Kitchen guide
Button mushroom recipes: sautéed, soup, baked and pilaf
Button mushrooms (white mushrooms) are the most widely used mushroom in the kitchen. Our favourite recipes are mushroom sauté, cream of mushroom soup, baked mushrooms with kaşar cheese, mushroom pilaf, creamy pasta, güveç and mince-stuffed mushrooms. The rules are the same for all of them: wipe rather than soak, don't crowd the pan, cook over high heat and salt at the end.
Button mushroom recipes on this site
Mains
Turkish mushroom sauté
A classic Turkish sauté of button mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and tomato paste – perfect with rice and ready in 35 minutes.
35 min
Button mushroom
The classic mushroom sauté with onion and peppers in butter; the most-made button mushroom dish.
Meze & olive-oil dishes
Stuffed mushrooms with kaşar cheese
Big mushroom caps filled with their own stalks fried in garlic butter, topped with kaşar (a mild Turkish cow's-milk cheese) and baked until bubbling – a favourite hot meze.
35 min
Large button mushroom
Caps filled with kaşar cheese and baked: the easiest starter for guests.
Soups
Cream of mushroom soup
A silky, deeply savoury mushroom soup made with well-browned button mushrooms, ready in 35 minutes.
35 min
Button mushroom
Cream of mushroom soup; silky and ready in half an hour with button mushrooms.
Mains
Mushroom pilaf (mantarlı pilav)
Buttery Turkish rice pilaf with browned mushrooms, cooked so every grain stays separate and fluffy.
1 hr 10 min
Button mushroom
Mushroom pilaf with orzo; goes with meat and chicken dishes.
Pasta & risotto
Creamy mushroom pasta
Button and oyster mushrooms in a silky cream and parmesan sauce, brought together with starchy pasta water – on the table in 30 minutes.
30 min
Button mushroom
Creamy mushroom pasta; button mushrooms hold their shape in the sauce.
Mushrooms baked in a güveç with cheese, brought to the table in the pot.
Mains
Mince-stuffed mushrooms
Large mushroom caps filled with lamb or beef mince spiced with cumin and Turkish pepper paste, then baked at 190 °C. A hearty main course, ready in 1 hour.
1 hr
Button mushroom
Large caps stuffed with spiced mince and baked; a filling main course.
Mains
Chicken and mushroom sauté
Browned chicken, fried mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes cooked together in one pan for an easy weeknight dinner, ready in 50 minutes.
50 min
Button mushroom
Chicken and button mushrooms in one pan; a weeknight dinner.
Breakfast
Menemen with mushrooms
Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes and green peppers, made heartier with well-browned button mushrooms. On the table in 30 minutes.
30 min
Button mushroom
Mushroom menemen for breakfast; the tomatoes go in once the mushroom liquid has gone.
Meze & olive-oil dishes
Braised mushrooms in olive oil
A light Turkish meze of mushrooms gently cooked in olive oil with onion, carrot and lemon, finished with dill and served warm or cold.
40 min
Button mushroom
Mushrooms in olive oil, served cold; can be made a day ahead.
Mains
Mushroom kebabs (mantar şiş)
Button mushrooms, peppers and red onion marinated in olive oil, garlic, chilli flakes and oregano, then cooked on the barbecue or under the oven grill.
1 hr
Button mushroom
Skewered with peppers and cooked on the grill or barbecue.
Breakfast
Mushroom börek
A Turkish tray börek made with ready-made yufka, a well-browned mushroom and parsley filling and a simple egg and milk sauce. Perfect for breakfast or with afternoon tea.
1 hr 40 min
Button mushroom
Filo börek with a mushroom and cheese filling; for tea time.
Which recipe, when?
- Weeknight dinner: mushroom sauté or chicken and mushroom sauté, with pilaf or bulgur.
- Starters for guests: baked mushrooms with cheese, mushroom güveç or mushroom skewers.
- Winter evening: cream of mushroom soup.
- Breakfast: mushroom menemen; for tea time, mushroom börek.
- A cold dish to make ahead: mushrooms in olive oil.
Before you cook button mushrooms
Button mushrooms are spongy and soak up water quickly, so we never soak them. Wipe them with a damp cloth, or if very dirty give them a quick rinse and dry them straight away.
Slices suit sautés and sauces, whole caps suit baking and stuffing, and small dice suit soups and pilaf. The stems are edible; when stuffing, chop the scooped-out stems finely and add them to the filling.
Cooking tips
- Button mushrooms release more water than oyster mushrooms; don't turn the heat down until it has evaporated.
- Don't crowd the pan: use a wide pan for 500 g or cook in two batches.
- Salt at the end: early salt makes mushrooms release water faster.
- Chestnut (brown) mushrooms work in the same recipes and have a slightly deeper flavour.
- We cover growing and varieties on the button mushroom page.
FAQ
How do you cook button mushrooms?
Wipe and slice them, then cook in a wide pan over high heat without crowding. They release water first and start to brown once it has evaporated. 10–12 minutes in a pan or 15–20 minutes at 200 °C in the oven is enough.
Should you wash button mushrooms?
Don't soak them. Wiping with a damp cloth is enough; if they are very dirty, give them a quick rinse just before cooking and dry them.
Do you need to peel button mushrooms?
No. The thin skin of a fresh mushroom is edible; only peel off dried or blemished patches.
Can you eat button mushroom stems?
Yes. Just trim the dry, earthy end. For stuffed mushrooms, chop the stems finely and add them to the filling.
Can you eat button mushrooms raw?
Fresh button mushrooms are sometimes sliced thinly into salads. For cooked dishes we recommend cooking them; it brings out the flavour and softens the texture.
How long do button mushrooms take to cook?
Sliced mushrooms take 10–12 minutes in a pan; whole caps take 15–20 minutes in the oven. They are done when the liquid has evaporated and the edges are browned.
Why do button mushrooms release so much water?
Mushrooms are mostly water, and heat makes the cells release it. High heat and a wide pan let it evaporate quickly; salting at the end also delays it.
How long do button mushrooms keep in the fridge?
4–5 days in a paper bag or wrapped in kitchen paper. In plastic packaging they sweat and spoil quickly; see our guide to storing mushrooms.
Can you freeze button mushrooms?
Frozen raw, they turn watery when thawed. Sauté them first, let them cool and they keep for 2–3 months; add them to dishes straight from frozen.
What can I use instead of button mushrooms?
Chestnut mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shiitake work in most of these recipes. Oyster mushrooms release less water, so they cook faster.
Sources
- yemek.com — Mantar Sote yemek.com
- yemek.com — Fırında Kaşarlı Mantar yemek.com
Now, time to cook
All recipes
Soups
Cream of mushroom soup
A silky, deeply savoury mushroom soup made with well-browned button mushrooms, ready in 35 minutes.
35 min
Button mushroom
Mains
Turkish mushroom sauté
A classic Turkish sauté of button mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and tomato paste – perfect with rice and ready in 35 minutes.
35 min
Button mushroom
Meze & olive-oil dishes
Stuffed mushrooms with kaşar cheese
Big mushroom caps filled with their own stalks fried in garlic butter, topped with kaşar (a mild Turkish cow's-milk cheese) and baked until bubbling – a favourite hot meze.
35 min
Large button mushroom
Kitchen guides
Before you cook: clean, store, dry
How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.
How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.
How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.