8 Best Ways To Thicken Sauce, Soups and Stews

The absolute easiest trick is to simply let it simmer down. No thickening agents or complicated techniques - just pure cooking magic!

This method works particularly well for tomato-based sauces. Added starches don’t always pair well with the acidity in tomatoes, making this approach ideal. It also works wonderfully for fruit sauces and braising liquids.

When you simmer a sauce, heat causes water molecules to transform into steam and escape, leaving behind more concentrated flavors and ingredients.

However, it may take time and there is a risk of burning if not monitored. Here's how to do this:

Instructions

1. Start by pouring your sauce ingredients into a wide, shallow pan. A wider surface area helps water evaporate more quickly. Use a heavy-bottomed pot to ensure even heat distribution and prevent scorching.
2. Turn the heat to medium-high initially. This gets the liquid moving and starts the evaporation process. Keep stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
3. As the sauce heats, you'll notice small bubbles forming, then gradually becoming larger. This is your reduction in action. Keep an eye on the pot – aim for a mild simmer, not a hard boil.
4. When bubbles look more aggressive, dial down the heat to a gentle simmer. This gentler temperature allows the sauce to continue cooking without risking burning.
5. Every so often, test the sauce’s thickness with the back of a spoon. It's perfect if the sauce creates a clear path that doesn't immediately refill.
6. Remove the sauce from heat when it's slightly thinner than your desired consistency. Sauces tend to keep thickening as they cool, especially those with sugar or gelatin.

Heavy cream is a kitchen favorite, turning ordinary sauces into rich, silky masterpieces. It is ideal for everything from gravies to different pasta sauce recipes.

Cream adds a rich, silky texture to sauces; it may not noticeably thicken, but it will help the sauce cling better to the surface of foods. Not every sauce, however, is meant to be a cream sauce, so make sure a creamy one fits into your meal plan.

When heated gently, the cream's fat content helps bind the ingredients together. The cream provides a subtle, elegant body to your sauce. It is forgiving for anyone just starting out in the kitchen. Don't stress about exact measurements - it's way more relaxed than other techniques. 

The trade-off is that creamy sauces can be pretty indulgent, so it’s best to save them for special meals.

Instructions

1. First, make sure your sauce is gently simmering – this is key. You want a soft, bubbling heat that's not too aggressive.
2. Now comes the fun part – drizzling. Take your cream and start with just a small amount. Slowly pour a thin stream of cream into the sauce while whisking continuously. Slowly, the cream will start to incorporate, creating a smoother texture.
3. Give the sauce a minute to simmer after each addition. This allows the cream to blend and slightly reduce, concentrating those amazing flavors. Watch how the sauce changes – it'll become glossier and more cohesive.
4. If you feel like it needs more body, add a bit more cream, but go slow.
5. Tasting is crucial. Cream has this awesome ability to soften strong flavors, so you might need to jazz up your seasonings. A little extra salt or some fresh herbs can totally revive the taste and make your sauce sing.

Note: Low and slow is the way to go when working with cream. Rush it, and you might end up with a separated, grainy mess. Take it slow, and you’ll achieve a sauce that’s perfectly smooth, deeply rich, and incredibly tasty.

Want a healthier twist? Try using vegetable puree. It's like a culinary hack for adding richness without relying on heavy creams or thickening agents.

This method introduces smooth, dense vegetable matter into your sauce, creating a natural thickening effect. It's particularly brilliant for soups, stews, and lighter sauces where you want to maintain a clean, fresh flavor profile.

The beauty of this technique lies in its simplicity and versatility - starchy vegetables like potatoes, squash, and celeriac are your go-to choice.

While it adds nutrition and depth, it does come with a slight trade-off: you'll slightly alter the original flavor and potentially change the sauce's color. But for most cooks, these are minor concerns compared to the rich texture you'll achieve.

Instructions

1. Select a starchy vegetable that complements your dish. Roasted butternut squash works beautifully in creamy soups, while white potatoes are neutral and versatile. Avoid vegetables with strong flavors unless that's your intention.
2. Cut your vegetables into evenly sized pieces after peeling them. This ensures even cooking. You can roast vegetables for deeper flavor or boil for a cleaner taste. Roasting adds a caramelized note that can enhance your sauce's complexity.
3. Boil or roast until the vegetable is completely tender. You want it soft enough to break down completely when blended.
4. Transfer cooked vegetables to a quality food processor (or blender). Blend until absolutely smooth - no chunks! Add a tiny bit of cooking liquid if needed to help it blend. The aim is to achieve a perfectly smooth puree.
5. Gradually mix the puree into your sauce, adding small amounts at a time to avoid clumping and adjust the thickness as needed. Stir continuously and let it simmer for a few minutes to integrate fully.
6. Taste your sauce after adding the puree. You might need to adjust the seasonings. Adding the puree may tone down the flavors, so feel free to enhance them with extra salt, herbs, or spices.

