Steakhouse mushrooms
by Steakhouse mushrooms are a simple, economical, and flavor-packed side dish perfect for the holidays! Made with accessible ingredients, these juicy mushrooms are sautéed with aromatics and umami-rich Worcestershire sauce for maximum deliciousness.
Learn a simple technique to brown the mushrooms with water, resulting in beefy, flavorful, and plump mushrooms—never mushy—with less splatter! Try this dish, or my sauteed mushrooms and cauliflower variation, with this herb roasted spatchcock chicken.
Ingredients
This steakhouse mushroom recipe uses accessible and affordable ingredients you probably have on hand already. It works well as a simple yet flavorful mushroom side dish for steak or chicken. Better yet, the aromatics and seasonings go so well with any holiday spread making it a great seasonal side.
- Mushrooms: White button mushrooms (with the stems trimmed) are the best mushrooms for sauteing whole. Select fresh mushrooms of similar size so they cook evenly.
- Water: Used to sauté the mushrooms.
- Shallot: Yellow onion also works great if you’re going for the classic steakhouse onions and mushrooms dish. I love mushrooms and onions with steak or on a burger.
- Garlic: Finely minced.
- Fresh thyme: A little goes a long way with this strong-flavored herb. I use 2 sprigs of fresh thyme. If you are using dried thyme, a ¼ teaspoon will do.
- Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper: Season to taste.
- Olive oil: Used to brown the mushrooms.
- Butter: Butter adds fat and flavor to the dish and works really well with the shallot, garlic, and thyme. Use unsalted butter to keep sodium down.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds great umami flavor that pairs really well with mushrooms.
- Chicken broth: Helps create a more luscious sauce.
Tip for Even Cooking: When selecting mushrooms for this recipe, choose similarly-sized mushrooms so they will cook at the same rate. Opt for whole mushrooms rather than pre-sliced ones—whole mushrooms retain moisture better during storage and release less liquid as they cook. Using similarly-sized whole mushrooms will help ensure even browning and texture.
Substitutions and variations
- Mushrooms: Aside from white button, cremini or baby bella mushrooms are the best mushrooms for steak house mushrooms. You can also mix in a small amount of shiitake.
- Beef stock: Use beef broth or stock instead of chicken stock for more of a beefy flavor.
- Red wine: Use in place of Worcestershire sauce to change the flavor profile of the sauce.
- Garnish: For a pop of freshness and flavor, garnish with fresh parsley, oregano, tarragon, chives, lemon juice, and top with my paleo parmesan cheese.
How to make steakhouse mushrooms
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to make steakhouse sauteed mushrooms with Worcestershire sauce. Follow these simple yet effective techniques to achieve perfectly browned, plump, and juicy restaurant-style mushrooms with minimal mess!
- Clean and trim: Wipe any dirt off of each mushroom with a clean paper towel and trim the stems. Halve any large mushrooms to maintain uniform size.
- Sauté with water: Add mushrooms and water to a cold saute pan or cast iron skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until the skillet is almost dry (about 8 minutes).
Tip: Sautéing mushrooms in water first instead of oil fills air pockets and draws out moisture before browning to prevent splattering.
- Add olive oil. Stir periodically over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are nicely browned (about 4 minutes).
- Add butter and aromatics. After the butter is melted, add the garlic, shallot, thyme, salt, and pepper to the center of the pan. Saute until the shallots are lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with Worcestershire sauce and keep sauteing for 1 minute. Add the stock and cook until the liquid is reduced to about half, about 2 minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving plate or bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with a few sprinkles of thyme. Serve warm.
How to brown mushrooms with less oil
Mushrooms contain moisture and air pockets that can cause splattering when sautéed in oil. This water sauté technique from America’s Test Kitchen slowly evaporates the moisture, concentrating the flavor of the mushrooms while preventing splatter. It seems counterintuitive but absolutely works!
Start by adding mushrooms and a small amount of water to a cold pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the skillet is almost dry and the mushrooms start to brown, about 8 minutes. This allows the water to fill the air pockets and draws out some moisture before browning occurs.
Once most of the water has evaporated, the mushrooms will start to brown without splattering. Browning brings out the rich, savory umami flavor of the mushrooms. Lastly, add a small amount of oil or butter to prevent sticking and burning.
How to make ahead, store, and reheat
Want to prep these sauteed mushrooms with Worcestershire sauce and garlic ahead of time? No problem! Either clean and trim a day ahead of time or cook, store, and reheat them when you’re ready. The leftovers taste great—even at room temperature!
- Make-ahead: Clean and trim the mushrooms a day ahead if you’d like.
- Storage: Once cooked, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Leftovers taste great at room temperature or microwave on medium for 1 minute to reheat.
