Recipe Highlights
I take advantage of a cornstarch slurry virtually each time I make a Chinese language-style stir-fry, soup, or ankake sauce—it helps retain warmth and lock in flavors. That signature clean, velvety sauce you see in dishes like Mapo Tofu? That’s the slurry at work.
On this information for Easy methods to Thicken Sauce and Soup, I’ll stroll you thru how straightforward it’s to make this thickener utilizing my ideas and strategies.
Right here’s why I maintain coming again to this recipe:
- Prepared in 3 minutes with pantry staples
- Works for sauces, soups, and stir-fries
- Contains tricks to keep away from lumps and modify when the sauce is just too thick or too skinny
If you happen to love Chinese language-style Japanese dishes, strive my Sara Udon (Crispy Noodles with Seafood), Simple Japanese Egg Drop Soup, and Japanese Tofu Steak with Mushroom Ankake Sauce subsequent!
What’s Cornstarch Slurry?
Cornstarch slurry is a staple thickening agent in Chinese language delicacies and broadly utilized in Japanese cooking in dishes known as chūka ryōri (中華料理)—the Chinese language-influenced meals which have grow to be a beloved a part of Japanese residence cooking.
In Japan, the standard thickener is katakuriko (片栗粉), or potato starch. It produces a thick, clear, shiny end that’s prized in Japanese delicacies for its elegant look.
At Simply One Cookbook, we comply with the Japanese family custom of utilizing potato starch as the first thickening agent—which is why you’ll see “potato starch or cornstarch” in our recipes.
That stated, cornstarch is a good substitute and far simpler to seek out within the US. It provides a barely matte, cloudy end, however works superbly in most recipes.
Potato Starch vs. Cornstarch: Key Variations
Whereas each work as thickeners, there are just a few necessary variations to bear in mind:
| Potato Starch | Cornstarch | |
|---|---|---|
| End | Shiny | Barely matte |
| Transparency | Excessive (very clear) | Barely cloudy |
| Thickening energy | Sturdy | About half as sturdy |
Warmth and Cooling
- Potato starch: Can weep and lose its texture as soon as cooled
- Cornstarch: Holds its consistency higher after cooling, however can skinny out if overcooked. Cease cooking inside 5 minutes of including the slurry.
Finest Makes use of
- Potato starch: Japanese and Chinese language-style stir-fries, ankake sauces, karaage coating
- Cornstarch: Cream sauces, gravies, custard lotions, and pie and cake fillings
Elements for Cornstarch Slurry
- potato starch or cornstarch (JOC recipes use potato starch, until famous)
- water – room temperature or chilly (don’t use heat or sizzling water)
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Easy methods to Thicken Sauce and Soup
- Mix starch and water. Add potato starch or cornstarch to a small bowl, pour in chilly or room-temperature water, and whisk till fully clean with no lumps.
- Scale back warmth and add the slurry. Scale back the warmth to medium simply earlier than the sauce involves a simmer. Re-whisk the slurry and drizzle it slowly into the pot whereas whisking constantly. Add a bit of at a time and verify the consistency earlier than including extra.
- Stir till clean. Stir consistently with a spatula or ladle. As soon as the sauce or soup seems clean and almost reaches your required thickness, take away from the warmth. It should proceed to thicken with residual warmth.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
Preserve the following tips in thoughts for the very best outcomes.
- Use the fitting ratio – Rookies, begin with a 1-to-2 ratio of starch to water (1 half starch, 2 components water)—it takes longer to thicken however provides you extra management. Seasoned cooks can use a 1-to-1 ratio for quicker outcomes.
- Use chilly or room-temperature water – Sizzling water prompts the starch instantly and causes clumps. At all times begin chilly.
- Re-mix and add step by step – Starch settles, so re-whisk simply earlier than pouring. Drizzle slowly into the pot and verify the consistency earlier than including extra.
- Stir consistently – Use a spatula or ladle and stir the soup or sauce totally to include the slurry evenly.
- Watch the consistency – The soup or sauce retains thickening after you take away it from the warmth, so cease early. Too skinny: Make a contemporary slurry and add step by step. Too thick: Stir in water a bit of at a time.
Variations
A couple of straightforward swaps to fit your style or pantry.
- Dashi because the liquid. Swap water for dashi (Japanese inventory) so as to add extra taste depth to the sauce.
