How to Use Flour or Cornstarch to Thicken Sauce, Gravy, and Soup (2024)

FAQs

How to Use Flour or Cornstarch to Thicken Sauce, Gravy, and Soup? ›

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.

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.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Cornstarch is finer, silkier, and doesn't have the protein of flour. It needs to be mixed completely with cold water before being added to boiling liquid, and once added, it needs to be cooked only until the liquid has thickened. If you cook it too long, it will break down and the liquid will lose its thickness.

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.

Cornstarch needs heat (in the ballpark of 203°F) in order for “starch gelatinization”—that is, the scientific process in which starch granules swell and absorb water—to occur. In other words, if you don't heat your cornstarch to a high enough temperature, your mixture will never thicken.

If you're cooking hot liquids like sauces, stock or broth, 1 tablespoon of corn starch per cup of liquid will give you a thin to medium consistency that's appropriate for soups or very thin sauces. 2 tablespoons per cup will give you a thicker, more gravy-like consistency.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

Corn starch is pure starch. It dissolves in water. It has to be dissolved in cold water before adding to a hot soup, because it thickens on contact with the heat, making it lumpy. Flour has proteins that become sticky when exposed to water.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

What happens when you add cornstarch to all-purpose flour? ›

Combining a starch like cornstarch with other flours can help soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert. Similar to when adding cornstarch to a soup or pudding, if adding cornstarch to a dessert batter, it should first be turned into a slurry.

To make a cornstarch gravy, start by making a slurry (blend) of cornstarch and a small amount of cold liquid (generally water or broth). You will need about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of gravy. Don't add powdered cornstarch directly to a hot liquid; it will clump.

Flour also gives the gravy a traditional opaque look, she adds, whereas cornstarch will make the gravy shiny and clear. It's also important to consider whether you'll be reheating your gravy, as flour-thickened gravy is much better for reheating.

Compared to flour, cornstarch thickens a mixture faster and has a cleaner flavor; it also produces a clearer gel.

Roux is commonly made with flour, but you can also sub in cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with water to form a slurry before adding it to the pan and cooking it with the fat.

Share on Pinterest Wheat flour is more nutritious than cornstarch. Wheat flour is a nutritious alternative to cornstarch, with a higher protein content, fewer carbohydrates, and more dietary fiber than cornstarch. It also contains more vitamins and minerals.

Make a Slurry

If you want to use flour, mix 2 tablespoons of flour per 1 cup of cool liquid. Whisk the slurry until it is smooth and lump-free, then add about 1 tablespoon at a time to your hot pan drippings and liquid mixture, using a whisk to thoroughly combine.