Cooking

Red Wine Mushrooms {Stovetop or Slow Cooker}

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Mushrooms sautéed in a flavorful blend of butter, wine, and herbs to create a silky steak topping or hearty side dish. This red wine mushroom recipe is ready in just 20 minutes.

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.

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. 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.

Upside down mushrooms in a black skillet.

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.

Mushrooms simmering in a sauce in a skillet.

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; there are a variety of ways to enjoy them. Try some of these tasty options:

Plate of mushrooms with a fork holding one up.

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 buttery garlicky 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.

red wine mushrooms on a white serving plate.

FAQ’s

Can I Double or Triple The Recipe?

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.

Can I Make This In A Slow Cooker?

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.

Sauteed Mushrooms on a white rectangle serving platter.

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.