How to Make a Gluten-Free Roux

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Roux (pronounced “roo”) is a primary cooking method for thickening various gravies, soups, and sauces. An alternative to using cornstarch, it’s made by combining equal parts (by weight) of fat and flour, then adding the mixture to milk or stock. It’s also an easy culinary skill to master at home!

Please read the Recipe Notes footnote below before making a roux. [1]

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Prep Time 0

Cook Time 0

Prep time: 1 to 20+ minutes 0

Total Time 20

Servings: 1 recipe

Course: Accompaniment, Ingredient, Sauce

Cuisine: American, Cajun, Creole, French, Southern

Calories: 507

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Light Sauce

1 ½ ounces butter or - may substitute, Neutral Oil, Lard, or Fat drippings
1 ½ ounces gluten-free All-Purpose Flour

Medium Sauce

2 ounces butter or - may substitute, Neutral Oil, Lard, or Fat drippings
2 ounces gluten-free All-Purpose Flour

Heavy Sauce

3 ounces butter or - may substitute, Neutral Oil, Lard, or Fat drippings
3 ounces gluten-free All-Purpose Flour

Equipment

Saucepan or Skillet
Utensils (Whisk, Measuring Cups & Spoons, Rubber Spatula or Large Spoon)

Nutrition

Calories: 507kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1418IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Method

The Stages of Cooking a Butter or Neutral Oil Roux

White Roux - Cook for 1 to 2 minutes: When done, a white roux mixture will be very light in color and look slightly puffy. Used white roux for making white sauces like sausage gravy or bechamel sauce, and it’s the perfect thickener for mac and cheese.
Blond Roux – Cook for about 3 minutes: As the butter and flour fully incorporate, a blond roux mixture will smell almost nutty, and the appearance will also look puffy. This roux is an excellent base for lighter sauces like velouté, the sauce for Étouffée, or light gravies.
Light Brown Roux – Cook for 5 to 8 minutes: At this stage, the roux becomes darker with a color close to the color of peanut butter after toasting and cooking. It is perfect for making savory sauces and thicker gravies.
Dark Brown Roux – Cook for up to 20+ minutes of gentle cooking: The darkest roux. This deep dark brown thickener is excellent for making Cajun and Creole gumbos and stews. Because of its long cook time, you’ll want to use clarified butter, ghee, lard, or a high smoke point oil instead of fresh butter pats, so the oil is less likely to become bitter or burn.

How to Make the Roux

Melt butter (Neutral Oil, Lard, or Fat drippings) in a medium-sized saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat.
Whisk the flour into the butter or oil, allowing it to simmer to cook the flour.

To make Gravy or Sauce

Incorporate the cooked roux by whisking it into 4 cups (liquid measurement), such as hot milk or stock, to make gravy or sauce or stir it into soups or stews to thicken them. Once thickened, the last step is to season it according to your recipe or taste.

Kitchen Notes

Footnote(s)

[1] The most important thing to be aware of in making roux is the measurements because they are by weight. It’s best to weigh the fat and the flour to get the proper ratio. If you measure out equal parts of fat (i.e., ½ cup of butter and ½ cup of flour), the balance of fat to flour will be thrown off, and you will end up with a roux that won’t correctly thicken whatever you’re making.

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