My easy method for how to cook mushrooms makes the most delicious mushrooms (trust me). This recipe is my absolute favorite way to cook mushrooms. They are golden brown, perfectly cooked, and flavorful.
I love this mushroom recipe so much and make it all the time. The mushrooms turn golden brown, buttery, and have the perfect texture.
Everything happens on the stove for this quick and easy recipe. If you’d prefer to roast mushrooms, see this roasted mushrooms recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Mushrooms: You can use pretty much any variety of mushrooms in this recipe. Remove any hard stems and cut or tear your mushrooms into similar-sized pieces. In the photos, I used cremini and shiitake mushrooms, but portobello, oyster, and wild mushrooms are all excellent.
- Olive oil: I cook my mushrooms in the skillet with olive oil (I like how it adds a golden brown crust and flavor).
- Butter, garlic, lemon, and thyme: After cooking my mushrooms, I stir in butter, garlic, fresh lemon zest, fresh thyme leaves, and a bit of lemon juice. These ingredients combine to create a light buttery sauce for the mushrooms (it’s out of this world).
How to Cook Mushrooms
We will saute our mushrooms in a skillet on the stove for this easy recipe. Start by heating olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
I like using a wide, heavy-bottomed pan for the best results. The wide pan allows me to add more mushrooms without layering them on top of each other too much (which causes them to steam instead of saute).
You’ll add the mushrooms in one layer (or close to it) and leave them until they start to pick up some color (3 to 5 minutes). Stir them, then spread them back into a layer to turn golden on the second side.
When your mushrooms are mostly golden brown on all sides, season with salt and pepper, and if you want to add them, garlic, lemon, thyme, and butter. It’s so simple and so good!
My Tips for Cooking Mushrooms
- Keep mushrooms dry: Use a slightly damp paper towel to brush off any dirt, and unless your mushrooms are really dirty, avoid submerging them in water or rinsing them. Mushrooms act like sponges, absorbing water, making mushrooms squeaky instead of flavorful and browned.
- Don’t crowd mushrooms in the pan: This one comes from Julia Child and other famous chefs. If you pile raw mushrooms up on top of each other in a pan, they will steam. If you spread them out, they will brown and crisp around the edges. This is why I like using a wide skillet to cook mushrooms. The wider size gives me more room.
- Salt your mushrooms at the end: I know this seems odd, but mushrooms are one of the only things I salt towards the end of cooking. Salt brings out moisture, which, in the case of mushrooms, prevents them from browning in the pan.
Storing Cooked Mushrooms
Cooked mushrooms last, stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet or oven.
More Mushroom Recipes
- Oven Roasted Mushrooms
- Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Easy Mushroom Pasta
- Mushroom Stuffing
- Mushroom Lasagna with Spinach
How to Cook Mushrooms Perfectly
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This is my favorite way to cook mushrooms. Use any variety for this recipe. When cooking the mushrooms, make sure they are spread into one layer in the pan and not crowded so they brown instead of steam. You can make this easy mushroom recipe with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Or, for more flavor, add the butter, thyme, and lemon.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
8 ounces mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake or Portobello (2 ½ cups chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, optional
1 garlic clove, minced, optional
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried, optional
1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest, optional
Juice of half a lemon, optional
Directions
1Using a damp paper towel, brush off dirt from the mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into 1/4-inch slices or, if the mushrooms are larger, like portobello, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
2Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat.
3Add the mushrooms and spread into one layer. Then cook, without moving, until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes.
4Stir then cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until mostly golden brown on all sides. Stir in the salt and pepper.
5For lemon garlic mushrooms, stir in the butter, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the butter absorbs into the mushrooms, about 2 minutes.
6Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in lemon juice.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Try truffle or porcini salt: If you can find it (we buy it online or in specialty kitchen shops), swap regular sea salt for truffle or porcini salt. This deepens the mushroom flavor and tastes incredible!
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition provided is for the lemon garlic version of the recipe.
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I have cooked mushrooms all my life but I have never enjoyed them as much as this recipe. Thank you very much.