How to Make a Roux (Easy Roux Recipe)

How to Make a Roux (Easy Roux Recipe)

One of the biggest questions I get on the blog here is how to make a roux. I use a roux in many different recipes, particularly Cajun and Creole gumbo, which is one of my favorite dishes in the world, but also for making gravies, soups, and rich sauces.

The key to a great gumbo, and many other dishes, starts with a good quality gumbo roux. This post will show you how to make roux the right way.

What is a Roux?

A roux (pronounced "roo") is an equal mixture of oil or other fat like butter and flour used for making sauces and gravies, and for thickening other liquids.

It is a cooking technique that originated with French cuisine for sauces and as a thickening agent, but adopted all around the world.

A roux is made by heating equal parts of oil, butter or other fat and flour in a pan to form a paste, then stirred continually as you cook it. It will thin and darken as you cook it.

The color of the roux depends on how long it is cooked for, and on its intended purpose.

Types of Roux

Rouxs are typically categorized by their color, which depends on the amount of cooking. It will darken as you cook, and each is used for slightly different purposes.

White Roux

A white roux retains the color of flour, and is slightly grainy in texture. It takes only 4-5 minutes to make, and has the most thickening power at this point.

White roux is a great gravy roux, but also used for making white sauces, such as béchamel sauce (roux + milk), cheese sauce or nacho cheese base, white gravy, and as a thickener for drippings.

It's great for making thick and cheesy macaroni and cheese!

Blonde Roux

A blonde roux is very light brown, and takes about 5-10 minutes to make, depending on heat. As you cook the roux in the hot pan, constantly stirring, it will turn from white to blonde in color.

The pan toasting not only changes the color, but also the flavor, giving it a slightly nutty quality. It is also slightly thinner in texture, but still great as a thickener.

Blonde roux is perfect for thickening stocks, pan drippings like velouté, making smooth gravies and sauces, and thick soups.

Brown Roux

A brown roux is cooked until it darkens to anywhere from a light brown the color of peanut butter or copper, to a darker brown similar to the color of chocolate.

It takes about 10-20 minutes to make depending on the heat, and up to 30 minutes.

Brown rouxs are not as thick as lighter rouxs, but offer a more developed flavor. They are nuttier and richer, though not as good for thickening.

It is ideal for slightly thickening soups and stews, and essential for making gumbo.

Dark Roux (the Best Gumbo Roux)

A dark roux is a thinner roux that takes on the color of rich, dark chocolate, or a cup of black coffee.

A dark roux can take 20-45 minutes to make, depending on the heat, and is a favorite for making rich, flavorful pots of gumbo. This is my personal favorite gumbo roux.

Let's talk about how to make a roux, shall we?

Roux Ingredients

• Oil or Other Fat. I usually use a neutral oil, like peanut oil or vegetable oil. You can use other fats, like butter, lard or bacon fat
• Flour. Use all-purpose white flour.

How to Make a Roux - the Recipe Method

Heat the oil in a large pot or pan to medium heat, then stir in the raw flour. 

Stir constantly. The oil and flour will combine to form a liquid slurry. If you don’t keep stirring, the roux will start to burn and you’ll have to start over, so do not stop stirring.

Stirring is a must, which also helps prevent lumps.

You can smell when the roux burns. It’s acrid, unpleasant, a bit like burnt popcorn. If this happens, toss it and start over. It will ruin the flavor of whatever you are making.

So be careful, and don’t bring up the heat too high to hurry your roux along.

What you’re looking for is the color of the roux. It starts out the color of flour, very light, batter-like, but as it heats, it will begin to thin and brown, going from a white roux to light brown to the color of peanut butter or copper, and eventually to a rich chocolate brown, and even darker if you continue cooking it.

Cooking time can vary based on the amount of heat and other factors.

How Long Does it Take to Make a Roux?

A roux can take anywhere from 5-45 minutes, depending on the amount you are making, your desired color and amount of heat. When following a recipe, it is best to go by the color of the roux, not the time stated in the recipe, which is typically an estimate. Times can vary from cook to cook based on heat, the pan, the flour, etc.

Personally, I take 10-15 minutes for my typical roux of 1/2 cup each oil and flour, which gives me a roux a copper or peanut butter color. The roux is great then, coaxed of outstanding flavor.

It can take around 20-30 minutes or longer to achieve a very dark gumbo roux.

When I make a smaller batch roux, such as 2-3 tablespoons each of oil and flour, it takes much less time.

If you continue to cook and stir longer, you'll achieve a darker chocolate color that is even richer in flavor the longer you cook, but a darker roux usually results in thinner sauces, gumbos and soups for most home cooks.

It doesn't thicken as much as a lighter gumbo, though it does have a more nutty flavor.

Feel free to experiment to discover which shade of roux produces the best flavors for your taste buds.

How to Make a Roux in the Oven

You can also make a roux in the oven. Some chefs in New Orleans prefer this method, as they can make larger batches with much less effort. Even though it takes longer than traditional roux, it is much more hands off.

Some may feel making an oven roux is cheating, but who cares if it saves you time?

To make an oven roux, whisk together flour and oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven, then bake it at 350 degrees F for about 2-1/2 hours. Give it a good stir every 20 minutes.

Once your roux has reached your preferred color, remove it and use it as you would in any gumbo or similar recipe, such as a fricassee or etoufée.

If you make a larger batch, freeze your roux in containers and use later.

Boom! Done! You now have a roux! Now you can use it in any recipe you'd like. Making roux is easy, isn't it?

No problem at all.

How to Store a Roux / Make Roux Ahead of Time

You can easily make your roux ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Simply make your roux as directed to the color you prefer, cool slightly, then transfer to a container and seal.

Homemade roux will last for months in the refrigerator. It will last for 1 year in the freezer.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my easy roux recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

What to Make with Roux?

A good roux is often the first step for many recipes, including making gumbo, soups, stews, to thicken sauces, soups, mac and cheese, making gravy and so much more.

The heated mixture allows you to make silky smooth sauces, thicken pan drippings into gravies, and for adding flavor to many different types of soup and stew dishes.

Gumbo Recipes to Make with a Roux

• Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Seafood Gumbo
• Creole Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Gumbo Z’Herbes – “Green Gumbo”
• Okra Gumbo
• Shrimp Gumbo
• How to Make Gumbo
• Creole Tomato And Shrimp Stew
• Tomato Gravy

Soups and Other Recipes to Make with a Roux

• Etouffee. My Crawfish Etouffee recipe and my Shrimp Etouffee recipe are rich from the thickening roux and huge on flavor.
• You'll love my Chicken Fricassee recipe, which is very similar to an etouffee.
• My Shrimp Creole Recipe is a spicy seafood delight with a rich tomato sauce.
• Shrimp and Grits is a Southern classic best made with a roux.
• King Ranch Casserole uses a roux for a thickening gravy rather than canned products.
• This Creamy Carrot Soup achieves its creaminess not from the addition of heavy cream, but from a roux.

Sauces to Make with a Roux

• Easy Creole Sauce
• How to Make Beer Cheese