Mushroom Sauce for Steak: Easy Creamy Home Recipe

This website is independent and not affiliated with Miller & Carter. It is a recipe guide for home use, written for the United Kingdom.

Mushroom sauce for steak is a creamy sauce made by browning mushrooms in butter, then simmering them with beef stock, garlic, mustard and double cream. It is savoury and rich without overpowering the beef, and it comes together in one pan in about 20 minutes. The recipe below serves four.

What You Need for Mushroom Sauce for Steak

Chestnut mushrooms or closed cup mushrooms are the easy UK picks: both brown well and have more flavour than plain white buttons. A mix of the two works nicely.

• 250g chestnut or closed cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 150ml beef stock
• 100ml double cream
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked (or a pinch of dried thyme)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to Make Mushroom Sauce for Steak

1. Brown the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a wide pan over a medium high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden. Do not crowd the pan; cook in two batches if needed.
2. Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until it smells fragrant but is not browned.
3. Season the base. Stir in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and thyme, coating the mushrooms.
4. Pour in the stock. Add the beef stock and scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pan. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly reduced.
5. Add the cream. Pour in the double cream and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve. Spoon the sauce over rested steak and serve straight away.

Mushroom Sauce at a Glance

Tips for the Best Mushroom Sauce

• Brown the mushrooms properly. Colour means flavour, so give them space and time in the pan.
• Use beef stock, not water. The stock gives the sauce its savoury depth.
• Add the cream at the end and keep the heat gentle, so the sauce stays smooth.
• If the sauce is too thin, simmer a little longer. If it is too thick, loosen it with a splash of stock.

Storing and Reheating Mushroom Sauce

The sauce keeps for 2 to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge, so it can be made a day ahead. Reheat it gently over low heat, stirring, until just steaming. Do not boil it once the cream is in, or it may separate.

What to Serve With Mushroom Sauce

Mushroom sauce suits bold, beefy cuts that can stand up to its richness. It is a natural match for rump steak, and our guide to the best sauce for rump steak (note: this page is published alongside this one and the link will resolve once both are live) lists it among the top picks. It also works with fillet steak (note: this page is published alongside this one and the link will resolve once both are live) when you want something richer than a plain butter sauce. Our Miller and Carter sauces menu shows the sauces the restaurants serve.

Mushroom Sauce FAQs

Which mushrooms are best for steak sauce?

Chestnut mushrooms or closed cup mushrooms: both are widely available in the UK, brown well and have more flavour than plain white buttons. A mix of the two works nicely.

Can I make mushroom sauce without cream?

Yes. Leave out the cream and simmer the stock a little longer until it thickens, or stir in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with cold water. The sauce will be lighter but still savoury.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Make it up to a day ahead and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge, then reheat gently over low heat until just steaming.

Recipe guidance only. This website is independent and not affiliated with Miller & Carter. Our Miller and Carter main menu guide shows what the restaurants serve.