How to Thicken Sauce Without Cornstarch

The best ingredients and techniques to thicken or loosen any sauce

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci

Last Updated: December 18, 2023 References

Whether you forgot to pick up more cornstarch at the store, or it’s not your favorite thickening agent, there are many alternatives to thicken any sauce. In a matter of minutes, you can easily create your own thickening agent with only a few ingredients. You can get your sauce to that perfect consistency by using a roux blend, thickening with beurre manié, or exploring other alternatives.

Things You Should Know

Mix 2 tablespoons (16 g) of flour with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of cold water, then add to your sauce and stir over medium heat until it thickens.
Alternatively, create a sauce-thickening roux by whisking 1 tbsp (15 g) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 g) of salt together, then adding the mixture to your sauce.

Section 1 of 8:

Roux Blend

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1
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Begin by melting 1 tbsp (15 grams) of butter in a small saucepan. You will know the butter is heated when you can sprinkle a pinch of flour over it and the mixture slowly starts to bubble.
- You can substitute oil for the butter to make it a dairy-free option.
Keep the mixture over medium heat. Whisk it constantly while the flour begins to bubble. As the flour and butter cook, they will become smooth and start to thin.

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3
Stir the mixture while you cook it for 5 minutes. Roux does not take long to prepare. It is done when the flour loses its raw smell, and it becomes a thin, white paste.
- Use roux to thicken milk-based sauces, such as cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese.
- You can let the roux cook longer to get a blond, brown, or dark brown roux, but these are commonly used to thicken soups and chowders, not sauces.
4
Add room temperature roux to your hot liquid. Whisk the mixture vigorously. Cool your hot roux in the fridge or let it sit out on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
- Hot roux can be added to cold or warm sauces right away.
- Do not add hot roux to a hot liquid, as it will create lumps that can not be removed unless you use a strainer.
Turn the stove heat up to high and allow your sauce to come to a boil. The mixture will only take about 1 minute to begin thickening. Keep your sauce at a boil until it has reached your desired thickness.
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6
Pour any leftover roux onto a baking sheet or ice cube tray. Place your roux in the refrigerator to let it cool overnight or until it has hardened. ^{[1]
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- Keep any leftover roux in an airtight container and freeze it or refrigerate it for up to a month. ^{[2]
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- Roux made with oil can be stored at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.

Section 2 of 8:

Beurre Manié

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1
Mix equal parts of softened butter and flour in a small bowl. ^{[3]
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Expert Source

JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef

Expert Interview. 23 November 2021.} Start with 1 tbsp (15 grams) of butter and 1 tbsp (9 grams) of flour and add more as needed. Soften the butter by placing it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at a time. ^{[4]
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- Do not melt the butter completely.
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2
Knead the mixture and roll the paste into ½-teaspoon-sized amounts. ^{[5]
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Expert Source

JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef

Expert Interview. 23 November 2021.} You can mix the butter and flour with a fork until it’s smooth. Use your fingers to knead the mixture until it has formed a paste. ^{[6]
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Research source}
- You can make larger amounts of beurre manié in a food processor and store the balls in the freezer. Bring them to room temperature before use.
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3
Whisk in 1 ball at a time to your simmering sauce. ^{[7]
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Expert Source

JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef

Expert Interview. 23 November 2021.} Once you have thoroughly mixed in the beurre manié balls, return the sauce to a boil and cook it for at least 1 minute. ^{[8]
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Research source}
- Add in another beurre ball until you get your desired thickness.
- Beurre manié is great to use for a sauce that has already been prepared but needs some added thickness.
- This works really well in pan sauces for shrimp scampi, turkey, or soups.

Section 3 of 8:

Egg Yolks

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1
Whisk the egg yolks in a pan over low heat. Use 1 egg yolk for every 1 cup (240 mL) of liquid you need to thicken. Whisk the yolks until they are loosened.
- If you are using a whole egg, separate the whites from the yolk before whisking.
This will temper the eggs and increase their temperature. The hot water will heat the eggs without making them too hot and causing them to cook.
3
Whisk the eggs into your sauce and simmer over medium heat. Your sauce should be hot when you add in the eggs. Whisk the sauce continuously while it simmers.
- Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan as you stir. This will ensure that the sauce doesn’t stick to the pan or burn.
4
Allow the sauce to boil for 1 minute. Do not let the sauce boil for too long. Once it reaches its boiling point, 1 minute will be plenty of time for the sauce to thicken.
- Since you are using raw eggs, you much check the temperature of your sauce to eliminate the possibility of bacteria.
- The sauce must be at least 160 °F (71 °C) before it is safe to serve. ^{[9]
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Section 4 of 8:

Flour Slurry

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Make a flour slurry to thicken creamy sauces. Combine equal parts of flour and cold water in a cup. Mix it until it’s smooth and stir it into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- A general rule is use 2 tsp (3 grams) of flour to thicken 1 L (34 fl oz) of liquid.

Section 5 of 8:

Reduction Method

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Use the reduction method for tomato-based sauces. This method takes a little longer than the others, but it works well for thickening tomato-based sauces. Keep the sauce on medium heat, remove the lid from the pan to allow the liquid to evaporate until your sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- You can also use this method to thicken BBQ sauce.