How to Sauté Mushrooms
on Apr 24, 2022, Updated May 22, 2025
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Golden brown and lightly caramelized, sautéed mushrooms are a savory side, and a great topping for anything from a burger to a baked potato!
Sautéed mushrooms can make almost anything better! But there are tricks and tips to making perfect sauteed mushrooms that are beautifully caramelized, chewy and firm, not soggy and limp. They will have a deeper, meatier flavor than uncooked mushrooms. The secret to perfect sauteed mushrooms is to make sure to continue to saute the mushrooms after the have released their liquid, so that the excess water evaporates and the mushrooms can brown up nicely.
A scoopful of tender caramelized mushrooms is lovely on its own as a side dish, or piled on top of some toasted bread or grilled bruschetta. They add savory substance to lots of dishes, whether they’re piled on a Grilled NY Strip Steak, a grilled burger, or pork chops, spooned over some polenta, or plated on the side of some salmon. They are also great (think leftovers!) in quesadillas, burritos, casseroles, soups, stews and ragouts, chilis, risottos, quiches, dips, pasta, and so on, and so on, and so on.
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Here is the best way to saute any kind of mushrooms.
What's In This Post?
Sautéed Mushrooms: Golden brown and lightly caramelized, sautéed mushrooms are a savory side, and a great topping for anything from burgers to a baked potato!
How Much Do Cooked Mushrooms Shrink?
When cooked, mushrooms shrink down quite a bit! One pound of mushrooms may look like a lot, but mushrooms reduce considerably when cooked. This happens because mushrooms have a very high water content. When the mushrooms are cooked, they release a lot of water and end up somewhere around 1/4 of the original volume once browned.
Here’s a handy table to help you remember how much your mushrooms will be shrinking when you saute them, depending on volume:
| Raw/Uncooked Mushrooms | Cooked Mushrooms |
|---|---|
| 4 cups | 1 cup |
| 3 cups | about 3/4 cup |
| 2 cups | 1/2 cup |
| 1 cup | 1/4 cup |
Best Mushrooms for Sauteeing
This method for sauteeing mushrooms works for any type of mushrooms. Some of my favorite mushrooms for sauteeing are cremini (also called baby bella mushrooms), oyster, button, chanterelles, oyster, morels, shiitakes, and portobello.
Perfect Sauteed Mushrooms
- You can use oil or butter to saute mushrooms. Medium-high heat is best. When the oil or melted butter is hot, add the mushrooms and the garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid has been released, and then evaporates, leaving the mushrooms nicely browned. If you want to add some fresh herbs, now is the time!
Tips for Cooking Mushrooms on the Stove
Don’t overcrowd the pan; you want the mushrooms to be in a single layer, with some extra space in the skillet.
Mushrooms and garlic make wonderful companions, and the little boost of garlic is, to me, a key part of this recipe. However, you could also use a bit of minced onion or shallots if you like.
Also, see How to Cook Mushrooms and How to Cook with Dried Mushrooms for a refresher on the basics.
What to Serve With Sautéed Mushrooms
If you are serving mushrooms on their own, think about adding a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley for color and fresh flavor.
More Mushroom Recipes
- Mushroom, Tomato, and White Bean Ragout
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Mushroom Barley Soup
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How to Sauté Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms (any assortment)
- ¾ teaspoon minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, allow to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the mushrooms and the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated and the mushrooms have turned nicely browned. The pan should be fairly dry.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, spoon into a serving bowl, or use as desired. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Generally, mushrooms will get to that browned, caramelized state after 8 to 10 minutes in the pan.
Mushroom stems are edible, but they tend to be tougher than caps — so it’s better to remove them if you want sautéed shrooms that are tender and flavorful. You should trim off the bottom of the stems if you want to leave them on, as they can be dried out.
There’s a lot of debate about which mushrooms can be eaten uncooked. While some experts may say that eating a small portion of uncooked mushrooms is safe, mycologist Paul Stamets notes that the fungi’s strong cellular walls make them pretty difficult to digest and “eating raw mushrooms could be dangerous.” With all of these questions swarming around and not a lot of agreement in the scientific community, I tend to stick with sautéed or cooked mushrooms. (They taste better, anyway.)
