After you’ve tried this amazing mushroom sauce for steak, you will never serve a steak without it again. Almost like a mushroom gravy, but with more gusto.
While I agree that a great steak shouldn’t need to be slathered in steak sauce, a side or topping of mushrooms and au jus helps bring out the earthy flavors and texture. You’ll soon find that this easy sauce can also be used as a side and on nearly any type of protein or just by itself.
More than just mushrooms, this is also a red wine sauce for steak. Rich notes of burgundy always pair well with beef and are robust and heady. It is a creamy sauce without using any cream or cheese.
What's In This Article
Type of Mushrooms
For my simple mushroom sauce recipe, I keep it open on which type of mushrooms to use. White button mushrooms are the easiest and cheapest to find, but you can also get a little fancy and use a more expensive shroom like chanterelle.
Here are the most common mushrooms in the states:
- White button mushroom (most common)
- Champignon mushroom
- Crimini mushroom
- Maitake mushroom
- Portobello mushroom (also spelled portabella)
- Shiitake mushroom
- Oyster mushroom
- Beech mushroom
- Enoki mushroom
- King trumpet mushroom
- Chanterelle mushroom
- Porcini mushroom
Each will have a distinct taste, texture and shape. For a more interesting mushroom sauce, use a blend of two or three types.
Clean them by gently washing with a damp paper towel or rinsing in a colander. Dirt gets stuck in all sorts of places, so I find that the paper towel method works best. Do not soak them- they will get all mushy.
Red Wine Alternatives
Using different types of red wine will also change the flavor profile slightly. A dry red wine will in turn give you a rich, luxurious sauce.
Something a little fruitier or with sweet undertones, a fun and flirty sauce. While woody or oak aged wines, an earthy flavor. If you don’t like to cook with wine, sub it out for additional beef broth.
Serve the meal with the sauce wine you use in the sauce to make a seamless pairing. A delicious recipe for date night or dinner party.
What You’ll Need
Just a few simple ingredients make this delicious and rich sauce.
- Sliced mushrooms- While it will look like a lot, mushrooms cook down a lot. Use plain button or white mushrooms or get fancy with a blend.
- Unsalted butter– We almost always use unsalted so we can control the saltiness, but if you only have salted, just omit additional salt. Some folks like a touch of olive oil, but I don’t find it necessary.
- Low-sodium beef broth– Low sodium beef broth so again, you can control the saltiness. Beef will have a full-bodied flavor, but chicken, vegetable or even bone broth can be swapped.
- Red wine- The best type of wine is highly dependant on what you are looking for. A bold chianti might be a little more unami and a shiraz or even red zinfandel, sweeter to offset the herbaceous beefy flavors. White wine tends to be a little light for this recipe.
- Fresh thyme springs- I love using fresh herbs when possible, but if you need to use dried, go for it! The swap would be about 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. Fresh leach out seasoning, but then the actual stalk is pulled from the sauce.
- Garlic powder- Yes, I’ve tried using fresh garlic and I still maintain that for this recipe, I really do prefer garlic powder instead.
- Cornstarch– Thickening the mushroom sauce is key. A cornstarch slurry will not only thicken, but give it a glossy finish. A plain flour mix or arrow root can also be used.
- Coarse kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper- For seasoning.
For an even richer sauce, add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Sliced onions or onion powder are also a fun addition. Dijon mustard can also give a more acidic taste.
How to Make Mushroom Sauce for Steak
- Melt the unsalted butter with mushrooms in a saucepan over medium-high heat, tossing to coat. Cook the mushrooms down until they are about half of their original size. Mushrooms are mostly water, so they will reduce greatly. Try to use mushrooms cut in similar sizes so they cook evenly. You get bonus points if they brown a bit, this just further enhances flavor.
- Next, add the red wine (deglazing the browned bits while you stir), beef broth, fresh thyme and garlic powder to the sautéed mushrooms. Simmer all of these ingredients for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to marry, then remove the thyme sprigs. If a few leaves remain, that is fine. In fact, if you love thyme, shuck a few off to remain in the sauce.
- Then in a small mixing bowl, make a cornstarch slurry. Once fully combined, whisk that mixture into the mushroom sauce to thicken.
