Anatoly Odintsov, restaurateur and brand chef at the Moscow restaurant Ugol, has shared ten recipes for frying button mushrooms, ranging from a simple onion version to a mustard-glazed dish, along with tips on choosing and preparing the mushrooms before cooking.
Button mushrooms are among the most popular mushrooms in the world, available year-round and quick to cook. In 2025 alone, Russia exported a record 9,400 tonnes of fresh button mushrooms abroad.
Classic Recipes With Onion, Garlic and Herbs
The simplest base recipe, Odintsov said, is a good starting point for experimenting. It calls for frying a large chopped onion until golden, adding two cloves of garlic for about 30 seconds, then adding 500 grams of mushrooms. The liquid the mushrooms release needs to evaporate fully before the heat is lowered and the mushrooms are cooked a further 7 to 10 minutes until golden, then salted and peppered near the end.
A brighter, herbal version fries the mushrooms until browned, then comes off the heat so crushed garlic and chopped fresh tarragon can be stirred in, using the pan's residual warmth to release the herbs' aroma. For what he called a genuine taste of Georgia, Odintsov recommends finishing the dish with Svan salt, a Georgian spiced salt blend.
A more elaborate, restaurant-style dish sautes chopped shallot, or half a regular onion, in a mix of butter and olive oil, then adds roughly chopped mushrooms until golden. The pan is deglazed with 100 millilitres of dry white wine, which Odintsov said gives the mushrooms "a refined tartness" once the alcohol has cooked off. Off the heat, garlic and chopped parsley or dill are stirred in, and the dish rests covered for five minutes before serving.
Creamy, Spicy and Egg Variations
A sour cream version fries chopped onion, then adds mushroom wedges and cooks them roughly 15 minutes until their liquid evaporates. 200 grams of 30 percent sour cream is then stirred in and simmered under a lid for 7 to 10 minutes, finished with garlic and chopped spring onion a minute before serving.
For a spicy, Asian-inspired dish, sliced mushrooms are seared hard for two to three minutes per side, then pushed to one side of the pan so sliced garlic and matchsticked ginger can fry for 30 seconds. A sauce of soy sauce, sugar and rice vinegar is poured in and heated through for a minute, and the pan is finished off the heat with a few drops of sesame oil. Odintsov said the combination of soy sauce, ginger and garlic makes the mushrooms especially fragrant.
The simplest of the ten dishes pairs 100 grams of fried mushrooms with two whole eggs cracked directly into the pan without breaking the yolks. Covered and cooked on low heat for five minutes, the whites set while the yolks stay runny; a couple of extra minutes firms the yolks further. The dish is topped with chopped herbs before serving.
Breaded, Cheesy and Mustard-Glazed Mushrooms
For a crisp, breaded version, 400 grams of mushrooms are blanched for two minutes, then marinated in the fridge for an hour in a mix of oil, lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and dried thyme. Each mushroom is then coated in flour, dipped in beaten egg and rolled in breadcrumbs before being fried in batches for two to three minutes per side and drained on paper towels.
Another dish combines fried mushroom matchsticks and sliced onion with garlic, sour cream and grated semi-hard cheese, the cheese either stirred through the pan or sprinkled on top before serving.
A mustard version fries 600 grams of mushroom chunks, covered at first to release their juice, then uncovered until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms brown. They are then coated in a sauce of mustard, soy sauce, sugar and apple cider vinegar and left to soak for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Fried Potatoes With Mushrooms and Shallots
The tenth recipe fries sliced mushrooms for three to four minutes until their moisture evaporates, adds diced shallot for a further two to three minutes, then potato batons, cooking everything 15 to 20 minutes until golden and crisp. The dish is finished with salt and dried dill.
How to Choose Fresh Button Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms should have a firm cap, milky white on classic button mushrooms or beige to brown on the larger "royal" variety, with no dent left behind when pressed. There should be no spots, damage or sticky film on the cap; a slimy cap or sour smell means the mushrooms have spoiled, while fresh ones smell mild and faintly sweet.
Size does not affect quality but suits different uses: mushrooms up to 3 to 4 centimetres are the youngest and most tender, best for salads or pickling; those 4 to 6 centimetres are the most versatile for frying; and larger ones from 6 to 7 centimetres upward, with an open cap, are the most aromatic and are often baked or stuffed.
Preparing Mushrooms Before Frying
Mushrooms need to stay dry before they hit a hot pan so they fry rather than stew. Fresh ones should be rinsed briefly under cold water and dried immediately with paper towels rather than soaked, since they absorb water like a sponge. The tip of the stem is trimmed and any soil brushed off; the cap does not need peeling. Cutting the mushrooms into large wedges helps them stay juicy and keeps them from shrinking too much.
Frozen mushrooms should be moved from the freezer to the fridge for two hours so they thaw evenly and keep their texture, then patted dry with paper towels, since leftover moisture stops a golden crust from forming. Whole mushrooms should be sliced after thawing, and cooked right away, since they lose their flavour quickly once defrosted.
Best Side Dishes for Fried Mushrooms
Odintsov recommends neutral sides that will not overpower the mushrooms' aroma: potato, whether mashed, boiled or fried to a crisp; buckwheat, whose bold flavour pairs well with mushrooms; boiled rice, which absorbs the mushrooms' juices; and pasta of any kind.
Fried mushrooms also work well alongside meat and poultry, serving as a flavourful side to steaks, schnitzels or chicken cutlets.
