Whether you’re making gravy for a holiday meal, a pan sauce to go with your chicken or steak, or a rich tomato sauce to accompany spaghetti and meatballs, there are many meals and occasions that call for a perfectly executed sauce. However, just as often, you may find yourself running into an age-old problem: a sauce that won’t thicken up enough. Fortunately, there are a few ways to thicken the sauce at home, starting with these 3 ideas.
Corn Starch
Cornstarch is a go-to when thickening sauce. It’s available at most stores, inexpensive, flavorless, and highly effective at thickening, even when used in small amounts. To thicken the sauce with cornstarch, use about 1 tablespoon per cup of sauce. Never add cornstarch directly to the sauce – you'll first need to mix the dry powder with an equal amount of cold water, then add the mixture to your food. Bring the sauce to a boil to ensure that the cornstarch has been adequately blended in.
Egg Yolk
Egg yolks might not be an obvious choice when it comes to thickening up sauces. But, due to their abundance of protein, yolks thicken sauces when heated. They also add the richness of flavor to pasta sauces, salad dressings, cream sauces, and custards. To use egg yolks in your sauce, start with one or two eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. To prevent the yolks from scrambling into the sauce, whisk a small amount of the hot sauce into the egg yolk, then add that mixture back in.
Butter
Ever find yourself cooking a pasta sauce that seems a little flat, flavor-wise? Pump up the flavor and add a little bit of thickness with butter. To be clear, butter won’t thicken up sauces quite like cornstarch or something similar would, but it’s great for adding extra richness and glossy texture to pasta and pan sauces. At the end of cooking, simply swirl a few tablespoons of cold butter into the sauce off the heat. (If it gets too hot, the sauce will break and end up greasy.)
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FAQs
Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products.
What is the most commonly used thickening agent? ›
Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products.
How to make sauce thicker 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.
Can I use baking soda to thicken sauce? ›
No. Baking soda is a leavening agent used to add lightness to baked goods. It also helps with browning, so it's sometimes used in dry rubs for things like chicken wings. But it won't thicken a sauce.
What is a natural food thickener? ›
One popular natural food thickener is agar agar, which is derived from seaweed and commonly used in vegan recipes. It can be used to create a firm gel-like texture and is often used in desserts such as jelly and custards. Another natural thickener is arrowroot, which is made from the root of the arrowroot plant.
What is the healthiest thickening agent? ›
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.
How do professional chefs thicken sauce? ›
Wheat flour is used extensively in professional kitchens as a thickening agent. Although it can be combined with water to create a whitewash, it is more commonly mixed with fat, which surrounds the starch granules and prevents clumping when added to hot liquids.
How do you make a homemade thickening agent? ›
Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
What ingredient is often used to thicken sauce? ›
Egg yolks, arrowroot, tomato paste or butter can thicken sauce in place of flour or cornstarch.
What are the three ingredients that can be used as a thickener? ›
The three main ingredients you can use to thicken a soup are flour, cornstarch, and xantham gum.
Egg yolks, arrowroot, tomato paste or butter can thicken sauce in place of flour or cornstarch.
What are 3 different thickeners for liquids sauces? ›
Cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot are common starches used in a slurry mixture. Flour is sometimes used in a slurry mixture, but the effect is not as palatable as a roux.
What is a common food ingredient often used to thicken sauces? ›
Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or soups, and to make corn syrup and other sugars. Corn starch is versatile, easily modified, and finds many uses in industry such as adhesives, in paper products, as an anti-sticking agent, and textile manufacturing.
