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How to fix a sauce that's too thick

Whisk in a splash of warm liquid, such as stock, milk or water, a little at a time until it reaches the right consistency, then check the seasoning.

How you can tell

  • The sauce is stiff or gloopy and doesn't flow
  • It sits on top of food in a heavy layer
  • It has set or formed a skin as it cooled

Why it happens

A sauce becomes too thick when it has too much thickener, such as flour or cornflour, for the amount of liquid, or when it has reduced for too long and lost too much water. Starch-thickened sauces also carry on thickening as they cool, so a sauce that looked right on the hob can turn stiff while it waits. Cheese and cream sauces firm up as they cool too.

How to fix it

The fixThin it with liquid

  1. Warm the sauce gently
  2. Whisk in a splash of whatever liquid the sauce is based on, such as stock, milk or water
  3. Keep adding a little at a time until it flows the way you want
  4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as extra liquid can dilute the flavour

Next time

  • Add thickeners a little at a time and give them time to work before adding more
  • Take the sauce off the heat slightly thinner than you want it
  • Cover the surface of a waiting sauce to stop a skin forming

Terms on this page

General kitchen guidance, not food-safety advice. If food may be unsafe, for example undercooked meat or anything left out too long, follow the Food Standards Agency and throw it away if in doubt.