This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (2024)

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This easy roux recipe will help you make delicious dishes like creamy soups or mac and cheese with ease.

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (1)

A roux is the base for some of your favorite dishes like sauces, gravies, and soups, so knowing how to make it is an essential tool for any cook.

A roux is a common technique in French cuisine that adds flavor, texture and a beautiful golden color to hearty dishes like sauces and stews—and making it couldn’t be easier.

Whether you’re making gumbo, sausage gravy or trying your hand at homemade macaroni and cheese, mastering the art of making a roux will not only help upgrade your meals – it could also open the doors for more crafting delicious dishes.

Making the perfect roux might seem intimidating but with the right ingredients and techniques, anyone can master this technique.

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (2)

What is a Roux Used for?

A traditional roux is a combination of equal parts fat (usually butter) and all purpose flour that is cooked together before adding liquid. This mixture thickens the liquid it is added to, creating a creamy sauce or gravy. The longer the mixture cooks, the darker and more flavorful it will become.

How to Make a Roux?

Making a roux might seem intimidating but with the right ingredients and techniques, anyone can master this technique. Start by melting butter over medium heat and then whisking in an equal amount of flour until combined.

Continue cooking and stirring until the desired color of your roux has been reached—the longer it cooks, the darker it will become. Once your desired color has been achieved, add whatever broth or sauce you need to create your dish!

See Also: Best Soup Recipes | Pork Stew Recipe | Mini Pot Pies | Buttermilk Biscuits

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (3)

Simple Roux Recipe

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup flour

In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat.

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (4)

Whisk in the flour until smooth.

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (5)

Bring to a bubble for about 1-2 minutes of cooking, while continuously mixing, until the roux has thickened.

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The next step is to slowly whisk your homemade roux into liquids (like cream, milk or broth) before adding other ingredients like vegetables or proteins if necessary.

Getting the Roux Color Right

Once everything has been combined, reduce the heat slightly and continuously stir with a spatula or wooden spoon while keeping an eye on the color of your roux. There are 3 types of roux.

A white roux should cook for about four minutes; blonde roux should cook for seven minutes; dark roux should cook for fifteen minutes or longer. The longer your type of roux cooks, the nutty aroma will be enhanced.

Remember that once your roux reaches its desired color, remove it from the heat immediately as it will continue cooking off of residual heat even after being removed from the stove top.

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What Recipes Use a Roux?

The uses for a roux are nearly endless and are used in many classic recipes. Here are just a few ideas:

  • Use it as soup base
  • Create thicker sauces
  • Assemble
  • Create creamy gravies
  • Make a cheese sauce
  • Thicken casseroles
  • Make seafood dishes
  • Make cream pies & custards
  • Bechamel sauce
This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (8)

Roux vs Gravy

A roux is a mixture of a fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups and gravies.

On the other hand, gravy is made with pan drippings mixed with thickening agents such as flour or cornstarch. Gravy also generally contains additional ingredients such as spices, seasonings or herbs.

What is a Flour Substitute For Roux

Cornstarch is one great alternative for a flour substitute when making roux. Cornstarch does an excellent job of being a thickening agent without adding flavor or texture just like flour does.

Can You Freeze a Roux?

Freezing a roux is actually an ideal way to store it so you can always have some on hand to use when you need it.

The best way to freeze it is to make individual portions (like in ice cube trays). Place the small portions on parchment paper or waxed paper then stick them in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag before putting them into the freezer. To thaw it quickly, transfer the frozen pieces to your refrigerator a few hours prior to use.

Rouxs can be frozen if stored properly for up to 6 months in the freezer.

This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (9)

Yield: 1

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This easy roux recipe will help you make delicious dishes like creamy soups or mac and cheese with ease.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup flour

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat.

Whisk in the flour until smooth.

Bring to a bubble for about 1-2 minutes of cooking, while continuously mixing, until the roux has thickened.

The next step is to slowly whisk your homemade roux into liquids (like cream, milk or broth) before adding other ingredients like vegetables or proteins if necessary.

Notes

Once everything has been combined, reduce the heat slightly and continuously stir with a spatula or wooden spoon while keeping an eye on the color of your roux. There are 3 types of roux. A white roux should cook for about four minutes; blonde roux should cook for seven minutes; dark roux should cook for fifteen minutes or longer. The longer your type of roux cooks, the nutty aroma will be enhanced. Remember that once your roux reaches its desired color, remove it from the heat immediately as it will continue cooking off of residual heat even after being removed from the stove top.

