How To Make A Roux

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A roux is a thickening agent used in a variety of sauces, gravies, soups and stews. Find out how to create a roux from scratch with our easy recipe!

The 4 types of roux including white, blond, brown, and dark in white bowls.

A roux (pronounced “roo”) is a thickening agent used for gravies, soups, stews, and sauces. It creates a smooth, creamy consistency without lumps. A good roux is made with butter and flour and cooked on a stovetop. Liquids can be added to make gravy or soup bases or it can be added to liquids such as soups or stews to thicken. Here, we will teach you the different types and how to use them.

Ingredients in a Good Roux

Just two simple ingredients go into making a roux. You add things like milk, broth, cheese or other spices to make gravy, macaroni and cheese sauce or to thicken soup. Here’s all you need:

  • Butter – half a cup of butter
  • Flour – half a cup of flour
flour, butter, and a whisk on a table top. Ingredients to make a roux.


Ratio of Flour to Butter

The most common ratio for roux is 1:1, or a mixture of equal parts flour and butter (or “fat”). This is the ratio that we prefer to use. Others use a 2:1 ratio (2 parts flour, 1 part butter) but we have found that this usually results in clumping and doesn’t brown as well. 

Types of Roux

The type (or color) depends completely on how long you cook it. That’s it. The longer you cook it, the darker it gets. Also, the longer it cooks, the less thickening power it has. So a very dark roux will have a deeper flavor, but it won’t thicken as much as a white roux. Here is a simple breakdown of the 4 common types of roux:

White Roux:

White is the most common type. Butter is most often used as the “fat” for white roux because of the flavor. Bacon fat, vegetable oil or any other cooking oil can be used. 

  • Color: Off-white or very light 
  • Flavor: Neutral, very little flavor
  • Thickening power: Thickens very well
  • Used in: Béchamel sauce, velouté, white sauces, cheese sauces (mac and cheese), chowders, country gravy
White roux in a bowl.

Blond Roux:

  • Color: Can vary from “eggshell” to a light brown color
  • Flavor: More flavorful than white, smells almost caramelized when cooking
  • Thickening power: Thickens well
  • Used in: Soups, sauces, and chicken and turkey gravy
A bowl of blond roux that is caramel in color.

Brown Roux:

  • Color: Dark peanut butter color to deep brown color
  • Flavor: Deeper, nutty flavor, rich aroma
  • Thickening power: OK thickening, may want to add less liquid for a thicker consistency 
  • Used in: Stews, beef or brown gravy
A bowl of brown roux.

Dark Roux:

If dark roux is your goal, you will want to use canola oil, peanut oil, or any other high smoke point oil as your “fat”. This will prevent the roux from burning and giving it a burnt taste. 

  • Color: Deep brown to very dark brown, like melted dark chocolate
  • Flavor: Very deep, rich flavor
  • Thickening power: Not great, adds a smooth consistency but not super thick
  • Used in: Gumbo, Creole or Cajun dishes, stew, and goulash.
A bowl of dark brown roux.

A Quick Guide

Need an easy guide as a reference? Pin this handy infographic!

An inforgraphic showing the different types of roux and how they are used.

Add Liquid to Make a Sauce or Gravy

For the recipe below, you can simply add liquid directly to the roux to make a sauce or gravy. Depending on what you are making, you can add any kind of broth, stock, or milk. I always add liquid until I get the consistency I am looking for. This can be anywhere from 3-6 cups of liquid for the roux recipe as written below. If you are using a brown or dark roux, you will want to use less liquid. Possibly only 2-3 cups. Just add a little bit of cold liquid at a time and stir constantly with a whisk until you reach your desired consistency. 

  • Gravy: blond roux + broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable) or drippings
  • Country Gravy or Béchamel: white roux + milk + salt and pepper
  • Velouté: white roux + broth
  • Cheese sauce: white roux + milk + sharp cheddar (remove from heat and stir in cheese with a wooden spoon)

What is the difference between a roux and gravy?

Roux is purely a thickening agent. Gravy is the finished product after adding liquid and seasonings to a roux. Though gravy can be thickened with a roux, it is not the only thickener that can be used (see more on this below).

Spoon with poutine beef gravy.

A Thickener For Soups and Stews

As mentioned above, you can either add liquid to your thickener OR you can add roux to a liquid. The latter method is most commonly used is soups, stews, chowders, and gumbo. You simply make the roux first and then stir it in a little at a time to thicken whatever you are making. We use this method to thicken our Creamy Broccoli Cauliflower Soup.

Use To Make Condensed Soups

Did you know that you can make your own condensed soup? It’s easy! You just start with a simple thickener and add less liquid. Check out our recipes for our Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup and our Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a roux without flour?

For a gluten-free alternative to a traditional thickener, there are several substitutions you can make. Simply swap out the all-purpose flour for cornstarch, arrowroot, rice flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour. 

How do I store roux to use later?

To save time in the future, you can always make this and save it for later. Sometimes if I just need a little bit of thickener for a recipe, I will still make this recipe as-is and just put away half for later use. You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month or in your freezer for much longer (I am told indefinitely but I would say up to a year or so). Make up a bunch at once and store or freeze in ice cube trays as a quick thickening solution!

Can I make a fast thickener?

If you want to get the roux done quickly, put it on a higher heat and stir the whole time. If using a higher heat you may want to choose a fat with a higher smoke point like vegetable oil or a mix of butter and oil so it doesn’t burn.

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Recipes that use Roux

How to Make a Roux

The 4 types of roux including white, blond, brown, and dark in white bowls

How To Make a Roux (And Easy Gravy Recipe)

5 from 5 votes
A roux is a thickening agent used in a variety of sauces, gravies, soups and stews. Find out how to create a roux from scratch with our easy recipe!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American, French
Servings 12 servings

Video

Ingredients

To Make Gravy

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized sauce pan melt butter over medium to medium-low heat.
    butter being melted in a skillet
  • When butter has melted, add flour and whisk until smooth.
    butter in a skillet with flour puree over the top
  • Continue whisking until desired stage/color is reached.
    roux made with flour and butter on a stovetop being stirred with a whisk
  • White: appx. 2-5 minutes
    Blond: appx. 4-8 minutes
    Brown: appx. 8-15 minutes
    Dark: appx. 15-30 minutes.
    (Note: It's always better to go by COLOR rather than TIME… these are just estimates to help with prep and planning)
    The 4 types of roux including white, blond, brown, and dark in white bowls

To Make Gravy:

  • Add cold liquid a little at a time, whisking constantly, until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Dark brown gravy in a skillet made from a roux

Notes

  • For a gluten-free alternative to a traditional thickener, there are several substitutions you can make. Simply swap out the all-purpose flour for cornstarch, arrowroot, rice flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour. 
  • The most common ratio is 1:1, or a mixture of equal parts flour and butter (or “fat”). This is the ratio that we prefer to use. Others use a 2:1 ratio (2 parts flour, 1 part butter) but we have found that this usually results in clumping and doesn’t brown as well. 
  • You can either add liquid to your thickener OR you can add roux to a liquid. The latter method is most commonly used is soups, stews, chowders, and gumbo. You simply make the roux first and then stir it in a little at a time to thicken whatever you are making.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 87kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 8mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 236IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love using roux with milk and broth as a replacement for “cream of” soups. It’s so much tastier, and I like the fact that I control all the ingredients. 🙂