Cornstarch a good way to thicken gravy lightly (2024)

FAQs

Cornstarch a good way to thicken gravy lightly? ›

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.

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.

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

To make a slurry, start with 1 to 2 ratio of cornstarch to water. For example, prepare 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Then whisk together really well. When you add more water, it just takes more time to thicken the sauce or soup.

As you hydrate and heat cornstarch, the starch granules swell and soften, and they lose their hard, crystalline structure. Eventually, those granules burst; amylopectin leaches out into the surrounding water, and the mixture thickens. If that same mixture is cooled, the mixture generally becomes thicker.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

Arrowroot

Some people prefer arrowroot to cornstarch because it contains more fiber (1, 2). It also forms a clear gel when mixed with water, so it's great for thickening clear liquids ( 3 ). It's recommended to use twice as much arrowroot as cornstarch to get similar results.

While whisking the gravy constantly over medium-low heat, add the tapioca starch mixture a little bit at a time. Do not bring to a boil. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy thickens.

How much cornstarch is needed to thicken gravy? The ratio is an easy one to remember: Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of liquid for a perfect gluten-free gravy thickener every time.

Potato starch is the most potent of the bunch, with long starch molecules that quickly tangle with each other and thicken a liquid.

How to know how much cornstarch to use? ›

If you're cooking hot liquids like sauces, stock or broth, 1 tablespoon of corn starch per cup of liquid will give you a thin to medium consistency that's appropriate for soups or very thin sauces. 2 tablespoons per cup will give you a thicker, more gravy-like consistency.

Be careful not to overcook cornstarch-thickened sauces. They can break down when overcooked (the starch loses its thickening properties when cooked too long).

Cornstarch is a common thickening agent in the culinary arts, but if you add it directly to the liquid you want to thicken, it will clump up. To thicken a sauce or soup with cornstarch, you first need to make a slurry, which is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and liquid (usually water, stock or wine).

Good news: Cornstarch is one of those baking staples that can last for years and doesn't really expire. If cornstarch does go bad, it's usually because moisture or pests have been able to get to it—and you'll notice it immediately. It may have an off taste or flavor (think sour or "funky"), or an off color.

One warning when cooking with a cornstarch slurry is to avoid adding too much, particularly when using it with baked goods. Chattman says that overuse of cornstarch can lend a starchy flavor to a dish. It's also important to note that there are some dishes that may not thicken when mixed with cornstarch.

Cornstarch needs heat (in the ballpark of 203°F) in order for “starch gelatinization”—that is, the scientific process in which starch granules swell and absorb water—to occur. In other words, if you don't heat your cornstarch to a high enough temperature, your mixture will never thicken.

Potato starch has a lower gelatinization temperature than cornstarch, meaning it can thicken liquids faster when exposed to heat. If not fully cooked, cornstarch tends to leave behind residual, well, starchiness, whereas potato starch gives sauces a glossier, silkier texture.

If you've added too much liquid, you can try cooking it longer. Reducing the volume may be enough to thicken it up. However, if your gravy is thin and the seasoning is where you want it, cooking it down may make it too salty.

Cornstarch can be eaten right out of the box, but it is also often used in cooking. It can be added to sauces, soups, and other dishes to thicken them up. How do you fix gravy if you accidentally added too much cornstarch? The best thing you could do to loosen the gravy is to add more liquid - broth or water.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Pour the gravy through the sieve, pressing gently with a rubber spatula to strain that thick gravy goodness into the bowl. Pour the strained no-lump gravy back into your pan and give it a little whisk to make sure all the lumps are gone and your gravy is smooth.