Mushroom Marsala is a quick & easy one-pan dish that requires just a few ingredients. This savory vegetable side dish is perfect for the holidays, or for any weeknight meal! And, this is one of my recipes that has been featured on The Drew Barrymore Show!
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Looking for a side dish that’s super easy, fast, and doesn’t require a ton of ingredients?
This mushroom marsala is IT!
Mushroom Marsala is an easy, 20-minute, 5-ingredient side dish. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any party. And, toss it over pasta or rice, and you have a full, satisfying, delicious vegetarian meal!
🍄 Ingredient notes
You’ll need about one pound of mushrooms. I prefer to use cremini mushrooms, but you can also use a mix of cremini mushrooms, white button mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms for more depth of flavor and texture if you prefer.
Next, you need aromatics. Garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. I use kosher salt because the bigger flakes help distribute more flavor and draws out the rich flavor of the mushrooms. Use fresh thyme leaves if you can, for more flavor. Otherwise, use dried thyme instead.
Finally, you’ll need the savory liquids. Use a good butter, such as Tillamook unsalted butter. Or, if you are dairy-free or vegan, try dairy-free Earth Balance butter. You can find Marsala wine in your grocery store’s condiment aisle, usually near the cooking sherry and vinegars. This is the brand of Marsala wine that I always have in my own pantry.
Exact measurements of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here are some helpful tips to guide you as you make this recipe.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
Start by gathering your ingredients.
- Quarter the mushrooms.
- Portion out the butter.
- Measure out the marsala wine, thyme, salt, and pepper.
You’ll need a large nonstick skillet. In these photos, I’m using my fave every day nonstick 11″ ceramic pan by Oregon-based DaTerra Cucina.
Heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms. Stir and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add the thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Then add the Marsala wine, increase heat to high, and boil for a couple of minutes.
Add the remaining butter, stir and cook for another couple of minutes. The mushrooms will have a beautiful darker glaze when they are done. Remove and serve immediately!
Watch me make this Mushroom Marsala recipe on The Drew Barrymore Show!
Exact measurements of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here are some helpful tips to guide you as you make this recipe.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Marsala Wine is a fortified wine made in Sicily. It’s most commonly used as a cooking wine, but there are a few Marsala wines that are drinkable, on par with Sherry.
This is a sweet wine that, when used in cooking, creates a beautiful caramelized glaze on the food. Chicken Marsala is a popular dish for a reason! When you use Marsala wine with mushrooms, it creates this lovely outer coating of subtle sweetness. This helps balance the full earthy rich flavors of the mushrooms. It’s really quite a fabulous pairing of flavors!
I always use cremini (bella) mushrooms with this marsala recipe. They are hearty and just about the perfect size. You could also try this with white button mushrooms or a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms.
🍽 Serving ideas
I prefer to serve this as a hearty vegetarian side dish. It’s fantastic to serve as a Thanksgiving side dish or Christmas side dish. Or, any weeknight!
Try serving this mushroom marsala with main courses like Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb or Skillet Lemon Chicken.
You could also serve this mushroom marsala over pasta and make it a main dish!
🍷 What wine pairs with mushroom marsala?
A light-bodied red wine would pair beautifully with mushroom marsala. Try an Oregon Pinot Noir or a Gamay. This dish would also taste delicious with a full-bodied white wine, such as a mildly oaked Chardonnay or a Viognier.
More vegetable side dishes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Mushroom Marsala
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound of cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup Marsala wine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoons butter. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sauté for 1 minute until softened.
- Sprinkle in the thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just until most of the water evaporates.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms have a nice dark brown glaze and are softened.
- Add the Marsala wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes, just until the liquid has cooked down. Remove from heat. Serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Always looking for good sides, in a meat culture good sides are always a problem to accompany excellent meat dishes.
Yummy! I can’t wait to make this recipe! My family and I love mushrooms!
One pan meals are my favorite and this one is no exception!
I am so excited to make this recipe at Thanksgiving. My family loved it on my test run through the recipe. So easy to make.
I am always looking for new ways to enjoy mushrooms and these look amazing. I can’t wait to try them.
Yummy <3 will try these tomorrow! So excited :p