Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms are a lesson in how a few quality ingredients can create something outstanding. This simple sautéed mushrooms recipe highlights butter, garlic and thyme to produce tender, savory bites you’ll want again and again.
For mushroom lovers, Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms are about as good as it gets. Whole garlic cloves and fresh thyme are gently poached in butter so the fat becomes infused with their aroma and flavor.
After the butter is fragrant, sliced mushrooms are added and gently sautéed in that garlic-thyme butter until they’re tender and richly savory—each bite full of umami.
These sautéed mushrooms are savory, tender, and full of garlic and herb flavor.
Sauteed Mushrooms
Many people who dislike mushrooms haven’t tasted them cooked this way. If your experience was slimy canned mushrooms or overcooked boiled ones, a pan sautéed with butter and aromatics can change your mind.
When mushrooms are cooked in hot butter with garlic and thyme, they develop a velvety texture and a deep, satisfying flavor. The combination of butter, garlic and herbs elevates the natural earthiness of the mushrooms.
If you already love mushrooms, this is a must-try. It’s my go-to preparation whenever I want mushrooms as a side, a topping for burgers, or folded into other dishes: simple, reliable, and delicious every time.
What to serve with sautéed mushrooms?
A panful of Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms pairs beautifully with steak, roasted chicken, pork or beef roasts. They’re also excellent spooned over creamy polenta, tossed into pasta with grated Romano or Parmesan, or used as a rich topping for burgers and sandwiches.
They can even stand alone as a light plate for mushroom fans. Try scooping them into a wrap or onto buckwheat crepes to add an earthy, savory boost to your meal.
How will you serve your Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms?
Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe
Simple ingredients can produce big flavor. Along with sliced cremini or button mushrooms, this recipe uses unsalted butter, fresh thyme, garlic, and a bit of kosher salt and black pepper to finish. The technique—gently infusing butter with garlic and thyme, then sautéing the mushrooms in stages—creates the best texture and taste.
How to Sauté Mushrooms
Quick overview — full printable recipe follows in the recipe card below.
- Melt the butter in a high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves and thyme, reduce to low, and cook about 10 minutes, swirling often, until the butter is fragrant and clarified and the garlic is tender. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the garlic and thyme to a bowl.
- Increase heat to high and add about one-third of the mushrooms to the pan. Sprinkle a couple pinches of kosher salt and toss to coat. Cook without stirring for roughly 3 minutes, until the mushroom bottoms brown. Stir, then push the mushrooms to the perimeter of the pan to create an open space in the center. Add the next third of mushrooms with another pinch of salt and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and salt, cooking 2 minutes without stirring.
- After that, stir everything together and sauté for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender. If the pan liquid evaporates before the mushrooms are tender, lower the heat to medium. Pull the leaves from the remaining thyme sprig, stir them in, and serve hot.
Cook’s Notes
- Unsalted butter is preferred so you can control seasoning. If you use salted butter, be lighter with added salt.
- If the pan dries out before the mushrooms are tender, reduce the heat to medium to allow them to soften without burning.
- Don’t discard the fragrant garlic cloves or thyme sprigs after poaching in butter. Mash or chop them into sauces, spreads, or pan sauces to add extra flavor.
- Use white button mushrooms or cremini (Baby Bellas). Creminis offer a slightly deeper flavor, but both work well.
- This method is a gentle sauté that borders on butter-poaching, so it’s fine to add larger batches of mushrooms than you would for a high-heat sear.
- Store leftover mushrooms refrigerated and eat within 4 days. For longer storage, freeze with the pan juices in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Look how easy these Sautéed Mushrooms are to make!
Mushroom Recipes
This sautéed mushrooms recipe is my go-to when a mushroom craving hits. If you enjoy this preparation, consider other mushroom-forward dishes like roasted mushrooms with thyme or a saucy beef stroganoff to highlight similar flavors and textures.
Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms
Garlic and butter make these mushrooms irresistibly delicious. Serve them with a main dish, over pasta or polenta, or use them as a rich topping—an easy and flavorful way to elevate any meal.
Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 12 cloves garlic peeled and lightly smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme plus 1 sprig for garnish
- 3 pounds sliced crimini or button mushrooms
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a high-sided sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and thyme, drop the heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the butter is fragrant and clarified, and the garlic is tender, swirling frequently. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs to a bowl.
Raise the heat to high and add about 1/3 of the mushrooms to the pan. Sprinkle a couple of pinches of kosher salt over the mushrooms and toss to coat with the butter. Cook without stirring for about 3 minutes, or until the bottoms of the mushrooms are golden brown. Stir again and use a spoon to push the mushrooms out to the perimeter of the pan, creating an open space in the center of the pan. Add another third of the mushrooms along with another pinch of salt and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Once again, move the mushrooms to the outer edge of the pan, creating a space in the center. Add the remaining mushrooms with another pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes without stirring.
After 2 minutes, stir the contents of the pan thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mushrooms are tender. If the liquid from the pan begins to evaporate before the mushrooms are tender, lower the heat to medium.
Pull the leaves from the remaining sprig of thyme and stir into the mushrooms. Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the actual ingredients you use if exact values are needed.
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