Copycat Hardee's Mushroom Sauce
Description
The silky, deep brown mushroom sauce from Hardee's Mushroom & Swiss Thickburger. Restaurant-style, not gravy. Ready in 20 minutes; works on burgers, steak, chops, and more.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, or button mushrooms, thinly sliced (⅛ inch)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons yellow onion, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons cream of mushroom soup, canned
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Slice mushrooms thin. Divide into two piles: ⅔ for cooking down, ⅓ for adding at the end.
- Sauté aromatics. Melt butter with olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 min. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.
- Brown the mushrooms. Add the larger ⅔ pile. Cook 5–6 min, stirring, until water cooks off and edges are deeply browned.
- Toast the flour. Sprinkle 1 tsp flour over mushrooms; stir constantly 45 seconds.
- Build the sauce. Slowly pour in beef broth while stirring. Add cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk smooth.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 6–8 min, stirring occasionally, until sauce coats the back of a spoon (thinner than gravy).
- Add second mushrooms. Stir in remaining ⅓ of sliced mushrooms. Cook 2 min until just softened.
- Taste. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately or store.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Whisk
Notes
Notes
- Cremini mushrooms give a deeper brown color than button.
- Brown the first batch hard — pale mushrooms make bland sauce.
- Only 1 teaspoon of flour — more turns it into gravy.
- Beef broth for the deep brown color (not chicken or vegetable).
- Both Worcestershire and soy sauce for layered umami.
- Cream of mushroom soup is the silkiness secret — don't skip the 2 tbsp.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze up to 2 months. Reheat over low heat with a splash of broth — never microwave.
Serving Suggestions
- Mushroom Swiss burger (with melted Swiss under the sauce)
- Pan-seared steak or filet
- Smothered pork chops
- Chicken breasts (chicken Marsala-style)
- Mashed potatoes
- Egg noodles (instant Stroganoff)
- Open-faced roast beef sandwiches
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 259mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 118IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.3mg