For a good gravy, you need a thickening agent (2024)

FAQs

For a good gravy, you need a thickening agent? ›

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.

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.

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.

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.

A roux is a paste made from flour and fat that thickens sauces, and it's essential to a good gravy. You can make it with fat from the bottom of the roasting pan, butter or oil. Aim for one part fat to one part flour.

Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one cup of cold water, whisking the mixture together until the cornstarch granules dissolve. Stir this mixture into your gravy on low heat. You can use arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, or potato starch as a thickener if you don't have cornstarch.

Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.

Onion paste, cashew paste, cream, butter, melon seed paste, cornflour slurry and roux (equal parts of cooked flour and butter) are some of the commercially used thickening agents. Too much water may be the culprit.

Thicken with a slurry.

Measure out 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour or cornstarch into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water or broth and whisk with a fork until combined. Whisk the gravy constantly over medium heat, slowly pour the slurry into the gravy, and cook until the gravy thickens.

Can you thicken gravy without cornstarch? ›

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.

This is why when recipes call for using a mixture of water and cornstarch to thicken a sauce, they will tell you to mix the combination thoroughly just before adding it to what you're cooking, as mixing produces a uniform suspension of the starch in the liquid.

Arrowroot or Tapioca Flour

Both of these options can be used in the same way you'd use cornstarch in a recipe. The main benefit here is that they are both grain-free, meaning they can be used in a Paleo diet.

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.

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

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

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.