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How to Make Roux

Creamy mac and cheeses, gorgeous gravies, and chowders that stick to the spoon: They all start with a roux made with fat and flour. Grab your whisk and brush up on this classic culinary technique. 

Prep Time
1 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
6 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 154 kcal
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces butter (about 1/2 stick, see note 1)
  • 2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup, see note 2)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour and cook until desired color is reached, about 1 to 5 minutes or more.
  2. Whisk in cold liquid to make sauce and simmer until thickened.

Notes

  • Fat: Butter, clarified butter, oil, or pan drippings; some kind of fat to mix with the flour.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour is most commonly used, but you can also use any flour.
  • White Roux:  Commonly used for white sauces, béchamel sauce, chowders, cheese sauces, or scalloped potatoes. Just cook until the flour loses its raw grain smell (about 1 minute).
  • Blond Roux: Can be used for ivory-colored sauces or for a richer flavor; a good choice for gravies, stews, or broth-based sauces. Cook until the roux has a golden-brown color ( about 3 to 5 minutes).
  • Brown Roux: Also known as dark roux, is a staple in Cajun and Creole recipes. Dark roux gives a deep, nutty flavor to whatever it touches. Keep cooking and whisking until the roux has a deep brown color (about 5 to 10 minutes or longer).
  • Thickening power: As a roux browns, it loses its ability to thicken. Over time, the starch molecules break down.  Therefore white roux has much more thickening power than a dark roux.
  • Stay away from aluminum cookware: When you use a whisk, make sure the pot isn’t bare aluminum. The metal-on-metal will turn your sauce gray. Switch to a good wooden spoon instead.
  • Use a heavy pot: The sturdier, the better. This will keep the flour and butter from burning.
  • Stir constantly: Stirring or whisking is the key to preventing your roux from scorching. Stand by the stove the whole time, watching the pan for any hot spots that could ruin your roux.
  • A little goes a long way: You certainly don’t need a lot of flour to thicken a standard recipe; usually a couple tablespoons is enough. Also, the roux doesn’t begin to show signs of thickening until the sauce just hits the boiling stage, so be patient.
  • Yield: Use 3 ounces roux per 4 cups liquid for a light sauce, 4 ounces for a medium-thick sauce, and 6 ounces for a thick sauce.
  • Reheating: Most traditional roux can be gently reheated when you need it.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1ounce Calories 154kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 134mg (6%) Potassium 15mg (0%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 507IU (10%) Calcium 4mg (0%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 154

% Daily Value*

Serving 1ounce
Calories 154kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 134mg 6%
Potassium 15mg 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 507IU 10%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.