March 12, 2021

Sautéed Mushrooms with Wine and Garlic

Serve velvety sautéed mushrooms over pasta, with steak or chicken, or as wonderful topping for crostini.

Mushrooms in a pan and on a silver spoon.

Buttery, garlicky mushrooms, enhanced by white wine and thyme, are addictively delicious. The earthy flavor of the browned mushrooms just glows in this fabulous sauce.

Eat them right out of the skillet, or atop a pile of buttery fettuccini for a wonderful treat. Sautéed mushrooms go hand in hand with a juicy grilled steak, pork chop, or chicken, or try a spoonful on crostini, with a smear of goat cheese for appetizer heaven.

About these sautéed mushrooms:

Plain mushrooms are transformed by a stint in a hot pan with olive oil until they’re browned and toasty, enhanced by dry white wine. I’m telling you, when that wine hits the skillet, the aroma is out of this world. Then the mushrooms are bathed in a garlicky butter, with a herbal bouquet of fresh thyme. Be still, my beating heart, the fragrance alone is enough to make you fall in love.

Needless to say, the taste is just as good. Once you bite into one of these little gems, you’ll find that it’s almost impossible to stop eating them. And hey, mushrooms are good for you, right? Loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, mushrooms are a healthy addition to your diet. We won’t talk about the butter.

Are sautéed mushrooms difficult to make? No way, the recipe is super simple. All you’ll need is a large skillet. Keep reading for ways to make these mushrooms your own specialty.

Mushrooms in a white wine sauce in a pan, with fresh thyme.

What you need

Mushrooms: Either white button mushrooms or baby portobello will work for this recipe!
Olive Oil + Butter: The combination of the two is important. You’ll start at a higher heat with olive oil, getting the mushrooms nice and golden brown. This gives them SO much flavor! Then you’ll add the butter a little later for its flavor and velvet silkiness.
Garlic: The recipe calls for 4 cloves, which makes this quite garlicky! The amount you add really depends on how much you love garlic. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount in the recipe.
Dry White Wine: Use one that you’d like to drink! If you’d like to leave this out, try adding just a little splash of chicken broth.
Fresh Thyme: The flavor of the thyme complements the wine and garlic perfectly. You could also use dried thyme if that’s all you have. Use half as much dry herbs as you would fresh.

FAQs

What wine goes well with mushrooms?

Mushrooms pair really well with wine. A dry fruity red like Pinot Noir or Zinfandel complements the earthy forest flavor of mushrooms. A barrel aged white, such as Chardonnay or Viognier, would go great with the buttery flavor of these sautéed mushrooms. Sparkling wine is good, too, and some of the craft beers, particularly the darker varieties, would be fabulous, too. Field and Forest Products has a great guide for pairing wines with different foods.

What to pair with sautéed mushrooms?

Beyond eating these mushrooms straight from the pan, there are tons of ways to add them to your menu. Try them as a side with a juicy grilled steak or pork tenderloin, or this balsamic marinated chicken. Make sautéed mushrooms to top pasta or Parmesan herb spaghetti squash. Top crostini with a smear of goat cheese and a spoonful of sautéed mushrooms. Mushrooms are great on baked potatoes, too.

Cooked mushrooms in a butter sauce in a black pan.

How to make these mushrooms your own

This is a pretty basic recipe. Changing even one ingredient will make a big difference in the end product. Here’s a few suggestions:

Omit, or decrease, the garlic if you aren’t a garlic fan. Garlic powder could be substituted for the minced garlic for a more subtle garlic flavor.
Try a dry red wine instead of white wine. This substitution will really change the flavor of the mushrooms and will also change the appearance of the end result. Use a wine that you like to drink.
Replace the thyme with a different fresh herb. Good choices would be sage, parsley, oregano, chives, or rosemary. Again, a different herb (or combination of herbs) will really change the character of this recipe.
Sauté sliced onions with the mushrooms for a savory mushroom and onion side dish.
Add a teaspoon or two of Worcestershire sauce for more umami flavor. You could even substitute it for the wine (but still only use a teaspoon or two).
Enjoy sautéed mushrooms without wine. This basic sautéed mushroom recipe is our go-to!

Mushrooms in a pan, a large spoon scooping them out.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Wash and slice the mushrooms, refrigerating them until you’re ready to prepare this recipe.

Storage Tips

Sautéed mushrooms are good leftover, too. The sauce might separate slightly but the flavor will be great. Refrigerate them up to a week in a tightly covered container.

Reheating Suggestions

For best results, put the mushrooms back into a skillet and reheat them over low heat until they’re warmed through. Alternatively, reheat them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

More mushrooms!

Don’t let mushrooms languish in your crisper drawer. Nutritious and flavorful, mushrooms add so much to your menu. Try:

Marsala Roasted Mushrooms
Roasted Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Roasted Mushrooms with Balsamic, Thyme and Dijon
Veggie & Dip Stuffed Mushrooms
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese
Coq Au Vin Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe
Grilled Portobella Mushrooms with Spinach and Cheese (VIDEO!)
Vegan Tacos with Roasted Carrots, Mushrooms, Quinoa, and Black Beans
Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
Bacon and Mushroom Flatbread with Shaved Asparagus and Ricotta
White Wine Chicken, Mushrooms and Bacon — one pan!
Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms with Rice Recipe
Wild Mushroom Crostini with Goat Cheese

Wow, hopefully you’re not overwhelmed by all of these mushroom recipes. They’re just so good, I don’t want you to miss trying any of them!