so the leek is dead and in the case of local greengrocers is buzzing with fruit flies! I repeatedly ask them to sell leeks with half an inch or so of root so that the leek is still alive until needed for eating, to no avail. Leeks and mushrooms together in butter are heaven! There is an old Medieval English recipe called ‘Funges’ that includes a bit of stock and saffron as well. I cook that fairly often.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I really appreciate you saying that! Thanks so much. Have you tried storing your mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the fridge? They stay fresh for so much longer! And yum- mushrooms and leeks in butter sounds divine! Hope you can figure out a solution for your leek problem soon. Love the sound of that Medieval English recipe!
Ann T
Very occasionally I see loose mushrooms and paper bags but that is now so rare! Thankfully my local greengrocer has bags & loose white, chestnut, oyster and sometimes shitake mushrooms and as you say they last much longer.
As for leeks, I do try to grow my own but there is this nasty creature called ‘Alium leaf miner’ which has migrated from the Eastern European countries around 2002 which burrow in and decimate the crop! Last year I bought ultrafine mesh to protect the crop, then the wind blew it off in October (one of the 2 egg-laying seasons of the year)! :-(
Carrie M
Simple & effective recipes like this are hard to come by, thank you! Do you think it will affect the browning if I add a teaspoon of garlic (the fresh kind in a jar)?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked it! Hm. With garlic, I would add it after the mushrooms are mostly brown. Garlic tends to burn if heated for too long at a high heat, and is super flavorful and delicious if sautéed just for 30 seconds to a minute, when it starts to get nice and fragrant. So just toss it in towards the end and you should be good. Hope that helps!
Donna
Another trick to know: Do Not overcrowd the pan!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes, great tip!
Jessica P.
I tend to cook too many mushrooms at once which makes it difficult to brown them, but I am going to try this method. People always love my mushrooms but lately I haven’t! I love to add a little sherry wine to mine, any idea on how to go about this while still getting the mushrooms browned? I’m thinking deglaze the pan with the sherry and reduce, then drizzle I we the mushrooms but would love to hear any suggestions!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I think you could add the sherry to deglaze the pan after taking the mushrooms out and drizzle, OR you could probably add it to the pan after the mushrooms are good and brown and deglaze the pan with the mushrooms in the skillet, and stir everything to coat. I do this method with Greek chicken bites and it comes out amazing! Hope that helps :-)
Jessica P
Thank you for responding! I will give it a try. Merry Christmas!
Eva-Maria Horner
This also works well for flash freezing. I have done it many times. Especially now with the lock down. I bought 4 pounds of mushrooms , prepared them as you said in your recipe, spread them on 3 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and flash froze them for 5 hrs. After that I placed them in freezer bags, squeezed out the air and marked them. I know have very good tasting mushrooms for whenever I need them.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great suggestion for freezing, thanks!
Ann Makely
Will they save for an hour or two before the rest of the meal is ready ? If so, should I leave them in the skillet … covered ? Or put them in a separate covered glass dish ?
Elizabeth Lindemann
These, like most roasted or sautéed veggies, will be best fresh out of the pan. That said, they’re also good reheated! You can make them ahead of time, if more than an hour or so, go ahead and refrigerate them, and then reheat them in the microwave or back in the skillet. If less than an hour, just keep them in the skillet, and turn the skillet back on for a couple of minutes to reheat them before serving. Hope that helps!
Valerie Weisenfeld
This is just what I was looking for, and they came out perfect!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad it worked well for you!
Anne G Tisdale
I’ve read you should not salt mushrooms until after they are cooked and have released their water.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for bringing this up! This will work, and I’ve recently heard the same thing (only about roasted veggies). The salt is kind of a double edged sword- it does draw the water out, but because it draws the water out, some people think you should wait to season (same with roasted veggies) until after, so it gets a better sear. My gut tells me that the salt would penetrate deeper in the mushrooms as well to enhance the flavor if you add it before, and maybe speed up the cooking process a little. Using salt while they are cooking always gets good results for me, but I’m going to try to salt it after next time I make this and I’ll report back with the results!
Elaine Gass
This was my first time making this. It was fairly easy and tasted delicious.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad it worked well for you!
Brenda
Tarragon is great with mushrooms and orzo!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great tip, thanks! I’ll have to try that next time!
Stephanie
Thanks for the directions! Specifically “leave them alone”. I have a tendency to mess with the food too much. Thanks again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad that advice was helpful for you, and glad you liked it!
Lisa
Excellent article! I, too, rinse mine under water and have never had an issue. I am certainly not going to stand there and wipe off every individual mushroom. Knock them around in the colander and the dirt will come right off.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Right? So happy to hear this. I’m all about saving time cooking any way I can, as long as it still tastes good! ?