- Rooster inventory. A typical base for a lot of Chinese language-style dishes.
- Arrowroot. Use barely lower than a 1-to-1 ratio when substituting for potato starch or cornstarch. Produces a transparent, shiny end—just like potato starch. Keep away from utilizing with dairy-based sauces.
- Tapioca starch. Use a 2-to-1 ratio when substituting for cornstarch, or a 1-to-1 ratio for potato starch. Works effectively for soups and sauces, however keep away from extended cooking as it could actually flip gummy.
Recipes with Thickened Sauce and Soup
A starch slurry is the of entirety for a lot of Chinese language-style dishes. Listed here are just a few to strive:
- Mapo Eggplant – The seasoned sauce will get its velvety texture from the slurry. Add it on the very finish and serve instantly.
- Tofu Egg Drop Soup – A traditional use for a slurry that provides the broth that signature silky consistency.
- Tenshinhan – The shiny and flavorful sauce that coats the crab omelette over rice comes along with a slurry.
Storage Suggestions
To retailer: Preserve dry cornstarch or potato starch in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 2 years. Don’t put together the slurry upfront. Combine it contemporary every time.
To reheat: If a thickened sauce has been refrigerated, reheat it gently over medium-low warmth, stirring consistently. If it’s too thick, stir in water a bit of at a time.
FAQ
Is cornstarch the identical as corn flour?
No. Corn flour is comprised of finely floor dried corn and behaves like a daily flour. Cornstarch is comprised of the starchy a part of a corn kernel and is used particularly as a thickener. They don’t seem to be interchangeable.
Why not use flour as a substitute of cornstarch for slurry?
Flour clouds the sauce and takes for much longer to cook dinner as a result of you could take away the uncooked flour style. Cornstarch provides a clean, velvety consequence a lot quicker. For each tablespoon of cornstarch, you’d want about 3 tablespoons of flour to get the same impact—and it nonetheless gained’t be as clear or shiny.
My sauce seemed thick whereas cooking however acquired unfastened on the plate. What occurred?
Excessive-moisture components launch liquid as they sit, which dilutes the sauce after plating. Subsequent time, cook dinner these components longer earlier than including the slurry to drive off extra liquid first.
I’d love to listen to how yours turned out! 💛 Please depart a star score and remark under to share your expertise. Your suggestions not solely helps Simply One Cookbook but additionally helps different residence cooks uncover recipes
Easy methods to Thicken Sauce and Soup (Cornstarch Slurry Recipe)
To Combine the Slurry
-
Collect all of the components. Add 1 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch to a small bowl, pour in 2 Tbsp water, and whisk till fully clean with no lumps.Nami’s Tip: Do not use heat or sizzling water, as it would thicken the slurry immediately.
To Add the Slurry
-
Set the warmth to medium (medium-low for rookies) simply earlier than the sauce or soup finishes cooking. Re-whisk the slurry and drizzle it slowly into the pot whereas whisking constantly. Add step by step and verify the consistency earlier than including extra. As soon as it almost reaches your required thickness, take away from the warmth.Nami’s Tip: The soup or sauce will proceed to thicken off the warmth. Prepare dinner not more than 5 minutes after including the slurry.
Too skinny: In case your soup or sauce continues to be skinny after including the slurry, you can also make one other slurry to thicken it. By no means add the cornstarch or potato starch by itself to the soup or sauce.
Too thick: Stir in water, a bit of bit at a time. When sauce is just too thick, it’s tougher to skinny it out evenly, and components of the dish might find yourself lumpy.
Variations
- Dashi because the liquid. Swap water for dashi (Japanese inventory) so as to add extra taste depth to the sauce.
- Rooster inventory. A typical base for a lot of Chinese language-style dishes.
- Arrowroot. A 1-to-1 substitute for potato starch or cornstarch. Produces a transparent, shiny end—just like potato starch. Keep away from utilizing with dairy-based sauces.
- Tapioca starch. Use a 2-to-1 ratio when substituting for cornstarch, or a 1-to-1 ratio for potato starch. Works effectively for soups and sauces, however keep away from extended cooking as it could actually flip gummy.
Did you make this recipe?
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Editor’s Observe: This put up was initially revealed on December 9, 2019, and republished with extra useful info on Might 27, 2026.
