Sauteed Button Mushrooms – A Couple Cooks

Sauteed button mushrooms make an easy and flavorful side dish! This simple recipe transforms ordinary white mushrooms that taste irresistibly savory and smoky.

What are button mushrooms?

Button mushrooms are a small mushroom with a round top: the most common variety you’ll find at grocery stores. This variety, scientific name Agaricus bisporus, is one of the most widely consumed in the world. Here’s what I’ve learned about this fantastic fungi:

Button mushrooms are also known as white button or white mushrooms. They’re all one and the same! I use these terms interchangeably in my kitchen.

They’re actually the same variety as cremini and portobello mushrooms. This blew my mind when I first learned it. Button mushrooms are the youngest stage, followed by cremini mushrooms (also called baby bella), and then portobello mushrooms at full maturity. Button mushrooms have the mildest flavor, and portobellos are the most meaty and savory.

Their flavor develops beautifully when cooked. While they’re quite mild raw, I’ve discovered that proper sautéing brings out depth. The key is getting them properly browned, which creates a caramelized flavor.

How to store and clean them

Button mushrooms are some of the dirtiest mushrooms you’ll find: often you’ll pull them out of the package with loads of dirt stuck to them. Here are the best practices for storing and cleaning button mushrooms:

• Store the mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator (not the produce drawer). You can leave them in the package they come in, but the best way to store white mushrooms is in a paper bag. Why? Paper allows them to breathe. Leave them in the main part of the refrigerator to get good airflow, not the produce drawer.
• Clean them with a quick rinse. Give the mushrooms a quick rinse to get off any dirt. Contrary to what you might think, it’s ok to rinse your mushrooms! This is a common misconception — and one we subscribed to until we did some research. Here’s the best way to clean mushrooms.

Methods for cooking button mushrooms

There are a few ways to cook button mushrooms: the fastest and easiest is sautéed! But there are several other methods that work well:

• Sauteed: Sauté them in butter with a spritz of lemon juice at the end. They’re incredible: smoky and meaty! Scroll down to the recipe below.
• Roasted: Try them roasted to perfection in a hot oven. Throw them in at 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes: see Roasted Mushrooms.
• Grilled: Throw them on skewers and place them on the grill for maximum smoky flavor. Grill on medium high for about 10 minutes: see Grilled Mushrooms.

My secret seasoning blend

The recipe below is our favorite way to season button mushrooms. Because they have a milder flavor than the cremini, you’ll want to enhance the savory flavor with some seasonings. Here’s what we used in this recipe to make it taste beautifully smoky: almost like bacon!

• Minced garlic: Garlic and mushrooms go hand in hand
• Onion powder: An easy way to add onion flavor…without the onion!
• Smoked paprika: Also called pimenton, it adds beautiful smoky tinge that’s reminiscent of bacon here. You can use sweet paprika if you don’t have it onhand.
• Worcestershire sauce: Adds more meaty flair! You can omit if you prefer, use vegan Worcestershire, or even this quick and easy Worcestershire substitute.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon really takes mushrooms over the top, adding a little brightness to offset the earthy flavor.

Pairings and serving ideas

These savory sauteed mushrooms are incredibly versatile. I’ve served them in countless ways, and here are my favorite applications:

As a side dish: They’re perfect alongside pan seared chicken breast, baked salmon, or grilled shrimp.

Over grains: I love serving them over cilantro lime rice, seasoned quinoa, or perfect wild rice for a hearty vegetarian meal.

In pasta dishes: Fold them into white sauce pasta or mushroom pasta with goat cheese for an elevated dinner.

On pizza: They’re great on margherita pizza or mushroom pizza with fresh herbs and cheese (though make sure to slice them first).

In omelets and frittatas: I add them (chopped) to my classic omelette or easy frittata recipe for extra flavor.

On toast: Try them on garlic bread or cheese toast for a gourmet appetizer.

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Sauteed Button Mushrooms

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Button mushrooms (aka white mushrooms) are juicy and full of flavor! Here’s more about this variety and recipes for cooking them to perfection.

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Sauteed
• Cuisine: Mushrooms
• Diet: Vegetarian

• 16 ounces button mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, or use vegan or this substitute)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Clean the mushrooms. Slice off any hard parts of stems, and slice any very large mushrooms in half. Otherwise, keep them the mushrooms whole. 
2. Mince the garlic. 
3. In a sauté pan or skillet, heat the butter or olive oil over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until they are starting to brown on the bottom.
4. Flip and cook another 3 minutes without stirring.
5. Reduce the heat to low, add the onion powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and lemon juice and cook 1 more minute, stirring frequently. Allow to cool for a minute, then taste and add additional salt if desired. 

Other button mushroom recipes to try

The sauteed button mushrooms recipe below is great as a side dish: but want to make your fungi into more of a main dish? You can add them to pizza, pasta, soup, and more: all with great results. Here are some favorite recipes where you can use white button mushrooms in place of cremini: