Crispy Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms with Herb Butter

These crispy sautéed oyster mushrooms are tossed in rosemary butter and dotted with flaky salt and black pepper. This is my favorite way to prepare mushrooms, and it’s always a hit! Plus, it comes together in less than 20 minutes, so it’s a perfect side dish or topping.

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Have you noticed that in the last several years, there has been an uptick in mushroom varieties in the grocery store? It’s wild! Even fifteen or twenty years ago, I feel like the only varieties we found were white buttons, cremini, or portobellos.

Now, I can run to the grocery store and scan through almost a dozen types of options, from maitake to chanterelles to king oysters.

Table of ContentsHide

• About Oyster Mushrooms
• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Buying and Storing Tips
• Cleaning and Prepping
• Other Ingredients
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Make This Recipe
• Storage Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Jump to Recipe

About Oyster Mushrooms

My favorite varietal, though, has got to be the oyster mushroom. They come in different colors, like blue (which is really more of a grayish-brown tint), yellow, and pink.

Oyster mushrooms vary slightly in flavor depending on the color, but generally, they have a milder flavor. They are somewhat meaty and delicate in taste, with a slight brininess.

For more tasty vegetable sides, try my smashed fingerling potatoes, maple balsamic brussels sprouts, or eggplant involtini.

Buying and Storing Tips

You can find oyster mushrooms in major supermarkets, like Whole Foods or Wegman’s, local farmer’s markets and mushroom “CSA’s”, and Asian grocery stores, like Hmart.

Buying

Larger mushrooms will be chewier but provide more flavor; smaller ones will be crispier when fried and stay more tender. Choose the type you’d prefer, or use a mix. Yellow, pink, and blue oyster mushrooms will all work here!

Storage

Store your mushrooms in the fridge and use within 3 – 4 days; after 4 days, they typically start to wet, slimy, and smelly, but some will last up to a week.

For best results, store them in your fridge’s produce drawer in a loosely closed plastic or paper bag—or the original packaging if it has ventilation.

Cleaning and Prepping

Oyster mushrooms at the grocery store are typically cultivated, meaning they’re grown under controlled conditions, often indoors. As a result, they won’t be “dirty” and require little to no cleaning. I’ll typically use a damp paper towel to remove any dirty spots for these mushrooms.

If your oyster mushrooms are dirty, gently rinse them under cold water and use a clean toothbrush or a wooden kitchen brush to brush off the dirt.

• Before cooking, remove any fibrous or tough parts of the mushrooms; these will be too chewy or tough to consume.
• Oysters are typically clustered in a group, and you’ll want to remove the tougher central stem and separate them into individual pieces.
• As mentioned before, the stems will be chewier than the caps. If you don’t like a chewier texture, you can remove more of the stem before cooking.

Other Ingredients

• Oil: Because we’re finishing the mushrooms in butter, I call for a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like canola or peanut oil. I have tested this recipe with olive oil before, but it sprays everywhere and makes a mess, so neutral oil is best here!
• Rosemary: A sprig or rosemary helps bolster the earthy flavor.
• Lemon (optional): I generally like brightening up earthier flavors with acid, and a squeeze of lemon does just the trick. This is totally optional though!

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some fun ways to elevate the meal even further:

• Serve with labneh: Mix 1 cup labneh or Greek yogurt with 1 clove grated garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread the labneh on a serving plate and top with the warm mushrooms. I love making homemade Greek yogurt for this.
• Drizzle a little bit of balsamic glaze on top.
• Use a garlic butter instead of plain butter!

I also love these alongside my mushroom carbonara or my egg yolk ravioli as a crispy topping!

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1: Clean oyster mushrooms with a damp paper towel, then trim off the tougher central, fibrous stem to separate them into individual pieces.

Step 2: Tear any larger mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.

Step 3: Set a large stainless steel frying pan (or cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add mushrooms in a single layer; you will need to do this in batches to prevent overcrowding.

Step 4: Don’t touch them for at least 2 – 3 minutes to ensure they’re browning nicely. Using tongs, flip and sauté them on the other side, for about 2 – 3 minutes until deeply golden brown and crispy.

Step 5: Remove them from the skillet and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining batches.

Step 6: Melt butter in the skillet, and add the sprigs of rosemary. Once melted, toss everything for a minute or so, then transfer to a serving plate. Season once again and serve immediately!

Storage Instructions

To fully enjoy their crispy texture, these should be eaten immediately. However, leftovers are great for tossing in pasta or topping a pizza. They will typically last about 3 – 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe FAQs