Delicious Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the most flavor out of sauteed mushrooms? ›

Oil and butter: For the best and richest flavor, cook the mushrooms in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Mushrooms: A pound of sliced button mushrooms should comfortably serve about four people. Wine: A tablespoon of red cooking wine enhances the flavor of the sautéed mushrooms.

Butter is great because it adds lots of flavor and produces a nice golden brown exterior, while adding oil allows the mushrooms to cook a little more quickly at slightly higher heat.

You should hear a sizzle. (If the fat isn't hot enough, the mushrooms will start to water out and steam instead of sautéing.) Cook the mushrooms 4 to 5 minutes or until they're tender and lightly browned.

To enhance the flavor of canned mushrooms, you can sauté them in butter or olive oil with some garlic, herbs, or spices. This will help to bring out their natural flavors and add extra depth to your dish. You can also marinate them in a mixture of vinegar, oil, and herbs before using them in salads or sandwiches.

Should I salt the mushrooms before cooking them? Never salt the mushrooms before cooking. Salt draws out moisture and will therefore make them extremely mushy. We want a nice meaty delicious bite to them with color and texture, so salt at the end always.

The bottom line: Although salting the mushrooms at the beginning of cooking does not always cause them to release much liquid, it does make them cook more slowly and gives them a less desirable texture.

Don't add liquid and don't cover the pan. Stir the food with a spatula ( Sur la Table) or wooden spoon (Williams Sonoma), or use the pan's long handle to shake it in a back-and-forth motion, making sure the food is coated with the fat and cooks evenly without scorching.

Do You Sauté the Onions First? To keep the onions from cooking in the mushroom juices, wait to add the onions until the mushrooms have released their excess liquid and almost all of that liquid has evaporated. Once you get there, add the onions and let them sauté and brown in the fat alongside the mushrooms.

"Adding salt before throwing mushrooms in the pan or immediately after will draw out the water from them, making them simmer in their own liquids," says Sofia Norton, RD. This can result in rubbery and tough mushrooms with little flavor.

What is the best oil to sauté mushrooms in? ›

Olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil work beautifully. Add the mushrooms to the pan, with a little salt and pepper, and toss them with the oil in the pan, keeping the heat on medium high.

ADD WATER FIRST; ADD OIL LATER

Steam cooks the mushrooms quickly, so they collapse and release liquid. After the mushroom jus evaporates, we add just ½ teaspoon of oil to brown the mushrooms.

Add acidic ingredients: Adding acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, or tomatoes can help balance out the flavor of the mushrooms. Use other strong flavors: Adding other strong flavors like garlic, onions, or herbs can help mask the mushroom taste.

Marinate mushroom caps in oil, tamari, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, vegan Worcestershire, garlic, liquid smoke, and black pepper. Add your favorite steak sauce or seasoning, but just be aware that it might not be vegan, so if you're going for an entirely plant-based steak, check the ingredients.

Cooking with dry heat—and yes, cooking directly in fat is actually a "dry" cooking method—allows them to release their natural moisture. It caramelizes their sugars, making them tender, not spongey.

Maitake. Also called Hen-of-the-wood, this is pound-for-pound the most flavorful mushroom around. You could definitely say we're maitake fans. It's extremely versatile, just as good sautéed with butter as it is on pizza.

Harold McGee says 'dry and slow heat' is the best way to cook mushrooms, because it 1) Concentrates the umami by cooking out the abundant water, and 2) Doesn't overheat - allowing the mushrooms' own enzymes some time to break down the stalk-proteins into smaller amino acids that increase umami.