How to Make a Roux: Step-by-Step Guide

Roux is a combination of flour and fat that is cooked and used as a base to thicken and flavor sauces. The method for making roux uses 1 part oil or fat to 1 part flour, whisked constantly over heat until it reaches an optimal shade of color—ranging from white to dark brown. The finished base can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soup.

The different types of roux are a result of how long the roux is cooked; lighter roux is cooked for a short time, while dark brown roux is cooked the longest.

1. 1. White Roux: Has a neutral flavor and is primarily used to thicken sauces, soups, and chowders.
2. 2. Blond Roux: Has a nuttier flavor than white roux and can be used for sauces and soups.
3. 3. Brown Roux: Has a nutty flavor, with less thickening power than lighter rouxs. Traditionally used for brown sauces such as the mother sauce Espagnole.
4. 4. Dark Brown Roux: The most flavorful roux, but least useful as a thickening agent. Dark brown roux is used in many Creole and Cajun dishes like gumbo and jambalaya.

Follow our simple step-by-step guide to making a roux that will add depth, color, and flavor to your favorite sauces, soups, and stews. Whether you are making just enough for a single dish, or a larger quantity, the proportions of ingredients are in equal amounts: 1 part oil or fat (butter) and 1 part all-purpose flour, by weight.

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

2. Add flour.

3. Whisk the flour and butter together constantly.

4. In 2 to 3 minutes, you’ll have a white roux that can be used in sauces like béchamel for making mac and cheese sauce.

1. 1. For a blond roux with a nuttier flavor, continue whisking, cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. 2. For a brown roux, perfect for gravy, continue cooking for a total of 6 to 7 minutes. It should have a nutty aroma and pale brown in color.
3. 3. For a rich, dark roux, continue to cook for a total cooking time of 10 to 20 minutes. This roux is ideally used in Cajun and Creole cuisine.

Roux can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to several weeks.

Roux is used in three of the five mother sauces of classical French cooking: sauce espagnole, béchamel sauce, and veloute sauce.

When cooking roux, it is important to note that the longer it cooks, the darker the roux becomes. For a white sauce like béchamel, you’ll only cook your roux a few minutes—just enough to remove the flour taste. Ideally, your roux should be a light, almost white color. When making a dark brown roux for espagnole sauce, cook the roux for 10–15 minutes in total. For a darker roux used in Cajun or Creole cooking, cook the roux for 20 minutes or more.

Yes! The following serve as adequate substitutes for a roux:

• Cornstarch: Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold liquid in a small bowl. Stir until smooth paste or slurry forms. Whisk the slurry into the hot liquid that you want to thicken.
• Arrowroot Powder: Use 2 1/2 teaspoons of arrowroot per 1 cup of cold liquid for a medium-thick sauce. Arrowroot is a flavorless starch does not require cooking. High heat and vigorous stirring can keep the liquid from thickening.
• Cowboy Roux: Substitute roux by making “cowboy roux”, a mixture of flour and water. It can be used as a thickener, but the taste of raw flour will remain.

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