These Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions are cooked with white wine, garlic, thyme, and a touch of honey. Serve these mushrooms and onions as a side on their own or on top of steak or pasta. They add so much flavor!
I love these slow cooked caramelized mushrooms and onions for steaks, like my pan seared Bavette Steak. They are even great over top of the best Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo.
You can also fold them into my Hearty Marinara Sauce for an easy plant based caramelized onion and mushroom pasta dish.
I love to use leftover caramelized mushrooms and onions for burgers, like these Air Fryer Frozen Burgers. Don’t forget the cheese!
This recipe is a great way to use up mushroom stems from my Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. If you have lots of mushrooms to use up, try my Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe with bacon.
If you do not like mushrooms, check out The Best 10 Substitutes for Mushrooms.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe & What You’ll Learn
- These caramelized mushrooms and onions are cooked with white wine, thyme, garlic, worcestershire, and honey so they are packed with flavor.
- The slow cooking process allows the mushrooms and onions to develop flavor and caramelize.
- Caramelized mushrooms and onions are vegetarian, gluten free, and can be made vegan and dairy free. Just swap out the honey and unsalted butter.
- These mushrooms and onions are delicious on their own or served on top of steaks, burgers, pasta, or in omelets/scrambles.
- Prep these easy caramelized onions and mushrooms at the beginning of the week for any side or topping to cook with all week.
- Learn how to caramelize mushrooms and onions and what to flavor them with.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter: Swap for an additional 2 Tablespoons of oil.
- Olive Oil: Swap for avocado oil.
- Mushrooms: Swap for white mushrooms.
- Thyme: Swap for 1 teaspoon of dried basil or oregano.
- White Wine: I recommend Sauvignon Blanc. Swap for chicken or beef stock.
- Worcestershire: This can be left out, but it adds a lot of flavor and highlights the umami of the mushrooms.
- Honey: Swap for 1 teaspoon of white or brown sugar.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions
Quick Overview
- Heat the butter and oil.
- Add in the veggies.
- Season.
- Deglaze the pan.
- Sauté until soft and deglaze again.
- Caramelize on medium high heat.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Step 2: Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the pan.
Step 3: Carefully fold the mushrooms and onions until combined.
Step 4: Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.
Onions and mushrooms should begin to reduce in volume.
Step 5: Stir in the worcestershire, honey, and about half of the wine.
Step 6: Sauté for about 10-15 minutes and deglaze the pan with the rest of the wine.
Step 7: Sauté for another 10-15 minutes.
Step 8: Turn the heat to medium high to caramelize the veggies and cook off any excess liquid. Once all of the liquid is gone and brown bits begin to form, turn off the heat.
Water should be completely cooked off.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Make Ahead: Slice the mushrooms and onions one day in advance if desired.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover caramelized onions and mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat over medium low heat on the stove or in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through.
- Freezer: Let caramelized mushrooms and onions cool completely in the refrigerator. Store leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2-3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat from frozen over medium low heat on the stove covered or in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through.
Expert Tips
- Wash mushrooms well. Mushrooms are normally pretty dirty so be sure to rinse all of the dirt off of them and dry them before cooking.
- Use butter and oil. The combination of butter and oil not only adds flavor, but it also helps the onions and mushrooms to not stick to the pan.
- Use white wine. The white wine adds some acidity and notes of citrus. The mushrooms act like a sponge and soak up all of the flavor.
- Do not forget about salt and pepper. Seasoning vegetables is imperative for them to have flavor. I like to go heavy on the black pepper.
- Do not cover the pan. This will not allow the steam to escape and will prevent the liquid from cooking off.
- Cook off all of the liquid. This will take time but you want to cook off any excess water or wine so that the onions and mushrooms can caramelize
What To Serve Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms With
- Burgers: Pile your favorite burger, like these Air Fryer Frozen Burgers, high with lots of onions and mushrooms.
- Steaks: If you do not have a grill try these delicious pan seared recipes: Bavette Steak & Picanha Steak.
- Chicken: Top Air Fryer Chicken Breast with caramelized mushrooms and onions for extra flavors.
- Pasta: Serve these satuéed mushrooms and onions over Fettuccine Alfredo or cheesy Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash, a great low carb option.
- Pizza: Build your own homemade pizza with this 72 Hour Pizza Dough and these caramelized veggies.
- On their own as a side!
Recipe Notes
- The alcohol will cook off completely. The alcohol in the wine will cook off making it safe for those who do not drink.
Variations
- Swap the veggies: Try swapping the mushrooms for zucchini or squash if you do not like mushrooms.
- Balsamic vinegar:B Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the veggies for even more flavor.
FAQs
To keep things simple, I like to cook the onions and mushrooms at the same time. Mushrooms hold up well to a longer cook time and release a lot of water. This water needs time to cook off. They do not become mushy and still have a nice texture. If you prefer your mushroom less cooked, you can add them in after the onions.
Sautéed onions are typically not cooked as long as caramelized onions. They still have a crunch and the natural sugar in the onions has not begun to caramelize yet. They have a light brown color. Caramelized onions have more flavor and deeper brown color. This is because the sugar caramelizes. These typically cook for at least 30 minutes.
Typically it takes about 45 minutes to caramelize onions that are sliced thinly. This process takes some patience.
You do not have to, but I like to add some honey or sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the onions. It just makes them even more flavorful.
Related Recipes
Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil*
- 16 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms*
- 3 yellow onions, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced finely
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme*
- fresh cracked pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine*
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce*
- 1 teaspoon honey*
Instructions:
- In a large pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the pan.
- Carefully fold the mushrooms and onions until combined.
- Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Stir in the worcestershire, honey, and about half of the wine.
- Sauté for about 10-15 minutes and deglaze the pan with the rest of the wine.
- Sauté for another 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium high to caramelize the veggies and cook off any excess liquid. Once all of the liquid is gone and brown bits begin to form, turn off the heat.
Perfect on steak or burgers!!