The Trick for Making Mushrooms Taste Like a Restaurant’s

As a food writer, people ask me a lot about food trends. One of my favorites is the growing popularity of mushrooms; In particular, I find mushrooms have become increasingly popular on restaurant menus. But rather than a side dish of sad sautéed button mushrooms or the errant portobello burger, there are all kinds of mushrooms on menus—from king oyster to chanterelle to enoki and shiitake. And what’s more, they are more often than not the star of the dish. Meaty, tender, and never slimy or chewy, (like other vegetables) mushrooms at restaurants just taste different. And until recently, I could never quite recreate such results at home. That is, until now.

The Best Way to Cook Mushrooms

I first learned this tip shopping for mushrooms at a local farmers’ market. The farmer responsible for the stand gave me a tip that changed the way I will cook mushrooms forever (not to mention a new general rule: trust the people who grow the food). They said two magical rhyming words I will never forget: dry fry.

Typically, I’d sauté mushrooms the same way I’d cook any other veggie—by adding oil or butter to the pan, then the veggies. But this farmer told me the secret to avoiding soggy mushrooms is starting the mushrooms in a dry pan.

Mushrooms have a high water content, so the key to cooking them until super tender but not water-logged is slowly releasing their water so that it can evaporate as they cook. If you add another liquid like oil or melted butter, it can crowd the pan with too much liquid and it won’t all cook off in time. Here’s how to do it.

How to Dry Fry Mushrooms

The first step is thoroughly cleaning your mushrooms. If you do use water (yes—it’s allowed!), make sure you dry them thoroughly, so you have no slimy mushrooms going in. Next, get a pan pretty hot—I like to use a cast iron skillet, but a stainless steel pan is a great option, too. Once your pan is hot, add your mushrooms, taking care not to crowd the pan, ideally so every mushroom has contact with the pan. I know it’s tempting, but don’t add anything else, including salt. After the first side has browned, you can flip them and allow the other side to brown a little.

Once the mushrooms have a little color, add salt and toss. You will notice they immediately start to release their water. Cook another minute or two until that liquid cooks off, then you can add your desired fat and seasonings. I like to add a little butter, keeping the heat pretty high so that it browns. That’s it! It really makes mushrooms’ flavor and texture shine, making them the star of whatever dish you choose to add them to.

This technique does wonders for larger mushrooms like oyster, porcini, hen-of-the-woods, and shiitake, but it will work for your standard sliced cremini or button mushrooms, too. Like so many other tips I’ve shared, this one really will change the way you cook. Spring is the ideal season for mushrooms, so I encourage you to visit your local farmers’ market and try out some new varieties. Who knows—the farmers may just teach you the greatest cooking tip you never knew you needed.