This magical white powder makes your sauces silky by creating a gel-like structure when heated with liquid. This instantly gives your sauce body and shine.

It's a culinary lifesaver for Asian-style stir-fry sauces, homemade gravies, fruit pies, and delicate cream-based sauces where you want crystal-clear transparency. The cornstarch molecules interact with liquid, swelling and creating a smooth, glossy texture.

While it's incredibly effective, it's not without quirks - it can turn slimy if overcooked and loses its thickening power if heated too long.

But for most people, the pros far outweigh the cons: it's gluten-free, flavor-neutral, and works faster than traditional flour-based thickeners. Plus, it gives sauces that restaurant-quality shine that makes every dish look professional.

Instructions

1. Start by determining how much sauce you're thickening. The golden rule is about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of liquid. But trust your instincts - some sauces need more, some less. If you're dealing with a delicate sauce, start conservative.
2. Put some cold water in a small bowl and mix with the starch. Use equal parts liquid and cornstarch. Whisk until it's completely smooth - no lumps allowed! Cold water is key. Hot water will make the cornstarch clump, ruining your sauce.
3. Have your sauce simmering gently. The heat helps activate the cornstarch's thickening power. If your sauce is too hot, you risk breaking down the starch molecules.
4. Slowly pour the cornstarch combination into your sauce in a thin stream, whisking without stopping. This helps distribute the starch calmly and stops clumping.
5. After adding the slurry, continue stirring for a few minutes. Watch the transformation happen right before your eyes - your sauce will get this gorgeous, glossy look. If not thick enough, just add a bit more of your cornstarch mix. But restraint is key.
6. Remove from heat as soon as you reach your desired thickness. Cornstarch continues to thicken as it cools, so stop a bit before your ideal consistency. Give it a final taste and adjust seasonings if required.

Flour has been the go-to thickener for home cooks forever. Here's the science made simple: when flour gets hot, its starch molecules expand and trap liquid, giving you that dreamy sauce consistency we all crave.

It's the secret behind those mouthwatering Sunday roast gravies and comfort food classics that make everyone at the table go "Wow!" While it is incredibly flexible, it's not without its challenges.

It can turn saucy dishes cloudy and needs careful handling to prevent lumps. Some may find it less precise than cornstarch, requiring more cooking time to remove that raw flour taste.

But for many, these are minor compromises for the rich, comforting texture that only flour can deliver. It's a technique that connects us to generations of home cooking, bringing that classic, homemade touch to every dish.

There are three ways to add flour to sauce:

Slurry Method

This is the simplest approach for flour-based thickening. Mix equal parts flour and cold water in a separate bowl until completely smooth - no lumps allowed! Think of it like making a thin paste.

Slowly pour this mixture into your simmering sauce, whisking constantly. The key is to add it gradually and keep stirring. As the sauce cooks, the flour molecules will expand, creating thickness.

This method works best for lighter sauces where you don't want added fat. It's perfect for clear gravies or light pan sauces where you want pure thickening without extra richness.

Roux Method

Start by melting butter in a pan until it's foaming. Then add an equal amount of flour, creating a paste. Cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. The longer you cook, the richer the nutty flavor becomes.

Blond roux is light and subtle, while brown roux has a deeper, almost toasted flavor. Gradually pour in the liquid while whisking to form a silky, smooth base without lumps.

This works wonderfully in cream sauces, mac and cheese, and classic French cuisine. The butter adds richness, making this method perfect for luxurious, indulgent sauces.

Beurre Manie Method

This is the lazy cook's dream thickening technique. Take room temperature butter and mash flour directly into it, creating a smooth paste. When your sauce is simmering, whisk in small pieces of this butter-flour mixture.

It melts instantly, releasing the flour to thicken your sauce. This method is brilliant for last-minute sauce rescue or when you want a quick, luxurious finish.

It adds both thickening power and a beautiful buttery richness. Perfect for whipping up the best steak sauces, creating quick pan sauces, or rescuing a sauce that's too thin.

In the kitchens of France and Italy, this technique has been carefully preserved and passed down through generations: sauce tempering using egg yolks. This method represents a delicate balance between culinary science and artistic skill.