- Heat this for an additional two minutes, then remove from the heat. Season this with salt and pepper to taste.
What to Serve it On
A good mushroom sauce can complement so many meals and all types of protein, but this particular red wine sauce is perfect for red meat; ribeyes, New York Strips, beef tenderloin (filet mignon) or even a porterhouse. On a steak or even a burger, it takes your meal to the next level.
It is also tastes great on other things like mashed potatoes and pork chops or this cube steak recipe and even steak frites.
Serve it as part of a steak sauce trio including my creamy horseradish sauce and copycat Peter Luger’s steak sauce.
Make Ahead & Freezing
To make this mushroom steak sauce ahead of time, simply make it all the way through, cool and store covered in refrigerator until ready to use. Up to 48 hours. This goes the same for leftover sauce.
To reheat, place back into a saucepan and thin with a little water or beef stock, stirring until hot and back to the same consistency. Make sure to correct seasoning, as sauces often become muted after chilling.
I don’t recommend freezing this particular sauce. Mushrooms don’t thaw well.
Tips for Making Steak Sauce:
- Salt at the End Broths and bouillons have different salt amounts, so I like to have more control over mine by adding it at the end. Sometimes I don’t need any at all, other times I need a bunch.
- Can I use salted butter? This is kind of the same answer as about the beef broth. I like to have more control over the saltiness. There are varying degrees of salt in butter, so by using unsalted, I give myself the most control.
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce If you are looking for a creamy mushroom sauce, you can add 1/3 cup heavy cream to the sauce as it cools. Adding it too hot or before it reduces enough can curdle or seperate the sauce.
More Classic Sauce Recipes
Mushroom Sauce for Steak
Ingredients
- 20 ounces sliced mushrooms (about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Coarse kosher salt & freshly ground pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with mushrooms, tossing to coat. Cook mushrooms down until they are half their original size.
- Reduce the temperature to medium and then add the red wine, broth, fresh thyme and garlic powder, stirring well and then simmering for 15 minutes.
- Remove the thyme sprigs.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, whisk into mushroom sauce.
- Heat for an additional 2 minutes, then remove. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
I’m always looking for good mushroom sauce recipes, and tips is the best red wine one I’ve found! For certain things, you can’t beat a creamy mushroom sauce, but when I want something like this for red meats, etc. (And waaaay fewer calories!!), this is now my go to. I fixed it for my dad, and this is the one he always asked for again as well! Thank you.
Oh man I’m drooling over these mushrooms! I usually just saute some mushrooms up to serve with my steak in some butter and garlic, but these take it a whole new level! SO making these for dinner this week.
this sauce was AMAZING. perfect with our steaks for dinner last night! it was super full of flavor and really easy to make. this recipe is definitely a keeper!
We made this mushroom sauce as a topping for mashed potatoes last night and it tasted amazing!!
This sauce is wonderful with steak and mashed potatoes, just like you suggested. I like it so much better than regular gravy!
After making this sauce, I cannot think of having a steak without it. It adds so much hearty flavor!
This mushroom sauce is my new favorite sauce to serve over steak! Love the big umami flavors!
This sauce was amazing! complimented my steak so well and the whole family loved it! definitely going to do again!
Yay! Love to hear that and thank you for swinging back to let us know!
Such a wonderful addition to steak. My husband loves this sauce and made it for the first time using your recipe. He was so happy!
I am drooling with the look of this awesome dish. Full of flavors and definitely a Hit option. Mushrooms is my all time favorite too.
This sauce looks so luscious that I’m pretty sure I could eat it without the steak!
This sauce was so rich and flavorful, I can see us using it for all kinds of dishes in the future! Thank you for such a great recipe!
This is a great mushroom sauce. Works well with steaks, and even simple pan-fried chicken breasts. 🙂
I made this to go with pork chops and rice tonight. Hands down the best gravybrecipe I’ve ever used. So flavorful and perfect consistency. Tasted so good on both the pork chops and rice. Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let us know!
Such a savory recipe; I love mushrooms! This is quite possibly the best way to enjoy them too; delish!