These Quick and Easy Sauteed Mushrooms are for when you don’t have the time to layer them in a single layer to achieve that perfect browning (sorry, Julia Child!) They still come out delicious and hardly require any time or patience!
I KNOW that when it comes to Sauteed Mushrooms, it can be a pretty controversial topic. And, admittedly, I KNOW that Julia Child, the food icon that she is, would never approve of this recipe. You see, she stood firm in her belief that to get the perfect Sauteed Mushroom, you must never overcrowd the pan. And, to achieve the perfect brown crust, you must layer each mushroom slice in a single layer. I mean, I’ll be the first to admit that she’s certainly not wrong.
However, sometimes, ya gal just ain’t got the time (nor the patience) for such a task. And I just want to get it in and done without compromising on flavour. So, I’m here to tell you that while yes, this may not be the “right” way of Sautéeing Mushrooms and it’s certainly not Julia Child’s way of doing ’em, you’ll still end up with flavourful Sautéed Mushrooms that you can eat as is or use for a variety of tasty dishes. And the best part? There is hardly any patience or maintenance required!
We are big mushrooms lovers in my family. Which I’m not even sure how that happened as my dad is the only one that despises them. I’d like to think it’s because he made that firm decision when he was a kid and hasn’t ever given them a second chance in his 60 years of living. Although he’s had every opportunity to because they’re always part of our meal in some way, shape or form. I mean, we hardly ever have a holiday without my sister’s famous Creamy Stuffed Mushrooms on the table. And growing up, we’d never have a steak dinner without a good ol’ pan of sauteed mushrooms and onions (both of which dad hates, btw).
Even to this day, when I go to my older sister’s house (who has her own family now), she never has a shortage of mushrooms in the fridge and you just knnnnow they’re going to be part of dinner. Or lunch. Heck, they might even make an appearance at breakfast, for that matter. Afterall, we can eat Sauteed Mushrooms with any meal, any time of day!
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
When it comes to Sautéeing Mushrooms, it really doesn’t take many ingredients to get the flavour just right. Here’s what you’ll need in a little bit more detail:
- Mushrooms: DUH! There are a gazillion types of different mushrooms out there! Usually when I’m going for a simple sauté, I like to grab one of the more basic, popular types you can find at any grocery store. Here I used a mixture of cremini (aka baby bella) and white button, however, if you have different ones on hand, feel free to use those instead. If you don’t particularly need sliced mushrooms, leaving them whole or halving them would also work in this recipe (they’ll just take longer to cook through).
- Garlic: The simple way of making everything taste better, am I right? Therefore, fresh minced garlic works best in this recipe. However, if all you have on hand is garlic powder, use ___ instead of the ___ cloves.
- Olive Oil: Adds flavour as the mushrooms absorb the oil as they cook. Also helps prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan. As always, good quality, extra virgin is best in this recipe. However, you can use a different oil such as avocado or grapeseed instead, if you prefer.
- Butter (not pictured): Optional but adds flavour near the end of the cooking process making these easy sauteed mushrooms extra delicious.
- Salt and Pepper: Adds flavour and brings this quick and easy Sauteed Mushroom dish together. PRO TIP: Salting mushrooms too early will release a lot of liquid. Instead, wait until the end, after the mushrooms have been cooked through, to add your salt and pepper.
- Fresh Herbs: Adds a herby freshness and a pop of colour to an otherwise boring looking dish. I used fresh parsley in this recipe but you can use a different herb instead, if you prefer. Thyme, oregano, rosemary and basil all make great options. However, you can completely omit them (or try dried herbs instead) if you don’t have any fresh ones on hand.
HOW TO MAKE SAUTEED MUSHROOMS (KEY TIPS)
You can find full instructions for how to make these simple Sauteed Mushrooms in the recipe card down below, but here are a few quick tips to keep in mind for this recipe:
- Don’t wash the mushrooms under water as you’ll just be adding unnecessary moisture to the dish which we certainly don’t need. Instead, use a damp cloth or paper towel to clean off any obvious dirt before beginning.
- Add the aromatics (such as garlic and butter) after the mushrooms have been mostly cooked through and the released water, if any, has evaporated. This will help bring out their flavour without ruining the texture. Your house is going to smell more mushroom-y than it’s ever smelt before!
- Don’t salt too soon. Salting mushrooms releases their moisture and adding salt too soon will result in mushy mushrooms. Wait until the end, after they have been cooked through, before adding any salt.
- Don’t overcook the mushrooms or they’ll become soggy or mushy. This is a pretty simple and quick process. The mushrooms are good to go when they shrink a bit, get soft and turn into a deep brown colour.
- FULL DISCLAIMER: You will not end up with mushrooms that have that perfectly seared brown crust as you’ll need to layer them out in a single layer if that’s what you’re going for. Here, we go against everything Julia Child ever taught us about sauteing mushrooms and surely overcrowd the pan. The key to this recipe is to keep stirring the mushrooms so they all have a chance at even cooking.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When it comes to sauteed mushrooms, I like using both butter and olive oil as they each add their own flavour and have different functions. We use the olive oil at the beginning, to initially cook the mushrooms and keep them from sticking to the pan. While we add the butter at the end, after the mushrooms have been cooked through, to coat them and give them a delicious flavour bringing them over the top. However, if you prefer to use just one over the other, feel free to do that, too.
Yes, you should definitely season mushrooms when sautéing to give them that extra boost of flavour. However, it’s very important to wait to season mushrooms until after they’ve cooked through. If you add salt too soon, you’ll prompt them to release excess moisture (and mushrooms have a lot!) causing them to steam in the pan instead of sauté which could result in mushy or soggy mushrooms.
If you ask anyone in my family (besides my dad, of course) then our answer is going to be “what doesn’t pair well with sautéed mushrooms?!” as we can eat them as is or on pretty much anything! A few of our favourite ways to use sautéed mushrooms are topping a delicious steak, chicken breast or burger, adding them to scrambled eggs or quiches, having them on toast with cheese and herbs, throwing them into a tomato sauce or in a pasta dish or adding them to chili or beef stew.
EASY SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
These Quick and Easy Sauteed Mushrooms are for when you don’t have the time to layer them in a single layer to achieve that perfect browning (sorry, Julia Child!) They still come out delicious and hardly require any time or patience!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Mushrooms (such as white button or cremini aka baby bella), sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Fresh Chopped Parsley, to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and stir frequently until browned, shrunken and cooked through. If you notice some water or excess moisture, either drain it off or wait until it evaporates before moving on to the next step.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan and give it a good stir until the butter has melted and coated the mushrooms and the garlic is fragrant.
- Season with salt, pepper and parsley to taste stirring a few more times until the mushrooms are coated in the seasonings. Remove from the heat and enjoy as is or in all of your favourite mushroom dishes!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 90Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
Nutrition is only an estimate and calculated using Nutritionix.
MORE MUSHROOM RECIPES I JUST KNOW YOU’LL LOVE
CREAM OF MUSHROOM AND CHICKEN SOUP
ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED PORTOBELLOS
SIMPLE MUSHROOM RISOTTO (FOR TWO)
CREAM CHEESE STUFFED MUSHROOMS WITH BACON AND SPINACH