Freezing a roux is actually an ideal way to store it so you can always have some on hand to use when you need it.

The best way to freeze it is to make individual portions (like in ice cube trays). Place the small portions on parchment paper or waxed paper then stick them in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag before putting them into the freezer. To thaw it quickly, transfer the frozen pieces to your refrigerator a few hours prior to use.

Rouxs can be frozen if stored properly for up to 6 months in the freezer.

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This Roux Recipe is a Must for Home Cooks! (2024)

FAQs

What type of roux is cooked just enough to cook the raw taste of flour for 4 6 mins? ›

White and blond roux are cooked for just enough time to eliminate the raw taste of the flour, but not so long that the roux starts to brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. White roux is used to thicken sauces such as béchamel, cheese sauces and white gravy, as well as creamy soups and chowders.

Why must roux based sauces be cooked for the correct length of time? ›

Unlike a cornstarch slurry, roux must be cooked before adding hot liquid (otherwise the dish may retain the taste of raw flour). The longer a roux cooks, the less potent its thickening power, but what develops is a flavorful base that adds nutty, rich dimension to countless stews and sauces.

Why is it important to cook a roux? ›

Two reasons. First, a roux is useful for cooking the raw flavor out of the starch, which leads to better flavor and aroma in the final dish. And second, when you combine the starch with a fat, each starch granule becomes coated in the fat.

What is the best roux for thickening? ›

White and blond roux are the most common, used to thicken sauces, soups, and chowders. Brown and dark brown roux have more flavor, but less thickening power than white or blond roux.

Can you make a roux with olive oil instead of butter? ›

Roux is a mix fat and flour cooked together to thicken sauces and soups. You can choose your fat based on personal preference, but of course, our favorite way to make roux is with our delicious ultra premium olive oil.

What are the 4 types of roux? ›

They may be called "blond," "peanut-butter," "brown," or "chocolate" roux depending on their color. The darker the color, the richer the flavor.

What are the 3 main types of roux? ›

Types of Roux: There are three main types of roux: white, blond, and brown. Each type offers a distinct flavor profile and complements specific culinary creations.

Which roux is cooked for about two to three minutes only? ›

There are many styles of roux, but the one used for béchamel is called white roux. It's only cooked for about 2–3 minutes — long enough to remove the starchy texture of the flour but not so long that the butter begins to brown.

What happens if you overcook a roux? ›

You're Turning Up the Heat Too Much

There's no coming back from a burned roux—it'll add an acrid, unpleasant note to the dish that you just worked so hard to make.

What is the best ratio of butter to flour in a roux? ›

Your mixture will be less likely to go lumpy. A good ratio for a basic sauce is: 50g butter. 50g plain flour.

What is the rule of roux? ›

In the simplest terms possible, a roux is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat, cooked together over low to medium heat, to create a uniform thickening agent that's deployed in saucy recipes like this extra-creamy Lasagna Bolognese, Chicken-Andouille Gumbo, and béchamel-soaked Croque Monsieur.

Is it necessary to have a roux? ›

Most roux act as fairly bland thickeners. However, in Cajun cooking traditions, roux is also an essential flavoring. A pot of Cajun gumbo often begins with flour and fat cooked over low heat for up to an hour, until the flour browns and caramelizes into a smoky, tawny slick of intensely savory flavor.

What's the difference between a roux and a gravy? ›

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ROUX AND A GRAVY? Gravy is basically a roux, elevated with meat drippings or stock added. While a roux is a neutral fat and flour combined, gravy takes it a step further by using drippings for the fat and stock for flavor.

What are common mistakes when making roux? ›

Too much flour and your sauce will be too thick. Too much fat and it won't be thick enough. The ratio will depend on what you want to use your roux for, but the classic roux for thickening sauces is a one-to-one ratio of flour and butter.

Is it better to use cornstarch or flour to make a roux? ›

A roux is made at the beginning of a recipe while a slurry is added toward the end. This is because the flour needs to be cooked longer to remove the floury taste; cornstarch needs a shorter cooking time and a higher heat to activate the thickening properties.

Is roux better with oil or butter? ›

Word to the wise: Butter will almost certainly burn while making a darker roux, so opt for a fat with a higher smoke point, like vegetable oil, and don't stop stirring until you reach your desired color.

How to not mess up a roux? ›

Keep whisking as the roux cooks, in order to make sure that it evenly browns and doesn't cook too quickly or stick to the bottom of the pan. Don't be impatient. Wait for the right color.

References

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