What to serve with steak house mushrooms
These steakhouse style mushrooms enhance any meal! Serve whole as a classic mushroom and onion steak topping or slice them up and add them to a burger, breakfast omelet, or stir fry. Here are some of my favorite pairings for these juicy steak sauteed mushrooms.
- Pair with potatoes: Serve alongside these Whole30 roasted potatoes, an oven-baked miso butter sweet potato, or this creamy and gluten-free potato gnocchi with mushroom sauce.
- Pair with protein: These mushrooms pair well with my creamy chicken mushroom casserole, this classic steak fried rice, crisp and easy frozen salmon in air fryer, or this juicy Japanese hamburger steak with Worcestershire sauce.
Expert tips
- Mushroom Selection for Even Cooking: Choose mushrooms of similar size so they brown evenly. Whole mushrooms retain moisture better and release less liquid during cooking.
- Low-Splatter Sauté Technique: Start mushrooms in a cold pan with water to fill air pockets and draw out moisture first, then sauté on medium-high to evaporate liquid and brown.
- Use Oils Strategically: Sauté mushrooms in olive oil after water to further brown without burning, then add butter later to bloom garlic aromatics and lend rich flavor. Olive oil has a higher smoke point than butter, so browning mushrooms in olive oil first prevents burning. Heat butter over medium heat after browning for a rich flavor boost.
- Deglaze and Reduce: Deglaze the pan with Worcestershire and reduce broth afterward to enhance the rich flavor and give the dish a velvety feel.
- Use a large skillet: Don’t overcrowd the saute pan. Give mushrooms room in the pan to brown properly, working in batches if needed.
FAQs
Creminis and white button mushrooms are a classic pairing with steak. Their rich umami flavor complements the beef. Portobello, shiitake, and maitake also work well.
Saute time depends on the mushroom variety. White button and cremini mushrooms may need up to 8 minutes, like in the steak house mushrooms recipe. More delicate mushrooms like shiitakes require less time, around 3-5 minutes, to avoid toughness.
Sauté mushrooms with a small amount of water to fill the air pockets and draw out some moisture then brown the mushrooms in olive oil over medium-high heat until the moisture evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add butter, aromatics, and stock before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Use olive oil first to brown mushrooms without burning them. Then finish with butter to boost flavor. The oil’s higher smoke point prevents burning, while the butter lends a rich taste.
More mushroom recipes you might like
Did you know that autumn is the best season for mushrooms? Make the most of the season with these healthy and delicious mushroom-based recipes!
- Sauteed baby bok choy with shiitake: A simple, fast, and oh-so-yummy vegetarian side dish.
- Keto stuffed mushrooms: An easy, low-carb, vegetarian side perfect for the holidays.
- Shrimp stuffed mushrooms: A great holiday side dish for seafood lovers.
- Air fried oyster mushrooms: Delightful vegan “fried chicken” served with bang bang sauce.
Steakhouse mushrooms recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb white button mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms
- ¼ cup water
- 1.2 oz. shallot, finely minced, 1 large
- 0.5 oz garlic, finely minced, 4 medium
- 2 sprig fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dry, plus more for garnish
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Instructions
- To clean the mushrooms, use a clean paper towel to gently wipe off each mushroom until clean. Trim the stems. Halve any large mushrooms and leave the rest in whole.
- Start with a large (12-inch) saute pan or cast iron skillet cold, add the mushrooms and ¼ cup room temperature water. Cook over medium-high heat until the skillet is almost dry and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon periodically to ensure that all mushrooms are in contact with the water and are browned evenly.
- In the meantime, set aside the shallot, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in one bowl.
- Add olive oil. Stir periodically over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are nicely browned, about 4 minutes.
- Push the mushrooms to the side, add butter to the center. When the butter is melted, add the garlic, shallot, thyme, and salt and pepper to the center of the pan. Saute until the shallots are lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze the pan with worcestershire sauce and keep sauteing for 1 minute then add the stock and stir the mushrooms one more time. Allow the stock to reduce to about half of it, about 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat.
- Transfer mushrooms to a sering plate or bowl. Season with a few round of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with a few sprinkles of thyme. Serve warm.
Notes
- Tip for Even Cooking: When selecting mushrooms for this recipe, choose similarly-sized mushrooms so they will cook at the same rate. Opt for whole mushrooms rather than pre-sliced ones – whole mushrooms retain moisture better during storage and release less liquid as they cook. Using uniformly whole mushrooms will help ensure even browning and texture.
- Mushrooms contain moisture and air pockets that can cause splattering when sautéed in oil. This water sauté technique from America’s Test Kitchen slowly evaporates the moisture, concentrating the flavor of the mushrooms while preventing splatter. It seems counterintuitive but absolutely works!
- Recipe inspired by America’s Test Kitchen
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