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Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.

Sauteed mushrooms

Hold on to your hats. This recipe truly makes the best sauteed 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, we promise. We did.) This recipe is all plant based but it has the illusion of taking a satisfying bite of meat. It also takes only 10 minutes to make. Your side dish game will never be the same!

How to make the best sauteed mushrooms

OK, we jest! But only a little. These sauteed mushrooms are indeed very tasty. One bite is the very definition of umami, that fifth flavor that rounds out sweet, salty, sour and bitter with savory. Here’s the thing: I’m a former mushroom hater who’s changed my tune. I’ve found that when cooked correctly, these little fungi are nature’s gift. Here’s what to do to make this easy sauteed mushrooms recipe (or jump to the recipe below):

  • Clean and slice the mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms, then slice them.
  • Sauté in olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add herbs and continue cooking. Add roughly chopped fresh thyme and oregano and continue to cook, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Salt well. Mushrooms should be salted until the flavor pops (we recommend about ½ teaspoon kosher salt for 1 pound mushrooms).
  • Remove heat and add lemon juice. When the liquid is cooked out, turn off the heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
Sauteed mushrooms

What’s the best type of mushroom to use?

The best type of mushrooms for sauteed mushrooms is baby bella mushrooms, aka cremini mushrooms. This variety is a more mature version of a white button, so it has a more robust, earthier flavor. As the name implies, it’s also a less mature version of a portobello mushroom. However, you can use white button mushrooms as a substitute if you can’t find baby bella mushrooms: they still taste great here.

Can you use portobello mushrooms? Or a mix of other mushrooms? Yes! Portobello mushrooms have a great meaty flavor. Simply chop the caps into bite-sized pieces. Using a mix of mushrooms is also nice, like in this Mushroom Pasta. Try a mix of baby bella mushrooms with shiitake and oyster, which results in lots of flavor and texture contrasts.

Cremini mushrooms

Can you use dried herbs instead?

The very best flavor comes from using fresh herbs in this recipe! Fresh thyme and oregano add an earthy, lightly citrus punch to this recipe. Or, use other fresh herbs you have on hand, like parsley or chives. It’s easy to find these fresh herbs in grocery stores, and of course if it’s summer: grow your own!

That said, you can substitute dried herbs here as well, though you’ll sacrifice a bit of the flavor. For 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs. (This substitution ratio works for any dried herbs.) So for the ⅓ cup fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon dried oregano and 2 teaspoons dried thyme.

Variation: sauteed mushrooms & onions!

Want to vary these sauteed mushrooms? Try them with onions! This Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions recipe uses similar ingredients to make a seriously savory pan of goodness. It swaps out fresh herbs for meaty Worcestershire. Head to that recipe for a fresh variation!

Mushrooms in pan

Ways to serve sauteed mushrooms

There are so many ways to serve sauteed mushrooms! Here are a few ideas for how to serve them:

Mushrooms nutrition

Want more reasons to eat mushrooms? According to the New York Times, here are some of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms:

  • They’re low in calories and fat and cholesterol-free (like all vegetables!)
  • They have over a dozen minerals and vitamins, like potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins such as folate.
  • They’re high in antioxidants (like selenium and GSH), which are believed to protect cells from damage and reduce chronic disease and inflammation.
Mushrooms in pan

More mushroom recipes

Love this delicious fungi? Here are a few more of our top mushroom recipes to try:

This sauteed mushrooms recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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Sauteed mushrooms

Sauteed Mushrooms (Best Ever!)


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 9 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Attention, mushroom lovers: here’s THE perfect sauteed mushrooms recipe! It brings out the best savory flavor with lemon and fresh herbs.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. Clean the mushrooms, then slice them. Chop the fresh thyme and oregano.
  2. In a saute 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).
  3. Add the herbs and kosher 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.)
  4. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and stir. Taste and add another pinch salt as necessary.

Notes

*Substitute button mushrooms if you can’t find cremini. We highly recommend using fresh herbs here for the best flavor; do not substitute dried. 

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Sauteed
  • Cuisine: Plant Based

Keywords: Sauteed Mushrooms

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you’ll want to make again and again.

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11 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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??

    1. 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!

    2. 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.