Last updated on May 27th, 2024

A mushroom sauce goes well with just about anything, but is particularly tasty with a piece of tender fillet. This easy mushroom sauce recipe (with cream!) is simply delicious, and shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to make. I have been using this recipe for years and years – I got it from my mom who used to make it whilst we were growing up. It is such a simple recipe and yet it always tastes so good and guests will always comment on how good the mushroom sauce is!
The bonus about this recipe is that is can be made with 6 simple ingredients, I have added Thyme to this recipe although you really don’t need it and I have made it many times without Thyme.
The recipe doesn’t call for broth or white wine or even garlic although sometimes, I do add garlic. This is a basic mushroom sauce with loads of flavor which comes directly from the method I use to cook mushrooms (see secrets below).

The THREE secrets to making the BEST mushroom sauce are:
- You need to use Portabellini Mushrooms – the brown ones. They have the best taste and color so they impart an authentic mushroom taste to the sauce as well as a beautiful creamy color.
- Allowing the mushrooms to brown or caramelize (the fancy technical term for it) as this is what adds the MOST flavor to the sauce. And the secret to browning the mushrooms is to NOT stir the mushrooms when you first put them in the pan. You just add your butter, allow it to melt and then add your sliced mushrooms and leave them for a good few minutes until you can see that they are starting to brown. Leaving the mushrooms alone allows them to get seared in the pan, which locks the moisture in and prevents a soggy watery mess of mushrooms. The more you stir the more water gets released from the mushrooms, so resist the temptation to stir. Once they have browned nicely, then you can stir!
- Do not add salt to the mushrooms until they have browned because salt draws water out of the mushrooms and into the pan, resulting in a watery pan and mushrooms that will not brown.
So in summary, the 3 secrets to creating a fabulous, tasty and creamy mushrooms sauce are: choose the brown mushrooms (Portabellini), avoid stirring them until they have started browning (leave them for a good 3-4 minutes), and lastly, do not add salt whilst the mushrooms are in the browning process!
Overview of how to make Mushroom Sauce.
- Slice the mushrooms, add butter to a pan over medium to high heat, allow to melt and then add the mushrooms. Don’t stir! Allow the mushrooms to brown for 4-5 minutes before stirring.
- Add the Thyme and if you want to add a clove or two of crushed garlic, add that now. Stir for 2 minutes or so.
- Add a little freshly ground salt and black pepper.
- Add the cream and stir through.
- Mix the cornflour into the milk and stir until smooth. Now pour this milk-cornflour mixture into the mushroom mixture.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and stir continuously until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency (should take 5-10 minutes).
What do you serve mushroom sauce with?
You can serve this sauce with anything including any kind of pan-seared or grilled meat or even as a side dish at a barbecue or braai.
- Jacket Potatoes
- Fillet steak
- Broccoli or Cauliflower
- Chicken Breasts
- Schnitzels
- Mashed Potato
- Potato Bake
- Corn on the Cob

Can you make Mushroom Sauce ahead of time? Any storage tips?
I will usually make this sauce an hour or two before we eat but you could also make it the day before. If you make it the day before, I would suggest the following: Allow the sauce to cool just enough so that it is not steaming but still hot. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the sauce so that the plastic is actually touching and pressed against the sauce – this will prevent a skin forming. When you are ready to use the sauce, remove the plastic sheet and heat over low heat.
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Easy Mushroom Sauce with Cream
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 cups sauce 1x
Description
A delicious mushroom sauce recipe that goes really well with a tender fillet!
Ingredients
- 1 punnet mushrooms (250g), sliced
- 1 cup of cream (250ml)
- ½ cup milk (125ml)
- 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the mushrooms and fry them in the butter until they are cooked and beautifully browned.
- Add the Thyme and stir for another minute.
- Add the cream.
- Grind a little coarse salt and black pepper over the sauce.
- To prevent lumps, add the cornflour to the milk and mix together until smooth.
- Now add the milk and cornflour mixture to the mushroom sauce and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to simmer and it will begin to thicken (will take 5-10 minutes). Keep stirring to prevent a milky film from forming on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat once thickened.
- Add more salt and pepper, if necessary.

I’m not ususlay good wit white sauce , let alone a mushroom sauce …. Bt this recipe is so easy , not even I could manage 2 flop it … Thanx
for an even more delicious mushroom sauce….replace the cornflour with thick white onion soup…and what I always do is:
sautee an onion in some butter, then I add chopped portabello mushroom, sautee sautee sautee, add some crushed garlic, (no need for salt). Add the cream, and then the soup. it’s divine.
If you have some whiskey at home, add a tot and some grated cheese in there too. it’s awesome!
fry mushrooms until cooked…add cream of mushroom soup
powder until well coated…add cream…stir until thick add salt and pepper…delicious
hi, do you follow same steps for cheese sauce just withut mushrooms?
Hi dr I tried this easy mushroom sauce and my family really enjoyed it,thank you very much,it was a great help
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