How to thicken up any stew (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken up any stew? ›

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

equal parts water to cornstarch and arrowroot. mix that up and then you add it to simmering sauce or whatever. you're trying to thicken, it's called a slurry. and you just whisk it in while simmering .

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

A slurry is a mixture of flour and water, whisked together until smooth and added towards the end of cooking; it's a super-simple way to thicken any soup. For slow cooker soups, add your slurry with at least 30 minutes of cook time left so that the raw flour can cook and thicken the soup. Need a gluten-free option?

But the liquid itself should not be thick in the same way that gravy is thick. So skip the roux, and don't bother dusting the meat with flour or cornstarch before browning, either, as some recipes will suggest. That will just interfere with getting a good sear on the meat, and gum up the stew with unneeded starch.

So if you added too much cornstarch, you can always dilute it. with a little bit more chicken stock or water. If you're thinking it too much, it looks like pudding.

How do you thicken beef stew? This recipe uses a cornstarch slurry–a mixture of cornstarch and water. The stew will continue to thicken as it cools. It's important to use cold or room-temp water to make the slurry, since cornstarch will clump up in hot water instead of dissolving.

Can I use instant mashed potatoes to thicken my stew? ›

You can use a cornstarch slurry or instant mashed potatoes to thicken your stew. I prefer the potatoes for the added flavor, but the cornstarch will give it a smoother texture.

Something to remember when you're using cornstarch: If your sauce is quite acidic (like maybe it's tomato-based), the acid will cause cornstarch to lose some of its effectiveness as a thickener. In that case, you can substitute arrowroot or tapioca starch.

This usually happens when you've added too much liquid to your mix, essentially turning your stew into a soup. Luckily, it's easy to use flour, starch, vegetables and grains to thicken beef stews.

One simple way to thicken soup is to add potatoes or beans. These ingredients will absorb the broth and thicken it up. Rice, beans, and lentils also release starch which thickens soup. You can either mash these ingredients before adding it to the soup or blend it in for a smoother texture.

Corn Starch

This completely versatile starch is used in savory and sweet dishes alike: gelatinizing fruit pie fillings or thickening your hefty, stick-to-your-bones soups.

Roux (pronounced roo) is a mixture of equal weights (parts) of flour and fat (usually clarified butter; chicken fat, bacon fat, and margarine are also used) cooked over medium heat and stirred constantly. Roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups.

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

After the fact, the only thing you can do is make a slurry with the broth and some flour and simmer it. With something like beef stew it will thicken on its own when it cools off. But if you want to thicken it while it's still hot use cornstarch. Mix a small amount in a bowl with cold water.

This usually happens when you've added too much liquid to your mix, essentially turning your stew into a soup. Luckily, it's easy to use flour, starch, vegetables and grains to thicken beef stews.