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    Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    December 12, 2023

    This creamy mushroom sauce is simple to make and takes everything from steak, pork, and chicken, to pasta and veggies from ordinary to over-the-top delicious.

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    Creamy mushroom sauce made with thyme in a pan with a spoon

    Good-On-Everything Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Just about anything tastes better when topped with a drizzle of creamy sauce, right? From chicken dinners to pork loin to seared steak, a rich and luscious mushroom sauce transforms simple meals into swoon-worthy dinners.

    raw mushrooms quartered in a bowl next to salt and butter

    How Do You Make Creamy Mushroom Sauce?

    Ultra-flavorful, creamy mushroom sauce is deceptively easy to make. Here's how:

    1. Quarter mushrooms—either white button or cremini work great—and chop some fresh thyme.
    2. Add the quartered mushrooms to a dry skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally.
    3. Add salt, and cook 2 more minutes to let the mushrooms sweat out a little moisture. Then add a bit of butter.
    4. Now that the mushrooms are browned and buttery, add thyme, heavy cream, and soy sauce or tamari. Turn the heat down to low and stir for a few minutes until the mushroom sauce is nice and thick.
    5. Pour the completed sauce on pasta, steak, chicken—it'll be delicious on just about anything!
    quartered mushrooms in a skillet
    quartered mushrooms browning in a skillet
    quartered mushrooms in a skillet with butter
    sautéed mushrooms in a skillet with cream, thyme, soy sauce, and butter

    Tips For Making THE Best Mushroom Sauce:

    One of our favorite things about this herby, savory, creamy mushroom sauce is that it's hard to mess up, there are a few things to keep in mind as you cook.

    • Pay attention to your heat. Medium heat is your friend when you're browning the mushrooms—too high and they'll brown too fast, too low and the mushrooms will be pale. And once you add the cream, you want to drop that heat down to low so the cream doesn't break.
    • Don’t overcrowd the pan. Especially if you double this recipe (good call!) you'll need to brown the mushrooms in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
    • Soy sauce or tamari? You can use either with very similar results! Tamari is the gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. A dash of soy sauce or tamari ups the umami of this creamy sauce, and pairs perfectly with savory mushrooms.
    • Add your own twist! This versatile sauce could easily benefit from the addition of a few cloves of fresh garlic, a pour of white wine, or additional herbs that you love. Depending on what you'll be using it on, feel free to make adjustments that fit your tastes.
    mushroom sauce made with heavy cream, soy sauce, thyme and butter in a skillet with a spoon

    Wondering What To Put Your Perfect Mushroom Sauce On? (Hint, Hint...Everything!)

    Simple and flavorful, this sauce is one that you'll be making again and again. The pairing possibilities are almost endless, but here are a few ways that we love to use this creamy mushroom sauce:

    • Over pasta. Creamy mushroom sauce paired with your favorite pasta makes for a dinner that is luxurious and simple—easy enough for a weeknight but definitely good enough for company, too.
    • Following a ketogenic diet? This mushroom sauce is absolutely keto-friendly—serve atop pork chops or chicken breasts cooked simply with salt and pepper.
    • Serve it as a side dish over potatoes! Roasted, baked or mashed, potatoes and mushroom sauce are a match made in heaven.
    • Creamy mushroom sauce is especially lovely with beef—the two flavors together are a classic old-school steakhouse combo that we just love. From ribeye steak to bunless burgers, there's no wrong way to pair them.
    • Freestyle this mushroom sauce instead of the original paired with our Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce.
    Creamy mushroom sauce made with thyme in a pan with a spoon

    Craving More Saucy Dishes?

    When in doubt...add sauce! Here are a few of our favorite versatile dressings and sauces.

    Did You Love It As Much As We Did?

    When we first created this recipe I *might* have made it three times in one week and put it on everything that hit my dinner plate. Big results, without a lot of work? That’s my kind of cooking! If you make it and love it as much as I do, tell us about it! Post a picture of how you used the best mushroom sauce in the world to Instagram and tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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    Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Updated on December 12, 2023

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  5 min
    • Cook Time:  10 min
    • Calories:  289
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    Ingredients

    • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

    Method

    1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and cook stirring until beginning to “sweat”, about 2 more minutes.

    2. Stir in the butter. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the cream, soy sauce, and thyme. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened slightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

    3. Serve with roast chicken, pork, steak or over cooked pasta.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 289
    • Protein 8 g
    • Carbohydrates 5 g
    • Total Fat 24 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 95 mg
    • sodium 1085 mg
    • Total Sugars 5 g

    Creamy Mushroom Sauce

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Sharu

      Could you possibly suggest any vegan alternatives to the cream? would cashew cream or coconut milk work?

      Either should be ok, hope you enjoy!

    • Jill

      If I don't have heavy cream can I use milk?

      This recipe will not turn out creamy without the cream.

    • Mickenzie

      Can I add all ingredients to an insta pot over pork chops?

      We haven't tried this in an instant pot.

    • Amy

      Can this sauce be frozen?

      Hi Amy, we haven't tried it but we probably wouldn't recommend it, the mushrooms might not hold up so well.

    • Nan

      How does this reheat? I'm trying to do much of my cooking on the weekend for stress free weeknight meals.

      I think it reheats beautifully!

    • Rachel

      This is our go-to sauce to top chicken, pork, meatballs… you get the idea. It goes on almost anything. I could eat it with a spool (and have).

      YAY! Glad you love it so much Rachel!

    • Hello

      Excellent! I was lucky enough to have fresh king boletes on hand, but this would be good for ANY mushroom. I added a splash of apple cider vinegar just before adding the butter to get a wee bit of acid in for balance. Would also recommend using half the salt first and the adjusting to taste. I will be using this recipe again and again. Thank you!

      Thank you, we are so happy to hear it's a keeper!

    • Julia

      Fantastic! I kept reading when the instructions started with a dry skillet. Mushrooms should be treated like meat; they do not need butter until they are cooked. Really great and easy recipe that should go in your personal file.

      Thank you Julia, so glad you loved it!

    • Doug

      Easy and delicious! A little saltier than I like, so I halved the tamari 2nd time I made it.
      Leftovers reheat easy and taste just as good.

      Thanks Doug! So glad you like it and have made it multiple times, yay!