Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
With their frilly edges and delicate form, oyster mushrooms are particularly great for cooking over high heat, and this recipe makes the most of it. A quick sear in a very hot pan with a swirl of garlic butter and you’re done.
What to know about oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) grow in clusters on trees rather than in soil — which is part of why they’re so clean when you bring them home, and why their texture is more delicate than a cremini or portobello. The caps are shaped like shallow bowls or (yes, I will say it) oyster shells, with fine gills on the underside. Most of what you’ll find at the grocery store is pearl or golden, but blue and pink varieties show up at farmers markets when you least expect them.
Varieties:
- Pearl: The most widely cultivated and easiest to find — these are what you’ll see in most grocery stores. Pale grey-white, with frilly, overlapping caps that crisp up beautifully in a hot pan.
- Golden: Bright yellow and slightly more delicate than pearl. These are worth seeking out at farmers markets; they cook the same way and the color holds surprisingly well.
- King Oyster: The biggest of all oyster mushrooms, the King grows individually instead of in clusters, and has a large meaty stem. The caps are not as frilly as other types of oyster mushrooms.
One question comes up constantly: Do oyster mushrooms taste like fish? No — not even close. The name comes from the shape, not the flavor. What they actually taste like is mild and slightly nutty, with a savory, umami quality all mushrooms share. They don’t need much — salt, heat, and a little fat does the trick.
A few minutes of prep makes all the difference
All parts of oyster mushrooms are edible, but you’ll get the best results if you take a few minutes to prep them properly before cooking.
Oyster mushrooms in yellow and pearl colors. 
Slice off the hard base stem, which can be tough to chew.
- Cleaning: Oyster mushrooms grow on tree bark, so they don’t usually have much soil or dirt on them. Gently wipe them with a soft towel to remove any debris. I don’t recommend rinsing them because the delicate caps can fall apart or become waterlogged.
- Trimming: You’ll find the clusters attached together by a little woody stem at the base. It’s a bit chewy, so it’s best to trim off the stem with a sharp knife.
- Slicing: Separate large caps or clusters with with your hands or slice them. Leave them whole if they’re small.
Sear them quickly, finish with butter
Searing over high heat is the intention — oyster mushrooms have enough surface area and moisture that if you dump them into a lukewarm pan, they’ll steam instead of brown. Get the pan hot first. Within 3–4 minutes, the edges blister and pull up into something that genuinely looks battered, with a crunch that surprises people. I use the same method for sauteed shiitake mushrooms.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Sear the mushrooms in one layer over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes, or just until they develop a nice golden-brown crust. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Toss the butter, garlic and parsley into the hot pan until melted. Pour the garlic butter over the mushrooms and serve.
Ideas for serving:
Oyster mushrooms are versatile enough to anchor a dish or complement others. These are some of favorite ways to enjoy them.
- Make mushroom toast: Pile them onto thick-cut bread that’s been rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. A good scrape of ricotta underneath, or a handful of shaved Parmesan on top, and this is a lunch I’d eat right now.
- Pasta: Toss the mushrooms with hot pasta with a splash of pasta water and a chunk of butter — the garlic and parsley are built in. Finish the plate with Parmesan.
- Risotto: Stir them in at the end so they keep their texture. This creamy risotto is the one I’d use.
- Scrambled eggs: The contrast of soft curds and crispy mushrooms — yes. Cook the eggs low and slow, spoon the mushrooms over to serve.
- Polenta: Top warm bowls of my recipe for creamy polenta with the mushrooms for a special meatless dinner.
Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic Butter
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 10 ounces (284 g) oyster mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Instructions
- Prep the mushrooms: Gently pat the mushrooms with a clean towel to absorb any excess moisture. Trim off the hard stem at the base of each clump of mushrooms. Separate large clusters into more bite-sized pieces, using your hands or a knife.
- Place a large (10-12-inch) nonstick pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles and evaporates on contact, add the oil to the pan. Arrange the mushrooms in one layer. Cook, without turning, until one side is golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss. *Note: If the mushrooms don't fit in one layer in your pan, cook them in 2 batches, adding a little more oil as needed.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Without returning the pan to the heat, add the butter, garlic and parsley to the hot pan, swirling until the butter melts and the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour the garlic butter over the mushrooms and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The mushrooms are best served immediately. They’ll still taste great as leftovers for up to 3 days, but they’ll lose their crisp texture.
Nutrition per serving
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.
Leave a comment and star rating
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Yummy! I just tried this recipe after stumbling on a very large cluster of oysters. Very good cook this way! Too bad these don’t come out in the same season as ramps.
I agree that ramps with oyster mushrooms would be DELICIOUS. Depending on your location, you might find oyster mushrooms in grocery stores year-round.
Made this yesterday with my farmers market pink oyster mushrooms and they were so delicious! I added a squeeze of lemon at the end for some brightness! It was my first time making oyster mushrooms and I’d only like to emphasize for other newbies the importance of removing ALL of the spongy stems (I had a little left on some and definitely not tasty). I’ll definitely be making this recipe again!
Simply delicious
This is so easy and effective, thank you Karen
Very tasty
Amazing from my own mushrooms fresh thanks
WOW…so delicious! Last Fall my son planted (in our organic garden)
blue oyster mushrooms and we have many now. We made this recipe with Pasta and just added capers along with parsley from our garden. Will make this 5 star recipe again!
I made the oyster mushroom recepie. Used them on top of eggs beaten with heavy cream and scrambled with a bit of salt in bacon fat. It made a delicious meal. I cooked hash browns in some of the garlic butter.
Great recipe.
I think I should have used a bigger skillet – my 8″ cast iron skillet accommodated all my (0.13 pounds) in a single layer, yet they seem to have steamed more than they “crisped” up. Perhaps I didn’t have quite a high enough temp… My wife loved them anyway!
I took the finished mushrooms and stirred them into a pound of fresh cooked bay scallops (EVOO, pepper, garlic, parsley, and a tiny bit of cayenne). The scallops had developed its own reduced thick “sauce” and took the oyster mushrooms wonderfully.
All together, terrific!
Sounds like a fantastic dinner!
Lovely recipe. Thanks
I love the simplicity of this recipe! Would cilantro work in place of parsley? Thanks!
Yes, cilantro would be wonderful!
This was amazing! Our family LOVED these. We used pink oyster mushrooms from our local farm. I will definitely be making these again and again. Thank you for the directions on how to prep and cook them too. I can’t believe how easy they are to make and how delicious they taste!
Thank you for this!
This an amazing recipe! I added lemon to make it like vegetarian crab legs.
Great recipe ❤️
My husband found a bunch of oysters on his hike today and I plan on following your recipe and serve it over pasta tonight. I’m sure it will be a 5 star meal!
Follow up. Forgot to add the stars!
Too busy eating recipe placed over pork tenderloin and wild rice risotto
Sounds amazing!!
Fantastic and easy recipe. I added some herbes de Provence steeped in 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil right before removal. Then added fresh grated pecorino Romano cheese dusting over top to finish. Above board.
This was my first time cooking and eating oyster mushrooms. We went to Kennett Square Pa, the mushroom capital and purchased them. They are delicious. They do taste a little like chicken. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the suggestions and the recipe!
Thanks Sherry — I’m so happy to hear that!!
this look so good I am adding oyster mushrooms to my grocery list so I can make this!