Mushrooms with Onions

Hongos guisados, the Mexican home-kitchen staple. This is a five-minute preparation that turns a pound of plain mushrooms into something with real character, all thanks to one unusual herb most cooks outside Mexico have never met.

Epazote is the key. Pungent, slightly minty, with a hint of citrus and pine, it’s what gives so many Mexican mushroom and bean dishes their unmistakable backbone. The technique itself is simple: soften onion and garlic in oil until translucent, then add the mushrooms and let everything cook down until the released water evaporates and the pan begins to sizzle again. That dry stage is where the flavor concentrates.

From there, the dish goes anywhere. Pile it onto warm corn tortillas for tacos, fold it into a quesadilla with melted mozzarella, or set it down as a side with grilled meat.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the mushrooms uniformly so they cook at the same rate; uneven slices give you some chewy, some mushy.
• Don’t crowd the pan. If your pan is small, work in two batches; crowded mushrooms steam and never brown.
• Salt the mushrooms only after they release their water; salting too early draws out liquid and slows browning.
• If epazote is hard to find, dried oregano is a workable backup, though the flavor profile shifts.

Variations

• Stir in a chopped serrano or jalapeño pepper with the onion for a sharper bite.
• Use a mix of cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms for a deeper, woodsier flavor.
• Finish with a squeeze of lime and a handful of chopped cilantro right before serving.