Simple Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms

Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms are a study in simplicity; a handful of great ingredients are made even greater in combination with each other and minimal interference. This sauteed mushrooms recipe is the only one you’ll ever need.

For a mushroom lover, Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms are about as good as it gets. First garlic cloves and fresh thyme are gently poached in butter, infusing it with all of their goodness.

Then the mushrooms are gently sautéed in the fragrant garlic and thyme butter yielding tender, umami-packed morsels of Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms.

These sauteed mushrooms are wonderfully savory, tender and full of garlic flavor. 

Sauteed Mushrooms

I’ve lost count of the number of adults I’ve met who thought they hated mushrooms until they tried them sauteed. If you grew up choking down mushrooms boiled beyond recognition or the slimy ones from a can, it’s time to give those edible fungi a second chance.

Maybe I shouldn’t use the word “fungi” when I’m trying to convince you to try mushrooms.

Cooking mushrooms in a pan with hot butter, garlic and herbs results in something truly delicious. The texture is velvety with the good taste of butter, garlic and thyme in every single bite.

And if you already love mushrooms? You need to try this recipe. It’s my go-to any time I want mushrooms to accompany our meal (or to top on a burger). So simple, easy and irresistibly good each and every time.

What do I serve with sauteed mushrooms?

What do you do with a pan full of Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms? They make an admirable side to a steak or any kind of roast be it pork, beef or chicken.

They’re also incredible as a topper for polenta, or stirred into pasta with a handful of grated Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese. I, as an admitted fungi fanatic, am perfectly happy to sit down and polish off a bowl of sautéed mushrooms all by themselves.

I love to scoop a big spoonful on top of burgers or inside a wrap or a Buckwheat Crepe, as well. The possibilities are endless!

How will you serve Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms?

Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. With just a few ingredients, you can turn an ordinary mushroom into a celebration of flavor. Along with sliced cremini or button mushrooms, all you need to make Sautéed Muhrooms is unsalted butter, thyme, and garlic along with a bit of salt and pepper.

How to Sautée Mushrooms

{At a glance; scroll down for full printable recipe!} 

1. 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 is tender, swirling frequently. Use tongs or a fork to transfer the garlic cloves and thyme sprigs to a bowl.
2.  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.
3.  After 2 minutes, stir the contents of the pan thoroughly. Sautée the mushrooms for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mushrooms are tender. Pull the leaves from the remaining sprig of thyme and stir into the mushrooms. Serve hot!

Cook’s Notes

• I will always bang the drum for cooking with unsalted butter and this Garlic Butter Mushrooms recipe is no exception. That said, it won’t be the end of the world if you start with salted butter, just have a light hand with the salt when sprinkling it over the mushrooms to help avoid an over-salted finished dish.
• If the liquid from the pan begins to evaporate before the mushrooms are tender, lower the heat to to medium.
• When you fish the garlic and thyme sprigs from the butter, don’t throw them away. They’re full of goodness! Save them and mash to add to pasta sauces or pan sauces. You’ll be so glad you did.
• You can use white button mushrooms or criminis -also known as Baby Bellas- here. My preference is for the criminis , but either will do!
• Unlike when making seared mushrooms, it’s okay to have a few more mushrooms in the pan. You still want to add them in installments, but we’re looking for a more gentle sauté that verges almost on butter poaching, so it is okay to add larger amounts to the pan than if we were searing them.
• Garlic Butter Sautéed Mushrooms are best when eaten within 4 days of being made. If you plan to keep them longer than that, freeze them with the garlic butter and pan juices in an airtight container or zipper top bag for up to 3 months.

Look how easy these Sautéed Mushrooms are to make!

Connect with Foodie with Family

facebook | pinterest | instagram

twitter | our free extra+ordinary newsletter

Mushroom Recipes

This sauteed mushrooms recipe is my current go-to whenever a mushroom craving strikes. (Yes, mushroom cravings are a thing. Trust me.) If you love this glorious fungi too, you’re also going to like Roasted Mushrooms with Thyme  and  this Instant Pot Garlic Beef Stroganoff.

Mary from Barefeet in the Kitchen also shared this Rosemary Mushrooms recipe I have on my list for the next time I have rosemary to use up!

Garlic Butter Sauteed Mushrooms

Garlic and butter make these sauteed mushrooms incredibly delicious. Paired with any main dish or pasta, these mushrooms are an easy way to enhance your meal.

Love these Garlic Butter Sauteed Mushrooms? Try these!

• Salt Potatoes
• Garlic Buffalo Sauce Recipe
• Spicy Asian Broccoli
• Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Rice
• Garlic Butter Pepperoni Pizza Rolls