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.

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Whisk in the flour until smooth.

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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
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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 kind of roux that cooked just enough to cook the raw taste of flour? ›

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 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 rule of roux? ›

Roux is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat together until the raw flavor of the flour cooks out and the roux has achieved the desired color. Butter is the most commonly used fat, but you can also make roux with oil, bacon grease, or other rendered fats.

What are the 3 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.

What are the different kinds of roux and how are they cooked? ›

Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness. A roux can be white, blond (darker) or brown. Butter, bacon drippings or lard are commonly used fats.

What fat makes the best roux? ›

You can make a roux with any type of fat. Butter is a popular choice because it has good flavor but vegetable oil will work as well. Lard, bacon grease, schmalz, pretty much any fat, animal or vegetable, will work.

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

Yes! Working with olive oil in a roux is the same process as making the roux with any other oil or fat. I put together a quick video to accompany the recipe.

What pan is best for making roux? ›

Tips for Making a Roux

Don't use a thin pan and/or too high heat: We advise using a heavy-bottomed pan (Dutch oven, cast-iron skillet, heavy sauté pan) and cooking over medium-low heat. If you crank the heat up or use a thin pan, you risk burning the roux.

Should you use butter or oil for gumbo roux? ›

You can use just about any oil , butter ,lard or bacon grease. You need to oil your flour before you add any milk, water, broth or whatever flavor you want. Don't add any more flour after you add your liquid unless you want lumpy gravy.

What are the disadvantages of roux? ›

You may be forced to serve as an enlisted soldier on active duty or required to pay back any scholarship money you received. If you think you are at risk of changing your mind, ROTC is not for you.

How much roux does 1 cup of flour make? ›

Other amounts to keep in mind are: 3 cups oil plus 3 cups flour equals 3 2/3 cups roux. 1 cup oil plus 1 cup flour equals 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons roux. To thicken 6 to 8 cups of liquid for a gumbo, soup, or another dish, use 1 cup prepared roux or start with 1 cup flour and 1 cup fat.

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.

Is roux supposed to taste like flour? ›

You have to make sure you cook the flour with the fat long enough for it to become golden brown otherwise you're dealing with raw flour that is the reason it tastes like flour!

Why does my roux still taste like flour? ›

You'll want to cook it for a few minutes because raw flour has a doughy taste you won't want in your sauce. Cooking the roux for a few minutes helps get rid of that raw flour flavor. Beyond that, how long you cook the roux depends on what you're using it for.

What is an uncooked roux called? ›

It's called “Beurre Manie”. It's an uncooked roux.

What is a raw roux? ›

A roux is a combination of flour and fat which is commonly used as a thickening agent in cooking of stews and sauces. A roux can also be used as a base for various Classical French sauces, such as Bechamel or Velouté. To make a roux the fat is melted and an equal part flour is stirred into the fat until incorporated.

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