Spanish mushroom tapas, or champiñones al ajillo, is a classic tapas recipe featuring garlic mushrooms with sherry vinegar, olive oil, and parsley. Ready in about 20 minutes, this easy and delicious recipe is perfect as an appetizer or light meal.
I first had these mushroom tapas with garlic on our road trip through Andalusia, a region in southern Spain that includes cities like Seville, Granada, Málaga, and Córdoba. I was hooked; I had to have them almost every time I saw them on a restaurant's menu or in tapas bars.
We often had them with crusty bread or baguette slices, potato salad similar to this Salade Russe, patatas bravas, fries, and other small bites like croquetas or olives.
I have cooked this Spanish garlic mushrooms recipe several times ever since; they are delicious not only as tapas but also as a simple meal when served with buttered rice, smashed potatoes, or basic polenta or as a side dish for meats such as tagliata, cast-iron chicken breasts, or almond chicken.
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Recipe ingredients
Mushrooms: I used small white button mushrooms; however, the size is unimportant. If the mushrooms are very small, leave them whole or halve them. If they are large, quarter them or cut them into thick slices. Try another mushroom appetizer, these delicious Mushroom Puff Pastry Pies.
Garlic: Two or three garlic cloves, depending on their size and your taste.
Sherry vinegar is a Spanish vinegar made from sherry wine. It has a slightly sweet flavor and can be substituted with apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.
You will also need extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Additions: In Spain, we sometimes had the mushrooms with a sprinkle of smoked Spanish paprika on top and a lemon wedge on the side. But I assumed those mushrooms were cooked with fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar.
How to make mushroom tapas?
Step #1: Clean the mushrooms and halve quarter or slice them (depending on their size).
Step #2: Heat the oil and cook the mushrooms on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, occasionally stirring, until slightly golden.
Step #3: Add the crushed or grated garlic and one tablespoon of vinegar. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushroom tapas are glossy and golden brown.
Step 4: Turn off the heat, add the remaining vinegar, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle the dish with more parsley.
Good to know!
It's best not to wash mushrooms but to wipe them thoroughly with paper towels. If they're very dirty, rinse them briefly under cold running water for 4-5 seconds, then dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
Avoid overcrowding the pan. I used a large skillet (12 inches/30 cm) to cook 1 lb (450 g) of mushrooms. If you cook more than that or use a smaller pan, cook the mushrooms in two batches. If the pan is too full, the mushrooms will steam instead of getting brown.
Stir the mushroom tapas only 3-4 times while cooking to allow them to brown nicely on each side that touches the skillet.
Storage
The Spanish mushrooms with garlic are best served immediately.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat the mushrooms in the pan, adding a bit of olive oil and stirring.
Spanish Mushroom Tapas
Equipment
- Large skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan, 12 inches/ 30 cm, Note 1
Ingredients
- 1 lb white button mushrooms 450 g, Note 2
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves depending on size and taste
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar divided, more to taste, Note 3
- 2 tablespoons parsley divided
- fine sea salt and black ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare mushrooms (Note 3): Clean them with paper towels and halve, quarter or slice them thickly (depending on their size).
- Sear mushrooms: Heat the oil and cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, occasionally stirring, until they are slightly golden.
- Cook mushrooms: Add the crushed or grated garlic and one tablespoon of vinegar. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are glossy and golden brown.
- Finish dish: Turn off the heat and add the remaining vinegar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the dish with more parsley.
Notes
- Skillet: You will need a large skillet to cook this amount of mushrooms. If your skillet is smaller or you want to cook more mushrooms, do so in two batches to prevent steaming instead of browning.
- Mushrooms: I used small white button mushrooms, but the size doesn't matter. Leave very small mushrooms whole or halve them. For larger mushrooms, quarter them or cut them into thick slices.
- Sherry vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. Use the 2 recommended tablespoons and add ½ to 1 tablespoon more to taste.
- Avoid washing mushrooms when possible. Wipe them thoroughly with paper towels instead. If they're very dirty, rinse them under cold water for 4-5 seconds and then dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
Mama Cash says
Simplicity plus can adapt this dish to a side dish, part of a tapas meal or a starter.
Adina says
I am so happy you liked them. Thank you for the feedback.