6 Genius Ways to Thicken Gravy Using Items From Your Pantry (2024)

FAQs

What can you use to thicken gravy? ›

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Mix 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons water until dissolved for every 1 cup of gravy. While whisking the gravy constantly over medium heat, add the arrowroot mixture a little bit at a time. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy thickens.

What's the difference between using cornstarch or flour to make your gravy? Cornstarch does have more thickening power than wheat flour (because it's pure starch, while flour has some protein in it). So usually you need a little less cornstarch than flour for the equivalent thickening power.

If you don't have any cornstarch, you can also use flour and make a beurre manie, which is fancy French for “flour butter paste” or “raw roux.” To make this little ball of thickening magic, just take equal masses of flour and butter, and mash it all up into a little paste nugget.

Alternative thickeners include cornstarch, potato starch, cassava flour, and arrowroot. Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour.

If you don't like using flour or cornflour, a simple sauce reduction does the trick. Let your sauce simmer over heat, uncovered, to evaporate excess liquid. Before you begin to reduce your sauce, remove meat and large vegetable pieces if possible.

Cornstarch and potato starch are the best options for gravy. Avoid arrowroot and tapioca starches because they can get "stringy" and look artificial in gravy. Cornstarch gravy is more translucent than flour based sauces. Potato starch gravy is more opaque than cornstarch, but less opaque than flour.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

When to Keep the Lid Off. Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.

What are three other ways to thicken sauces? ›

How do you make a sauce thicker? The easiest way to thicken a sauce is by reducing the amount of liquid. This can be done by simmering your sauce or bringing it to a full boil—do this uncovered, so the steam can escape.

Using Flour Instead

Unlike cornstarch, flour doesn't make sauces more glossy, and if not cooked completely, it can slightly change the flavor of a dish. If using flour, you'll still want to make a slurry: The ratio is two tablespoons of flour and 1/4 cup of cold water for each cup of liquid.

Your first defense against a lumpy pot of gravy is a simple whisk. Use a pot holder to steady the pan with one hand. Simply break up those clumps with a vigorous bout of whisking using a circular motion.