This extra creamy, incredibly flavorful Creamy Mushroom Sauce is easy to make and on the table in about 20 minutes. It’s a rich, umami-forward sauce that’s fantastic spooned over chicken, pork, steak, and even pasta!
If you’re a fan of meaty meals smothered in rich, saucy mushrooms, like Chicken Marsala or Creamy Mushroom Chicken, then you need this Creamy Mushroom Sauce recipe in your life. It’s a quick 20-minute sauce that instantly takes steak, pork, and chicken over the top!
The ingredients needed to make the mushroom sauce are fairly straightforward. A blend of any mushrooms you like add an umami-forward base, while red wine, beef stock, and simple aromatics bring balance to every bite. Add heavy cream at the end to give this cream sauce for pork its irresistibly luscious appeal, then dig in!
Table of Contents
Best mushrooms for mushroom sauce
The best mushrooms to use in cream sauce are any type of fresh, meaty mushrooms that you already enjoy eating. You can’t go wrong with white button mushrooms, cremini, and baby portobellos. These options are also the easiest to find in North American grocery stores.
Less common varieties, like shiitake, oyster, porcini, chanterelles, and wild maitake would also be fun to experiment with in this sauce.
Ingredients
- Olive oil – To prevent the mushrooms from sticking as they sear in the pan.
- Mushrooms – I used a mix of portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. You can use any mix of mushrooms you like, including some from the suggestions above.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter to prevent the sauce from tasting overly salty.
- Shallot – For aromatic, savory flavors. Minced red onion also works in a pinch.
- Garlic
- Tomato paste – Acts as a thickening and flavoring agent. Don’t skip it!
- Four – This too helps thicken the sauce. If you’re gluten free, use your favorite gluten free flour as a substitute.
- Red wine – Use a dry red wine you enjoy sipping alongside your meal. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot are all good options.
- Beef stock – This gives the sauce volume and a rich, savory flavor. You can also use beef bone broth or vegetable stock for a vegetarian mushroom sauce.
- Thyme
- Soy sauce – Or tamari if you’re gluten free.
- Heavy cream – For the creamy element in this cream sauce! Feel free to use whole milk or half and half instead.
- Salt and pepper
How to make mushroom sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Once it’s hot, add the mushrooms and cook in an even layer until they’re browned evenly. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl.
Lower the heat and add the butter. Once it’s melted, add the shallots and saute until translucent, then add the garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then add the flour, stir well, and cook for another minute.
Add the wine, broth, thyme, and soy sauce to the pan. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
To finish the sauce, stir in the heavy cream and pre-cooked mushrooms. Season to taste with soy sauce, salt, and pepper, then enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- It’s important to clean your mushrooms and remove all of the excess dirt before getting started. A Couple Cooks recommends tossing the mushrooms in a large bowl of water until the dirt settles at the bottom. Drain well, and be sure to pat the mushrooms completely dry before cooking.
- Mix the flour thoroughly with the shallots, garlic, and tomato paste to prevent lumps in your cream sauce. Use a whisk if you need to.
- Remember to scrape up the tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan after deglazing it with red wine and broth. That’s where the flavor is!
- To make this cream sauce even creamier, add freshly grated parmesan at the end and stir until melted and smooth.
Storing
The sauce doesn’t freeze well but you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
When it’s time to reheat, warm it over low to medium heat to prevent it from breaking. If it begins to separate, whisk in a splash of water.
Serving suggestions
Mushroom sauce and your favorite protein are a match made in heaven. But there are also plenty of other ways to enjoy it, such as:
- Chicken – This thick, silky sauce is perfect for smothering baked, air fried, or sous vide chicken breast. You can also pour it over crunchy chicken dishes, like schnitzel or sour cream chicken.
- Steak – This sauce is delightful spooned over premium cuts of steak, like ribeye and filet mignon. It’s also perfect for transforming cheaper cuts of steak into a 5-star meal.
- Pasta – Best of all, this mushroom cream sauce doubles as an excellent stroganoff-type sauce to toss with egg noodles. Add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to help thin it out and give it a silky smooth consistency.
- And more – Make Swedish-style meatballs by heating ready-made frozen meatballs directly in the sauce. You can also serve it instead of traditional gravy with your Thanksgiving turkey.
More sauce recipes for steak night
Looking for more ways to transform any cut of steak into a gourmet dinner? Check out → 17 Delicious Sauces for Steak or these simple steak sauce recipes:
Looking for gourmet sauces to pair with pork? Then you need this list of 20+ Sauces for Pork. Enjoy!
More mushroom recipes
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Full Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as portobello, cremini, white button, shiitake or oyster, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ¾ cup beef stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (plus more to taste)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir the mushrooms, then continue to cook until browned all over, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute longer.
- Add the wine, broth, thyme, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and the mushrooms. Season with additional soy sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste.
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