A roux is a cooked flour-and-fat base, not a finished sauce. Its color changes both flavor and thickening behavior. Begin with a pale roux for a white sauce or a lightly golden one for gravy.
Melt fat, stir in an equal weight of flour and cook while stirring until smooth and no longer raw-smelling. Add liquid gradually while whisking, then simmer to thicken.
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Follow the steps and check them off as you go →Before you begin
Hot roux can burn badly and stick to skin. Stir with a long-handled tool and add liquid carefully. This beginner method is for pale or blond roux, not a very dark high-heat gumbo roux.
What you’ll need
- Heavy saucepan
- Whisk or flat-edged spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Measuring jug
Measure before you start
Ingredients
Base batch: Base for roughly 2 cups of medium sauce
Ingredient amounts scale; oven temperatures and cooking times do not. Split a larger batch between pans when needed.
Use the base batch for your first attempt. Adjust seasoning to taste and check texture as you cook.
Let’s do this
Step by step
- 01
Measure by weight
Measure equal weights of butter and flour. Equal spoon volumes are only an approximation because ingredients have different densities.
- 02
Melt the fat
Melt butter over medium-low heat without browning it for a pale sauce. Add all the flour and stir until it is fully coated.
- 03
Cook the paste
Stir across the bottom and corners for a few minutes. Keep it pale for a white sauce or allow a light golden color for a blond base. Lower heat if specks darken quickly.
- 04
Add liquid in stages
For a sauce, whisk in a small amount of milk or stock first until smooth, then add more gradually. Scrape the corners where dry paste can hide. Continue whisking as the mixture loosens.
- 05
Simmer and assess
Bring the combined sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring until thickened and the flour is cooked. Thin with more liquid if needed and season at the end. The sauce thickens further as it cools.
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Color is a choice, not a required finish line
A pale roux suits a light sauce. A darker roux adds deeper flavor but thickens differently, so do not brown it indefinitely and expect the same result from the same liquid amount.
Serve now or store safely
Refrigerate perishable cooked food in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the room or outdoor temperature is above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Use most cooked leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F. Do not wait for a large pot to cool completely on the counter.
A quick final check
- Measure by weight
- Melt the fat
- Cook the paste
- Add liquid in stages
- Simmer and assess
Common questions & sticking points
Why are there lumps?
Liquid may have been added faster than the paste could disperse. Whisk small additions smooth before adding the rest.
Can I use oil?
A suitable cooking oil can replace butter by weight, though flavor changes. Keep the same controlled heat.
Sources & further reading Optional
References used to check this guide. Follow your product’s own safety instructions where its design differs.
Last source check: September 24, 2026
