How to Thicken Gravy, According to Our Test Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How to Thicken Gravy, According to Our Test Kitchen? ›

One way to thicken gravy with flour is by making a slurry. A slurry is made by whisking 2 tablespoons of flour with cold water, which then gets whisked into the gravy.

Chefs and home cooks often use pan drippings and other cooking liquids, such as chicken broth, wine, or milk, to thicken and flavor the gravy. You can add different seasonings to enhance the flavor; common additions include salt, pepper, herbs, mustard, and balsamic vinegar.

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.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Heat one minute more to cook the flour thoroughly.

To make a good cheese sauce or gravy, you need a thickening agent. Cornstarch and flour are two common thickening agents in the home kitchen. Both are cereal starches and when they're mixed with a liquid and then heated, they gelatinize.

This is because cornstarch is composed only of starch, while all-purpose flour contains starch, fiber, and protein. One of these proteins is gluten, which helps give bread its elasticity and chew. Because cornstarch doesn't contain gluten, it is gluten free and safe for people with celiac disease.

There are plenty of situations that require the thickening power of a pantry starch: your pie filling, soup, sauce, gravy. Cornstarch, tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour), arrowroot, potato starch and plain old wheat flour are typical options.

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

How much flour does it take to thicken 2 cups of liquid? ›

However, when using flour as a gravy thickener, you must double the amount—use 2 tablespoons of flour per 1 cup of liquid. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to incorporate, stirring constantly until you thicken the gravy to the desired consistency.

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

All involved more flour than oil. Rogerkf5 writes on nola.com: A roux should be a 1 to 1 ratio but by weight, not by volume. One cup of oil weighs 7.7 ounces, and 1 cup of flour weighs 4.5 ounces. So, a proper ratio would be 1 cup of oil, and 7.7 ounces by weight of flour, close to 1-3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.

The roux not only thickens the gravy but also adds a rich, nutty flavour to it. To make a roux, simply melt the fat in a pan, add the flour, and cook it gently until it has a smooth consistency. Cornstarch is another popular thickening agent that is commonly used in gravies.

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.