Mushroom Sauce

This Mushroom  sauce is a simple but flavorful pan sauce, perfect for serving over beef, chicken, or pork. Deliciously simple this easy pan sauce is one you’ll go back to time and again!

Sometimes I’ll dress up a steak,  grilled chicken or meatloaf with this simple mushroom sauce. This mushroom sauce starts as a velouté, which is a classic French sauce that is thickened with a roux. (This post was originally published on June 18th, 2014. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)

What is a roux?

A roux is a mixture of butter and flour which thickens soups, stews and another classic French sauce, béchamel. 

What’s the difference between béchamel and velouté?

Both a béchamel sauce and a velouté start with a roux of butter and flour. The butter and flour are cooked until the flour begins to bubble and loses its floury taste. The roux, or flour should never be browned, as part of the beauty of the velouté or béchamel is its pale appearance. Then a liquid is added to the roux to achieve a smooth sauce. The liquid in béchamel is milk or sometimes cream, whereas a veloute uses chicken broth. 

What kind of mushrooms are used in mushroom sauce?

For this mushroom sauce recipe, I used common white mushrooms.

You can use Cremini or brown mushrooms, white button mushrooms, or even more exotic mushrooms like oyster or shiitake.

Can you use wine?

This recipe does not use wine, but you can substitute some of the wine for the broth if desired. The alcohol will burn off and just leave the flavor.

How can I make mushroom sauce vegetarian?

To make mushroom sauce vegetarian, substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

How can I make mushroom sauce gluten free?

To make this sauce gluten free, simply substitute your favorite gluten free flour blend like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour blend.

How do you make mushroom sauce?

Start by sautéing the mushrooms. Remove them from the pan and set aside once they’re cooked, about 5 minutes. No need to clean out the sauté pan, we’ll scrap up the brown bits to flavor the sauce.

Next make a roux by melting butter in a medium sized skillet.

Whisk in the flour and cook until the flour begins to bubble, but not brown.

Slowly whisk in the chicken or vegetable broth.

Continue adding the broth while whisking, and cook until desired thickness.

Adding broth slowly allows you to control how thin or thick you would like your sauce.

Generally a sauce is the “correct” consistency when it coats the back of a spoon, but this is subjective. You may prefer a thinner or thicker sauce.

Next, add in the sautéed mushrooms and stir until combined. Check seasoning, adding white pepper and kosher salt to taste.

Why do my cooking times differ from yours?

Cooking times can vary for a number of reasons. If your skillet or pan is smaller or larger the mushrooms or the sauce could take more or less time. Every range is different, that is why I always give not only a range of cooking times, but also a description of what the finished product should look like.

What else could I serve with this mushroom gravy?

If you want to up your turkey game, you could use this mushroom gravy on your Thanksgiving bird. Just substitute turkey broth for the chicken broth. This Lemon chicken is quite simple, and this gravy would definitely dress it up!