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This Sautéed Morel Mushrooms recipe is one of my all time favorite ways to cook mushrooms! Living in the Pacific Northwest, I’m no stranger to mushrooms and these morels are some of my go tos! They’re cooked in white wine, shallot, garlic, and fresh herbs for great depth of flavor.
Love mushroom recipes? Good because I have a lot of them :) You’ll want to try my Lion’s Mane Steaks as well as these Easy Chestnut Mushrooms and these Garlic Butter Oyster Mushrooms!
Why you’ll love this classic morel recipe
Morel season is far too short (although, I can often get them out of season at the farmer’s market), so whenever I get my hands on some, I try to keep things simple and really enjoy them in their truest form. But, that applies to many of my favorite mushrooms!
Garlic, butter, and a splash of white wine goes a LONG way with mushrooms (like these Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms!). But, if you’re new to morels, I’ll walk you through it from one mushroom lover to another :)
Here’s why you’ll LOVE this recipe:
- Ready in 25 minutes – simple enough for a weeknight but also special enough for a fancy dinner party.
- Rich, earthy flavor – morel mushrooms have a deep and nutty flavor that is unlike common button or cremini mushrooms you get at the grocery store.
- Simple ingredients – olive oil, butter, shallot, garlic, and fresh herbs is all it really takes!
- Versatile – serve them over toast, pasta, risotto, or even just as a side dish.
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Fresh Morel mushrooms – fresh morels, frozen, or even dried morels work well in this recipe! I usually get mine from a local farmer at the farmer’s market. You can often find dried mushrooms at the grocery store. I’ve never picked wild morels but that is also an option!
- Olive oil – a good quality olive oil is recommended
- Shallot – this adds a mild, sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with the garlic and mushrooms.
- Dry white wine or sherry – this deglazes the pan and adds depth of falor. You could substitute it for sherry or even broth if you would rather skip the alcohol.
- Butter – this finished the dish with richness and a glossy sheen that just tastes so good!
- Garlic – I use garlic in all of my mushrooms recipes! It is added near the end so it doesn’t burn. Use more or less than the recipe calls for according to your preferences.
- Fresh herbs – I used a mix of thyme and fresh oregano but rosemary or sage would also work well.
- Salt and pepper to taste – be sure to season at the end!
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you because cooking morel mushrooms is actually quite simple :)
- Prep the morel mushrooms, being sure to clean them well in a medium bowl and pat dry gently. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, add in the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir and cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Add in the minced shallot and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine or broth, gently scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Finish with the butter, garlic, and fresh herbs. Cooking for about 1-2 more minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the liquid from the wine and mushrooms is evaporated.
- Serve hot with fresh herbs, being sure the shallot and garlic is spooned over the top! Green onions are also a great garnish for this recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Let the water from the mushrooms cook off first – As they sear, morel mushrooms release quite a bit of moisture. Make sure to give it enough time to evaporate before you add in the wine.
- Add frozen morels straight to the pan – There’s no need to thaw these first. They’ll thaw quickly in the skillet and you can cook off any excess liquid from freezing.
- Choose how you cut the mushrooms based on how you want to present them – Whole morels will hold their shape well and truly look so beautiful on a plate. Sliced morels cook faster, are easier to clean, and are a bit easier to portion out.
- Never eat morels raw or undercooked – these must always be cooked fully before eating!
Frequently Asked Questions
No! Morel mushrooms must always be fully cooked before eating because raw or undercooked morels contain compounds that can cause gastrointestinal issues you do not want!
In Spring, you can often find these at specialty grocery stores! Typically the farmer’s market is a great place to find them.
Yes BUT you will need to rehydrate them in warm water for about half an hour first. Afterwards, gently pat them dry with a towel or paper towels.
Sautéed Morel Mushrooms Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 oz morel mushrooms, fresh, frozen, or dried*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine or sherry, could also sub for veggie or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh herbs, thyme, rosemary, oregano, or sage all work well!
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit for 5 minutes to release any dirt on the inside. Sometime I do this twice because morels are notorious for having dirty insides. Cut larger mushrooms in half lengthwise and leave smaller ones (1-2 inches) whole. Rinse once more and pat dry.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the mushrooms in a single layer and cook them, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes until lightly browned. The larger mushrooms may take a little longer to cook.
- Add in the shallot and cook for 2 more minutes until softened.
- Pour in the wine (or broth) and use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. let it bubble until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat and add in the butter, garlic, and fresh herbs. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and glossy.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs and served hot.
Notes
- Morels release a lot of water as they cook – that’s normal. Just let it evaporate off before adding the wine.
- If using frozen morels, add them to the pan still frozen; they’ll thaw quickly in the hot skillet.
- Whole morels hold their shape better and look striking on a platter; sliced morels cook a bit faster and are easier to portion onto toast or pasta.
- Morel mushrooms must always be fully cooked before eating – never serve them raw or undercooked.
- Soak the dried morels in warm water for 20-30 minutes, until softened and pliable.
- Lift them out of the water (don’t dump the water out – more on that below) and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture.
- Give them a quick rinse if there’s still grit, then pat dry.
- From there, proceed with the recipe as written – sauté in the olive oil just like you would fresh or thawed frozen morels.
- Dried morels are more porous than fresh, so they’ll soak up oil and butter a little more readily – delicious, but worth knowing.
- The soaking liquid is packed with mushroom flavor. Strain it through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter (to catch any grit) and use it in place of some or all of the wine/broth when you deglaze the pan – it adds a nice deep, earthy boost.
- Texture-wise, rehydrated morels are slightly more tender/less meaty than fresh ones, but still hold up well in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