Egg yolks are remarkable ingredients that transform sauces through protein interaction. When heated precisely, they create luxurious textures in delicate cream-based preparations like hollandaise, béarnaise, and custards.

The technique demands absolute precision - a culinary tightrope walk between achieving perfect thickness and avoiding scrambled eggs.

Successful tempering hinges on temperature control. Too much heat fractures the proteins, resulting in unappetizing scrambled eggs. Conversely, insufficient heat leaves the sauce disappointingly thin. 

Instructions

1. Carefully separate the egg yolk from the white. Use your hands or an egg separator if you're nervous. You want just the golden yolk - no white, no shell fragments. Room temperature yolks work best, so let them sit out for a few minutes before starting.
2. Get a clean, heat-resistant bowl. The key is to prevent the egg from scrambling by gradually raising its temperature. Whisk the yolk smooth - you want it light and slightly frothy.
3. Slowly pour a small amount of hot sauce into the egg yolk, whisking constantly. Go super slow - just a few drops at a time. This gradually warms the yolk without cooking it.
4. Once the yolk is warm, slowly pour it back into the main sauce pot. Keep whisking! Movement is key to preventing scrambling. Do this over low heat, continuing to stir. The sauce will begin thickening right away.
5. This is make-or-break time. Keep the heat low and continue stirring. You want it smooth and glossy - think silk, not gravel. If it starts looking grainy, you've gone too far. Remove from heat immediately if you see any signs of scrambling.
6. If it's too thin, just repeat the process. Splash in some liquid if too thick.

Pro tip: Always have a backup plan. If your sauce breaks, you can often save it by whisking in a little cold butter or cream.

Butter transcends its role as a mere flavor enhancer. In professional kitchens, it's a transformative ingredient with remarkable emulsifying capabilities, particularly celebrated in pan sauces and French culinary traditions.

When butter is introduced into a sauce it performs a sophisticated molecular dance. By dispersing fat molecules throughout the liquid, it creates a texture that is both visually stunning and incredibly tasty.

The outcome is a sauce that clings to the food, creating a smooth, decadent layer.

Butter's potential is significant, but it demands restraint - too much can make the sauce greasy, and it requires precise temperature control.

Instructions

1. Take cold butter straight from the refrigerator. Slice it into small, uniform pats - about 1 to 1½ teaspoons each. Place these on a cool plate and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them. Cold butter is crucial - it helps create that perfect emulsion.
2. Choose a wide pan that gives your sauce plenty of surface area. The key is low, gentle heat - you want just below a simmer. Too hot, and your sauce will break. Too cool, and the butter won't incorporate properly.
3. Start with one cold butter pat. Drop it into the sauce and whisk constantly. Watch it melt and blend into the liquid. This isn't a race - take your time. As one pat melts completely, add another. Keep whisking.
4. Pay attention to how the sauce looks and feels. It should start coating the back of a spoon more thickly. The butter creates a silky sheen that makes the sauce look professional. If it's not thick enough, continue adding one at a time.
5. Taste your sauce. The butter adds richness, so you might need to adjust the flavorings. Remove from heat immediately after reaching your desired consistency.

Pro tip: This method works best when you're serving immediately. Butter sauces can separate if left sitting or reheated, so time your cooking carefully.

Cheese isn't only a topping. Home chefs have long used it to add body and taste to their dishes. It melts into sauces, creating a rich, clingy texture that coats every bite.

Pasta sauces, cream-based dishes, and pan sauces are the perfect playgrounds for this technique. Think a classic mac and cheese or a velvety Alfredo - cheese does the heavy lifting of both flavoring and thickening.

While incredibly delicious, it has a few quirks. Some types of cheese can become grainy or separate if not handled carefully, and the salt content can quickly overpower a dish.

The exceptional flavor and texture far exceed any potential hurdles.

Instructions

1. Not all cheeses are created equal. Soft, creamy cheeses work best - think Parmesan, cream, goat cheese, or mascarpone. Avoid rubbery cheeses like mozzarella except if you want a super stretchy sauce.
2. Grate or crumble the cheese into small portions to help it melt easily. Then get your sauce hot but not boiling. A gentle simmer is perfect.
3. Start adding cheese a handful at a time. Stir constantly - this is crucial! You're creating an emulsion, blending the cheese into the sauce. Add slowly and keep stirring. The cheese will start to melt and create a thick texture.
4. Taste your final sauce. Cheese is salty, so you might not need extra salt. A crack of black pepper can add a nice depth. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a splash of cream or cooking liquid. Too thin? Add more cheese.
5. Remove from heat as soon as the cheese melts completely to prevent separation or graininess.