Knowing how to make roux is a handy skill to have in the kitchen when it comes to thickening gravies, sauces, soups and stews. There is more to a roux than a simple fat and flour combination. It's important to know the different ratio, colors, cooking times and amounts for desired thickness. I go over all of that below so that you can feel confident with this technique!
Roux is commonly used in nacho cheese sauce, soups and gravies like this homemade sawmill gravy. Without it, your sauces will be thin, liquidy and simply run off of your food rather than smother it with salty goodness.
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What is Roux?
A roux is the perfect mixture of fat and flour that chefs use to thicken soup, gravy, sauce and other food products of similar textures. There are three specific types of roux used in the culinary world: white, blond, and brown. These types are used for different textures and flavors.
The roux color reflects the length of cook time, meaning the longer the simmer the darker the roux. It is important to know that the darker the roux, the less thickening ability it will have.
Roux Ratio
Maintaining a roux ratio of 1 part fat to 1 part flour by weight will make for a successful sauce, gravy, or soup.
Ingredients
For a roux you simply need equal parts fat and flour. I use butter for this recipe but you can also use bacon grease or cooking oil.
- butter - Can use salted or unsalted.
- flour - All purpose flour.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Instructions
Step #1. Melt the Butter. Heat a pot to medium heat and melt the butter in it.
Step #2. Add Flour. Add the flour to the butter and mix well. Stir constantly while the flour gets cooked. (You want it to gently bubble as it cooks. If it is bubbling too vigorously, turn the heat down.)
Chef's Note: The mixture will start out thick and dry and eventually become more liquidy as it cooks.
Step #3. Cook Until Desired Color. You can make this in 3 roux colors depending on the sauce or plate you’ll make afterwards:
For a White Roux
For a light colored roux, cook until you get a light color (about 4 minutes).
USES: White roux is ideal for bechamel sauce, cheese sauce and other light sauces.
For a Blond Roux
For a medium (blond) roux, continue cooking until lightly browned and nutty smelling (about 7 minutes).
USES: Medium roux is ideal to thicken chicken or vegetable stock and gravies. It will add a little more flavor than white.
For a Brown Roux
For a dark (brown) roux, cook until darkly browned (about 12-15 minutes). For an even darker brown you can cook it longer.
USES: Dark roux has a toasted flavor, so it’s ideal for beef stock.
How Much Roux to Use Per 1 Cup Liquid?
This table below outlines generally how much roux to use per 1 cup of liquid based on how thick you would like the soup or sauce to be. You can use it as a general guide.
| Thickness | Amount of Roux Per 1 Cup Liquid |
|---|---|
| Thin Sauce: | 1 tablespoon butter/1 tablespoon flour |
| Medium Sauce: | 2 tablespoons butter/2 tablespoons flour |
| Thick Sauce: | 3 tablespoons butter/3 tablespoons flour |
How to Use it
You can now use the roux to thicken soups, sauces, gravies and stews. If you just made the roux and it is hot in the saucepan:
👩🏻🍳Chef's Note: make sure you check out how much roux to use above before you begin.
- Slowly whisk in the liquid that you will be using for the sauce.
- Simmer until thickened.
It's that simple!
If your roux is cold or room temp: If you are using the roux at a later time and it is cold or room temperature, simply whisk it into the simmering sauce until it thickens.
This basic recipe is excellent for:
- gumbo
- electric skillet classic beef stew or other stews
- beef gravy
- Southern tomato gravy
- gravy for ham
- a potato soup or chowder
- Creole Shrimp Étouffée
- béchamel
- espagnole
- hardy cheese sauce or a filling mac and cheese
Joss' Tips
Mastering this quick technique for developing a thickening agent will step your food game up a notch, putting your dishes on par with your favorite restaurants.
- Some tips and tricks for making and keeping a delicious roux include making it with patience. Roux must be combined and stirred well. That mixing should be continued as flour is very gradually added to prevent clumping.
- Note that the time it takes to achieve each roux color is approximate. Be vigilant as you watch the colors turn for the type of roux you would like to achieve.
- Also note that the less flour and fat you use, the quicker it will cook.
- When adding a liquid to a roux, it should be added slowly and constantly whisked.
Storage
- Fridge storage: If you aren't using the roux immediately, you can store it in the fridge for up to 6 months.
- Freezer storage: Or in the freezer for up to 1 year in an air tight container.
- Thawing instructions: Thaw in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
A roux consists of 2 ingredients: flour and fat (like butter or bacon grease) which are combined, cooked and added to a liquid.
For a thin sauce, use 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons flour, for a medium sauce use ½ cup of each and for a thick sauce use ¾ cup of each.
You can use either. Butter is a popular choice for dairy-based sauces whereas oil is used in some Southern sauces like a tomato gravy.
You can easily tell because it will be very dark and have a strong, undesirable, burnt smell.
If you tried this 📋 recipe tutorial for How to Make a Roux (White Blond and Brown) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
How to Make a Roux (White Blond and Brown)
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces butter
- 3.5 ounces flour
Instructions
- Heat a pot to medium heat and melt the butter.
- Add the flour to the butter and mix well. Stir constantly while the flour gets cooked - you can make this in 3 colors depending on the sauce or plate you’ll make afterwards. (You want it to gently bubble as it cooks. If it is bubbling too vigorously, turn the heat down.)
- For a light colored (white) roux, cook until you get a light color (about 4 minutes).
- For a medium (blond) roux, continue cooking until lightly browned (about 7 minutes).
- For a dark (brown) roux, cook until brown in color (about 12 to 15 minutes). For an even darker brown you can cook it longer.
- You can now use the roux to thicken soups and sauces. See notes below for ratio and liquid amounts.
Equipment
Notes
- The times are approximate and will vary. Note that the time it takes to achieve each roux color is approximate. Watch closely for the color change as you are mixing. Also note that the less flour and fat you use, the quicker it will cook.
- Add liquid slowly. When adding a liquid to a roux, it should be added slowly and constantly whisked.
- General roux color. The medium (blond) roux is a good general-purpose roux that you can use for gravy.
- Roux ratio. Roux ratio is 1:1 fat to flour by weight
- Amount to use per 1 cup liquid (use as a general guide):
- thin sauce: 1 tablespoon butter/1 tablespoon flour
- medium thickness sauce: 2 tablespoons butter/2 tablespoons flour
- thick sauce: 3 tablespoons butter/3 tablespoons flour
- Darker roux = less thickening power. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has.
- When to add the liquid. If you are using the roux immediately and you just finished this tutorial, this would be the point where you slowly whisk in the liquid you are using and simmer until thickened.
- How to tell if it's burnt: You can easily tell because it will be very dark and have a strong, undesirable, burnt smell.
- Storage. If you aren't using the roux immediately, you can store it in the fridge for up to 6 months or in the freezer for up to 1 year in an air tight container. Thaw in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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