Red Wine Mushrooms
This red wine mushroom recipe is based on the recipe from Saltgrass Steakhouse. Think mushrooms smothered in butter, red wine, and more butter! It was like butter with a side of mushrooms.
I’ve been experimenting with the ingredients and ratios over the past decade and this is the final result. You’re left with meaty yet tender mushrooms in a red wine reduction which provides a deep, earthy flavor brightened by the acidity of the wine and balsamic vinegar.
If you’re trying to convert a “mushroom hater” into a “mushroom fanatic”, this is the mushroom recipe to go for.
Don’t forget to grab some crusty garlic bread or baguette to soak up the delicious red wine sauce. Or else you’ll find yourself licking the bowl clean.
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients required to make Red Wine Mushrooms. For the full list of ingredients see the recipe card below:
Mushrooms – Costco has super inexpensive white button mushrooms, however they’re ridiculously large. Other options that work well are cremini mushrooms, baby bella, chopped portobello, or shiitake mushrooms. Here’s How To Clean Mushrooms.
Wine – Look for dry red wine like Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. Stick with an inexpensive wine you wouldn’t mind drinking. I always have a bottle of 19 Crimes on-hand so use it for cooking. Check out my list of Good Cheap Wines for more inexpensive options. If you don’t cook with wine, use beef broth instead.
Balsamic Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar and red wine are a match made in heaven. If you’re not a fan you can sub in red wine vinegar.
Butter- I usually prefer unsalted butter when cooking, to better control the sodium level, however, salted butter works just fine here. Either option provides the richness and thickness needed for the sauce.
Herbs – I use dried herbs, but fresh herbs work also. Just sub in 1 tbsp. of fresh herbs for every tsp. of dried herbs. During the summer months, I prefer to use fresh thyme and fresh oregano.
How To Make Mushrooms in Red Wine Sauce
Here’s a quick overview of how to make red wine mushrooms. For the full list of instructions, see the recipe card below:
Make the Red Wine Sauce – whisk together the red wine sauce ingredients and set aside.
Saute the Mushrooms – add the olive oil, butter and mushrooms to the skillet and let saute for 10 minutes.
Add the Sauce – add the garlic and red wine sauce to the skillet and saute for another 10 minutes.
Finishing Touches – add an extra pat of butter to thicken the sauce and further deglaze.
Serve – Transfer to a serving dish, along with the red wine pan sauce, and enjoy immediately for the best texture.
How To Prep The Mushrooms
There are two methods to cleaning mushrooms: removing the dirt with a wet paper towel, ensuring the mushrooms don’t become waterlogged, or rinsing under running water.
I’m firmly in the “wipe with a paper towel” camp. Years of recipe testing have proved waterlogged mushrooms will eventually release the excess water, creating a less flavorful and viscous sauce.
Serving Ideas
Mushrooms in red wine sauce are delicious on their own or as a side dish to recipes such as Spicy Vodka Pasta; there are a variety of ways to enjoy them. Try some of these tasty options:
- Vegetarian Meal – Serve over German Potato Pancakes, polenta, grits, or crostini for a meatless meal.
- Beef Recipes – these pair wonderfully with a big ol’ slice of beef! Think Prime Rib Recipes, Filet Mignon, Oven Baked Tri Tip and Sous Vide Filet Mignon.
- Chicken Recipes – Serve as a side to roasted chicken.
- Pasta Recipes – Serve the mushrooms over a pile of pasta with a little parmesan cheese.
- Salad Recipes – make a steak salad and top with the mushrooms. Use the red wine sauce as the salad dressing.
- Sandwich Recipes – Imagine this on a prime rib patty melt!
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Expert Tips
- As Julia Child once said, “Don’t crowd the mushrooms”. Opt for a larger skillet than you think you need so the mushrooms get the space they need to nicely brown vs steam.
- Cooking time is between 12-15 minutes. If you like a firmer bite to your mushrooms, set the cooking time to 12 minutes. If you prefer super soft mushrooms, set it to 15 minutes.
- Don’t skimp on the butter. I add an extra tablespoon to the skillet when it’s done cooking just to get more garlic butter mushrooms goodness.
- This is the perfect Christmas Recipe. Just make it in the slow cooker and it transports well!
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for about a minute or reheat on the stove over medium heat.
FAQ’s
Yes and no. I’ve tested doubling the batch but the quality suffered drastically. The mushrooms are too crowded therefore too much liquid is released and the red wine butter sauce is watered down. Instead, I make two individual batches and combine them before serving. For Christmas dinner, I cook one batch and transfer it to a slow cooker while I make another batch. It is more time-consuming but it’s certainly worth the effort.
Yes, this can easily turn into a slow cooker mushrooms in red wine sauce recipe. Just throw all of the ingredients into a small-ish slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. I highly recommend doubling the sauce due to the long cook time.
More Mushroom Recipes
This red wine mushrooms recipe was originally posted in August 2016, but I updated it in July 2024 with new photos, additional text, and edits to the original recipe. Below is one of the original photos.
Red Wine Mushrooms
Ingredients
RED WINE SAUCE
- 3 tbsp dry red wine
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ⅛ tsp salt + more to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
MUSHROOMS
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 18 oz mushrooms (*Note 1)
- 4 oz butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- optional garnish: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add the red wine, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, black pepper and salt to a medium mixing box and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add the washed mushrooms and 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat.
- Pre-heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and 3 tbsp. of butter and stir to combine.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet, cap side down, spacing them evenly apart. Sauté for 5 minutes without moving them. Flip the mushrooms to their side and saute for another 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Large mushrooms will take a few extra minutes to cook.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Let the pan cool for a minute then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly add the red wine sauce and toss to coat the mushrooms. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the remaining butter and stir to combine and deglaze the bottom of the skillet.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.