How to Thicken Gravy Without Using Cornstarch or Flour

Thicken your gravy using arrowroot rather than flour or cornstarch.

When you need to thicken a gravy, but do not want to use traditional ingredients like flour or cornstarch, consider using arrowroot instead. This powdery substance does not have flavor, so it does not have to be cooked out, like flour or cornstarch. That means that you can serve the gravy as soon as it thickens, rather than stirring for awhile until you can no longer taste the flour or cornstarch. Arrowroot also thickens gravies quickly and gives them a silky texture.

Things You'll Need

• Gravy
• Arrowroot powder
• Measuring tools
• Whisk

Instructions

1. Determine how much arrowroot you need to use for your gravy recipe.

2. Replace 2 tsp. of cornstarch with 1 tbsp. of arrowroot powder. Use this formula to determine how much arrowroot you need.

3. Use half as much arrowroot as flour, if your recipe calls for flour.

4. Dissolve 1 1/2 tsp. of arrowroot powder in 1 tbsp. of cold liquid. Use this formula to determine how much cold liquid you need for the amount of arrowroot you will be using.

5. Whisk the dissolved arrowroot powder into the hot liquid at the end of cooking time. Serve as soon as the gravy thickens. Continuing to stir can cause the gravy to become thin again.

References

• Asian Online Recipes: Arrowroot as a Thickener
• The Kitchn: What's the Difference?: Flour, Cornstarch, Potato Starch, Arrowroot