The best part, besides the union of malty, roasty, nutty beer flavors and compound butter is that they come together very quickly with minimal effort on your part. Just grab a skillet and get going. You can cook them on the grill or simply on the stove top.
About This Beer Mushrooms Recipe
On more than one occasion on this blog we have showcased the outrageously delicious love affair between beer and butter - whether in baked form such as Beer Bread or Beer Muffins or in a scrumptious Beer Onion Gravy.
The flavors work and not only do they work, they can turn you into a life long beer mushrooms fan in an instant... More proof is on our Chicken Beersala and Triple Mushroom Soup with Doppelbock.
Best Beer Styles for Beer Mushrooms
We prefer (and highly recommend) that you use appropriate beer styles in this recipe. Our favorite being English brown ales and English porters for their heart warming malt focus, suppressed hop bitterness and gorgeous nuttiness and notes of caramel and toast.
We used Portland, ME based D.L. Geary Brewing Company's London Porter. It engages the nose with a beautiful bouquet of espresso, caramel, toffee and cocoa aromas and proceeds to entertain the palate with pronounced roasty and nutty flavors and a long earthy, dark coffee finish. Very easy drinking yet very flavorful beer with ABV 4.3% and IBU 28 and well suited for a variety of cooking with beer recipes.
Look for beer styles with similar flavor profile for best results when preparing beer mushrooms. A few suggestions:
- Porters
- English brown ales
- Stouts (avoid ones that are too aggressively hopped or have too much roasted barley)
- Ambers (again, shy away from anything too bitter)
- Dunkels
- Schwarzbiers
- Bocks
- Doppelbocks
The choice of mushrooms is up to you. Prepared in the manner described below even the most modest white button mushrooms get transformed into a delicacy, but we mostly like to use whole cremini mushrooms or large portobello mushrooms sliced into thin strips as shown here. They are just more flavorful ... and visually impactive.
How to Cook Beer Mushrooms
All you have to do is saute the mushrooms in garlicky compound butter (see recipe) and season them with salt and pepper.
As they begin to soften you'll add the porter (or your beer of choice) and let them simmer away in the butter and beer blend which gets infused with extra earthy flavors as they release their own juices.
The resulting liquid is simply irresistible, I suspect that few would be able to turn it away even if not mushroom lovers. (It seems to me that most mushroom haters have a problem with texture, not flavor).
Anyways, the aromas wafting from the liquid base in which the mushrooms cook tickles the nostrils with earthy, roasty, toasty notes and as it thickens conjures up images of being slurped or at least mopped with rustic bread.
Which is the reason behind all the charred bread slices you see in the pictures.
Beer Mushrooms Serving Suggestions
You can serve the beer mushrooms as a shared rustic style appetizer straight out of the skillet with fresh parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice (if you are looking to add some acidity) and a lot of bread. Charred for best results. This is my favorite way of addressing both the mushrooms and the liquid in which they cooked.
Alternatively, with some help from goat cheese you could assemble delicious bruschetta. You can also serve beer mushrooms as a side to grilled or roasted meats, make them the star ingredient of vegetarian pasta dishes or use them as burger and flat bread pizza toppings.
Whichever way you choose to serve them - have plenty of beer on hand to wash them down with!
You Might Enjoy
Beer Braised Pork Ribs
Brisket Stew with Mushrooms and Dark Ale
Creamy Mushroom Stew
Beer Mushroom Soup
Beer Mushroom Orzotto
Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions
Recipe
Beer Mushrooms with Porter Ale and Butter
Ingredients
- 2 large portobello mushrooms or 12 oz crimini or white button mushrooms
- 5 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley + more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 12 oz porter or stout, English brown ale, amber ale, bock, dunkel lager
- a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar optional
Instructions
- Clean mushrooms (if portobello remove all the gills and slice in thin strips). Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium high heat melt the butter, add the minced garlic and parsley and season with salt and butter.
- Add mushrooms and saute for about 2 min.
- Add the porter (or your choice of beer) and let simmer for about 15-20 min, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, garnish with parsley (and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, optional) and serve.
Lester
I live half an hour from Kennet Square, PA, - the self-proclaimed mushroom capital of the United States, and I never thought of using a porter or any beer to cook mushrooms. I've made mushrooms with white wine, red wine, vermouth, sherry, Irish whiskey, bourbon - but never beer. Your website is my best find of 2024 (The Stout Lamb Stew led me here.) I'm going to get some Yuengling porter, which I've been enjoying for 40 years, and go for the "buy local" win.
Milena Perrine
Lester, hope you will enjoy the flavors! Porter is an excellent style for cooking mushrooms, hearty stews, braises and baking beer breads and chocolaty desserts:)
Marissa | Squirrels of a Feather
OMG, I don't even like mushrooms and this looks fantastic. Hmm, maybe this is the recipe that will make me like them??? Cheers!
CraftBeering
Lol, I have heard that one before:) My son cannot chew mushrooms, has a texture problem, but he likes to dip bread in the sauce of these or eat mushroom cream soup. Have a great week, Marissa!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Do you know how much I love mushrooms?? And the idea of eating this with lots of crusty bread (and beer) makes me very happy. I do agree that they would be awesome with steak, but I honestly don't think they'd make it that long...and you can rest assure that I'll have lots of beer to wash down with 😉 Pinned!
CraftBeering
You and I are soul mates when it comes to mushrooms:) Cheers!
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices
We just love mushrooms and cook and eat them on many occasions. Your beer portobello mushrooms are making me drool. So juicy and succulent, I want to slather them on that charred bread and gulp them down with a nice cold beer. Amazing side dish, or appetizer, or topping like you suggested. Thanks so much!
CraftBeering
Thank you, Nicoletta!
Barrie Mooney
This looks fantastic- It's the perfect appetizer...or entree if you are me! Great recipe~
CraftBeering
Not a problem with naming these an entree:) Thank you for stopping by, Barrie!
Christina
I would legit eat these out of the skillet with a fork and call it a day. I imagine my husband would chase me around trying to get a bite but I would fight him off tooth and nail. I would bust out my best maniacal laugh while screaming, "They're mine... the mushrooms are allllllll mine!"
CraftBeering
I can totally imagine the scene you describe. You should cook something cool soon and film a reenactment:) Cheers!
annie@ciaochowbambina
Steak is good, but it's always made better when topped with mushrooms! And these babies will serve my steak well! Delicious!!
CraftBeering
You are right, Annie!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Holy cow. These mushrooms, along with some crusty bread, are really all I need for dinner tonight--or any night. You're speaking my love language here!
CraftBeering
Yes! My thoughts exactly:)