Marinated Mushrooms with Garlic and Fresh Herbs
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Marinated mushrooms were one of my earliest kitchen obsessions — I’d eat them straight from the jar as a kid, fishing out the most vinegary ones first. The jarred version is fine for what it is, but homemade is a different thing entirely. My method uses button mushrooms briefly cooked in olive oil with garlic and fresh herbs, finished with red wine vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. They come together in about 20 minutes and keep beautifully in the refrigerator for a week.
Serve them as part of an antipasto spread, spoon them over pasta or a hearty grain salad, pile them onto a burger, or just eat them with a fork standing over the stove. No judgment!
Why this recipe works
- Brief cooking before marinating. A few minutes in a hot, oiled pan opens up the mushrooms’ structure so the vinegar and seasonings actually absorb into them — not just coat the outside.
- The ratio of acid matters. Red wine vinegar alone is too assertive; a splash of fresh lemon juice softens the edge without dulling the tang.
- Make them ahead. These only get better after a few hours in the fridge — the garlic and herbs settle into the oil, which mellows into something even more interesting than the warm version.
What to buy, and what to look for
- Mushrooms: I recommend using white button mushrooms that are available in any supermarket — they’re sometimes labeled “champignon.” Look for ones that are roughly uniform in size (1 to 1½ inches across) so they cook evenly; halve or quarter anything larger. This type of mushroom has a dense, snappy texture that won’t become mushy in the olive oil and vinegar marinade. Small brown cremini mushrooms can also be marinated.
- Garlic: Fresh only. Grate it on a rasp or put it through a press rather than chopping — you want it fine enough to dissolve into the oil and coat every mushroom, not sit in visible chunks.
- Red wine vinegar: Robust and sharp enough to balance the olive oil, without tipping into harsh. Balsamic has too much sweetness for this — if you want to experiment, use it at half the quantity alongside the red wine vinegar, not as a straight swap.
- Lemon juice: Lemon has a lower, softer acidity than vinegar, and it rounds out the marinade so the mushrooms taste bright rather than puckery. Don’t skip it.
- Fresh herbs: Rosemary and thyme are my default, but marjoram, tarragon, or oregano all work well here. Use fresh — dried herbs lack the aromatic oils that make the marinade smell and taste alive. If dried is all you have, sniff them first — they should be fragrant, not dusty.
How to prep mushrooms for marinating
- Supermarket mushrooms are grown in a sterile medium and don’t really need to be rinsed or washed to be cleaned. They’re almost like little sponges, which is why I never soak them in water or get them wet.
1. To clean the mushrooms, use a paper towel or pastry brush to brush any debris from the caps. 2. Trim the stems and any damaged spots. Keep them whole if small, halved or quartered if larger than a golf ball.
3. Add the olive oil, herbs, grated garlic, and seasonings. The mushrooms will look overdressed at this point — that’s fine. 4. Toss the mushrooms around to coat them evenly. They can sit at room temperature for up to one hour before cooking.
5. Cook in hot oil, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden and just tender — not browned, not mushy. 6. Add the vinegar and lemon juice off the heat, stir to coat, and transfer to a bowl — pan juices and all.
Marinated Mushrooms with Garlic and Fresh Herbs
Bite-size marinated mushrooms are easy to pop right into your mouth and can be enjoyed in so many ways. Seasoned with a simple mixture of garlicky olive oil, herbs, lemon, and red wine vinegar, they keep for days in the refrigerator. Serve these tangy mushrooms as a side dish, or set them out in bowls as part of an antipasto or tapas spread to snack on with wine.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (680 g) white button mushrooms
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme, or a 50/50 mixture
- 2 teaspoons grated or pressed garlic, about 2-3 cloves
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Morton's kosher salt or regular table salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Trim the bottom stems from t1½ pounds white button mushrooms and remove any damaged spots (these scraps can be saved to make soup or stock). Halve or quarter any mushrooms that are larger than 1½-inches in diameter, keeping smaller ones whole. Put all the mushrooms in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme, 2 teaspoons grated or pressed garlic, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt and black pepper to the mushrooms. Toss them gently in the bowl until they're evenly coated with the seasonings. At this point, the mushrooms can sit at room temperature up to one hour before the next step.
- Place a medium (10-inch) skillet or saute pan over medium heat until the pan is hot. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the pan. Dump the seasoned mushrooms into the pan. Cook 5-8 minutes, stirring them frequently. The goal is not to brown or saute the mushrooms, but to allow them to soften slightly in the oil. They should be tender but not mushy, with a slightly firm bite.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add 11 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to the mushrooms and stir. Transfer the mushrooms and all the pan juices to a serving bowl or platter. Enjoy the mushrooms warm or at room temperature.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Store marinated mushrooms refrigerated up to one week. Warm them gently in a pan, 15-30 seconds in a microwave, or allow them to come to room temperature for an hour or so before serving.
- If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can substitute dried thyme, oregano, or an Italian herb blend. Always sniff your dried herbs to be sure they smell aromatic, not like dusty leaves.
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 187kcal Carbohydrates: 4g Protein: 4g Fat: 18g Sodium: 395mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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Can I leave out the lemon juice? I want to make them because the store jarred ones are always so sour. I have to rinse them off.
Jarred marinated mushrooms are usually packed in vinegar and other additives like citric acids, which can make them taste MUCH tangier. Fresh lemon juice is milder and smoother, so I suggest that you start with a small amount of lemon juice and taste as you go. It really makes a difference for flavor! You can also reduce the red wine vinegar by half – to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Best recipe ever!
I made them and refrigerated them with out tasting them and tried them a few days later. I was blown away!
So perfect!
This is my new mushroom recipe
Thank you
Karen’s marinated mushrooms are amazing and they check all the boxes! Make them today. Though not necessary, I added fresh marjoram from the garden for some extra depth and freshness.
Thanks for sharing Drew! I love the idea of adding fresh marjoram. It makes a beautiful garnish too.