It's the annual wintry cooking-skill conundrum-figuring out the best way to thicken your gravy. As you start craving chilly weather dishes and comfort foods, like robust roasts, mashed potatoes, and (of course), Thanksgiving turkey, you may find yourself at the stove wondering: Why won't my gravy thicken?
First, Try Reducing the Liquid
One easy way to thicken gravy is to simply reduce the liquid. Add any pan drippings you have to a small or medium-sized saucepan. Then, add in 1 cup of liquid, and simmer on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by at least a third and the flavors are more concentrated.
No time to simmer? No problem. We certainly don't want your table full of gravy-loving guests to wait. Grab a whisk and follow these tips for how to thicken gravy with cornstarch, flour, or using alternative ingredients in your pantry.
Cornstarch isn't just a handy all-around kitchen staple to keep in your pantry—it's also a gluten-free gravy thickener that saves the day for the gluten-averse. 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. If you want extra-thick gravy, use 2 tablespoons per 1 cup of liquid (vegetable, chicken, or meat stock, ideally, a combination of pan drippings and stock, or water and bouillon). A good rule of thumb is to start with a single tablespoon-you can always add more.
To thicken gravy with cornstarch and get smooth results, mix the cornstarch with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to make a liquid-like paste or slurry. Another method is to strain the dry cornstarch through a fine-mesh sieve, although using this method to thicken gravy may result in a more lumpy gravy.
Once you add the cornstarch to your hot liquid, use a whisk or wooden spoon to incorporate it, whisking or stirring constantly until it is well incorporated and the gravy starts to thicken. Bonus: In addition to being a gluten-free gravy thickener, you need less cornstarch than other gravy thickeners to get the job done.
How to Fix Salty Gravy (Yes, It's Possible!)
How to Thicken Gravy With Flour
Similar to cornstarch, the technique to thicken gravy with flour works best if you add a little water to your flour to create a liquid-like paste or slurry (you may also use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the dry flour into the hot 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.
How to Make Classic Gravy
How to Thicken Gravy Without Cornstarch or Flour
Don't have cornstarch or flour on-hand? There are lots of cornstarch alternatives and flour substitutes you can use (many are gluten-free gravy thickeners, too)-you just need to get a little creative. Here are a few pantry items you can use to thicken gravy.
This powder comes from rhizomes of the Marantaceae family of tubers. It's a great natural substitute for those needing a gluten-free gravy thickener. As with using cornstarch or flour to thicken gravy, make a slurry with your arrowroot powder by mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons with an equal amount of water. Add to 1 cup hot liquid with a whisk or wooden spoon, stirring until incorporated and the gravy thickens.
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Tapioca
Tapioca is derived from the cassava root. To thicken gravy, add 1 ½ teaspoons of tapioca starch into the hot liquid, whisking until well incorporated and the gravy thickens.
RELATED: The Safety Tip You Need to Know Before Cooking With Cassava
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Potato Starch
This gluten-free gravy thickener requires 1 tablespoon of starch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Whisk or stir into 1 cup of hot liquid, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens.
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Pureed Vegetables
Who knew? This smart way to thicken gravy allows you to use what's in your veggie crisper. Roast any kind of potato, parsnip, beet, or carrot, puree in a blender or food processor, and stir into gravy until completely incorporated. (Just remember: Vegetables have their unique flavors, so you'll be altering the taste of your stock base with whatever vegetable you decide to add.)
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.
It is possible to thicken gravy without flour or cornstarch, and it's as simple as keeping it on the heat. When gravy is left to simmer or reduce, it naturally thickens, so be patient with your gravy. One downside to reducing gravy, though, is that it can become too salty.
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.
When you add baking powder into sauce, the active ingredients will react with the liquid and heat in the same way they would if they were added into a cake batter. The cornstarch in it will cause your sauce to thicken in the process, but too much sodium bicarbonate will also contribute a bitter taste.
Cornstarch can be subbed in for wheat flour at a 1:2 ratio. Because it's a durable thickener, you only need half the amount of cornstarch to create the same effect. Also, adding cornstarch to a gluten free recipe is a great way to add softness and texture to baked goods while keeping them grain free!
Natural food thickeners are substances derived from plants or other natural sources. Examples include agar agar, arrowroot, and chia seeds. They offer a range of unique properties and health benefits.
Whisking in pats of cold butter is one of the classic ways to thicken a pan sauce. This method works though emulsifying the liquid with the butter, increasing thickness slightly and adding heft and clinginess so your sauce coats food better.
If you just dump dry flour into the pot, it'll form stubborn lumps. Instead, you need to make a paste of roughly equal parts flour and softened butter, mashing them together until completely smooth, then whisk this paste into the gravy a tablespoon or two at a time, until the gravy has thickened appropriately.
Honey – AKA the pantry staple that keeps on giving – isn't just incredible on toast, in desserts or in glazes. We use it in our gravy, and it gives the perfect hint of sweetness to break up the rich umami flavours.
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.
Add 1 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1.5 tsp mustard (I prefer Dijon for its creamy and full character), and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Black pepper is texture, Dijon mustard adds mouthfeel, soy sauce increases texture, and vinegar cinches all the flavours in a little tighter.
As with using cornstarch or flour to thicken gravy, make a slurry with your arrowroot powder by mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons with an equal amount of water. Add to 1 cup hot liquid with a whisk or wooden spoon, stirring until incorporated and the gravy thickens.
Reducing sauce on the stove is an excellent way to thicken sauce naturally without adding any thickening agents, like cornstarch or flour. This method works particularly well for tomato-based sauces, because added starches don't always play nicely with the acid in tomatoes.
Even a half of a tablespoon of cornstarch will thicken a sauce into a translucent, silky slurry in under a minute. Flour's thickening abilities are much weaker and you will need larger quantities of it to thicken liquids. It also works better with fat-based sauces.
The longer you simmer gravy, the thicker it will become, and it's easy to end up with a thick, gloppy gravy. The fix here is super simple: whisk in a little more broth or water until it's thinned to the desired consistency.
Potato starch naturally thickens soups and stews and can be a gluten-free option if you're looking to make a gluten-free stew. Add cubed potatoes to the stew to absorb excess liquid, or add potato flakes, mashed potatoes, or a potato purée to thicken your stew.
You can just as easily thicken the gravy further with another starch, like cornstarch or arrowroot. If you do, you'll once again want to avoid adding the dry starch directly to the gravy, as it can form lumps just like flour.
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