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Attention, mushroom lovers: Here’s the perfect sautéed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon juice and fresh herbs. This is the go-to method I’ve been using for years. It’s ideal as a side dish or for adding to pasta or pizza!
Hold on to your hats—this recipe truly makes the best sautéed mushrooms. They’re tender, juicy, and meaty with a brightness at the finish. Fresh thyme and oregano give an herby punch. Take one bite and you’ll exclaim, “Wow!” (Yep, I promise. I do every time I make them.)
This recipe is hearty and satisfying, and it’s my go-to method for making sautéed mushrooms. It takes only 10 minutes to make. Your side dish game will never be the same! They’re also great for topping a mushroom pizza or stirring into creamy pasta.
Tips for the best sautéed mushrooms
Each bite of these tender sautéed mushrooms is the very definition of umami, that fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour, and bitter with savory. They’re truly transcendent and can even get mushroom haters on board. Take it from me, because I used to be one!
I’ve since found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what brings big flavor to this recipe:
- Sauté in olive oil. I like to sauté the mushrooms in olive oil, but you can also use butter or a combination of the two.
- Add herbs. I like using fresh thyme and oregano to add an earthy, lightly citrus punch. You can substitute other fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or chives.
- Salt well. Mushrooms should be salted until the flavor pops. Generally, I recommend about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for a pound of mushrooms.
- Add lemon juice. This is the key! Fresh lemon juice adds a lift to the flavors and counterbalances the earthy mushrooms.
Choosing your mushrooms
The best type of mushrooms for sautéed mushrooms is baby bella mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms. This variety is a more mature version of a white button, so it has a more robust, earthier flavor. You can use white button mushrooms as a substitute if you can’t find baby bella mushrooms. They still taste great here.
Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty flavor, but you’ll have to simply chop the caps into bite-sized pieces. Using a mix of mushrooms is also nice. Try a mix of baby bellas with shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms, which makes for a nice flavor and texture contrast.
Add onions for a variation
This sautéed mushrooms and onions recipe uses similar ingredients to make a seriously savory pan of goodness. It swaps out fresh herbs for meaty Worcestershire.
Ways to serve your mushrooms
There are so many ways to serve sautéed mushrooms! Here are a few ideas:
- Fish or chicken: Try them as a side for salmon, like with baked salmon, or a side dish for chicken, like with baked chicken breast, baked chicken thighs, or pan-seared chicken.
- Pasta: Boil up 1 pound of pasta, add the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil, and add dollops of goat cheese or shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Burgers: Try them on black bean burgers, chickpea burgers, or tuna burgers.
- Pizza: Throw them on a homemade cheese pizza or mushroom pizza.
Dietary notes
This sautéed mushrooms recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
Fill a large bowl with water. Add the mushrooms and toss them in the water for a minute or so until the dirt mostly settles to the bottom. Remove from the bowl and pat dry.
For a quicker method, you can simply place the mushrooms in a colander and spray them with water until the dirt washes away.
A large skillet or frying pan is ideal. You want enough space to spread out the mushrooms in a single layer so they can brown evenly.
You can use either or a combination of both. Butter adds a rich flavor, while oil has a higher smoke point, making it suitable for high-heat cooking.
Fresh herbs make the best flavor. It’s easy to find fresh herbs in grocery stores, or you can try growing your own herbs.
You can substitute dried herbs, but you’ll sacrifice flavor. If all you have is dried, start with 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano.
Sautéed Mushrooms
Attention, mushroom lovers: Here’s THE perfect sautéed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 9 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Sauteed
- Cuisine: Plant Based
Ingredients
- 16 ounces baby bella (aka cremini) mushrooms*
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh thyme and oregano*
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Clean the mushrooms, then slice them. Chop the fresh thyme and oregano.
- In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. (The mushrooms will start to release their liquid at this point.)
- Add the herbs, salt, and pepper, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is cooked out and the mushrooms are tender. (Taste to assess doneness.)
- Turn off the heat, add lemon juice, and stir. Taste and add another pinch of salt as necessary.
Notes
*Substitute button mushrooms if you can’t find cremini. I highly recommend using fresh herbs here for the best flavor; avoid dried if possible. You can also substitute other fresh herbs like parsley, basil, or chives. If all you have is dried, start with 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano.
More mushroom recipes
Love this delicious fungi? Here are a few more of my top mushroom recipes:
- Throw them in the oven for roasted mushrooms.
- Try mushroom pasta or mushroom pizza.
- Make farro with mushrooms or mushroom risotto, paired with garlic, fresh herbs, and Parmesan.
The mushroom and onion looks good. I hope I can freeze them. Can I?
Nice flavors! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello, Sonja and Alex,
I am not an experienced cook. I am making your “best ever mushrooms” with my salmon for a dinner party. I understand I cannot purchase mushrooms too far in advance of cooking. My question is: how far in advance of dinner may I cook them and hold in refrigerator before reheatimg before party??
Hi there! We’d cook them up to 1 day in advance. You can undercook them slightly the first time, so that when reheating they do not get overcooked. If you can, it’s best to cook them right before serving, but reheating does work too! Good luck!
Exactly! 😃
If you do all of the prep a day in advance, actually cooking is very easy, mainly occasionally stirring, so I would suggest starting the Bellas before you start the salmon, and it will mostly take care of itself.
I just made this recipe, and came out great. We had it with fish as well. I find that sherry goes very well in mushroom recipes so I used that instead of lemon. I used fresh oregano and that also worked well. You should be aware that cooking most of the water out of Bellas takes quite a while, 15-20 minutes for a pound of mushrooms, about the amount of time it takes to make the salmon, but they stand up very well to cooking for that length of time.
I’m not clear on the directions 1/3 cup each oregano and thyme?
Hi! About 1/3 cup total fresh herbs (chopped and loosely packed).
Making thesevtonight they sound awesome
These mushrooms were absolutely delicious. The flavors each sang individually while complimenting one another beautifully. I always always use garlic when sauteeing mushrooms and wondered if I would miss it. I did not; the lemon provided a delightful, refreshing, and subtle zing that made me forget all about garlic. Thank you! I’ll be using this recipe often now.
You’re welcome! This is one of our favorite, simply magical recipes :)