Beef stews are supposed to turn out thicker than soups. If your beef stews are ending up being too runny or soupy then you need a little help with thickening them up.
Cooking a perfect gravy-based dish such as beef stew or chicken casserole can be quite challenging when you don’t have an understanding of exactly how much cornstarch or other thickeners should be added.
In this post, we will walk you through how much cornstarch you need to thicken your beef stews to perfect finger-licking semi-thick gravy.
We’ll also tell you what else you can use to thicken your stew if you don’t want to use cornstarch or have run out. Read on for a shortcut to deliciousness!
How Much Cornstarch Do You Need To Thicken Beef Stew?
Cornstarch is an ideal thickener because it doesn’t change the flavor or color of gravies and sauces. Especially when it comes to mildly thick and less viscous gravy-based dishes like beef stew, you need cornstarch to do the magic.
However, if you don’t use the right quantity, your beef stew might turn out too watery or soupy, or too thick and lumpy.
Cornstarch thickens your beef stew’s gravy but it must be used carefully. It’s important to add the perfect amount of cornstarch and it must be mixed with cold water to form a slurry before adding it to the hot stew. Let’s discuss it in detail.
Beef stew is comfort food, especially in winter. It’s so easy to cook up a big batch to feed your family for several days. While it simmers away gently on the stove, you can get on with other things.
However, even though it’s such a staple food, many people struggle to get their beef stew to be the right consistency.
Estimate The Quantity
You first need to determine how much gravy is in your stewpot. If it looks like there is a lot of gravy compared to solid meat and vegetables, reduce the amount by boiling the stew with the lid off.
The gravy should be enough to just cover the meat and vegetables. If you are worried about overcooking your meat and veg, strain the gravy off and boil it separately until some of the water has evaporated.
Once you think you have the right amount of gravy, measure it or estimate the volume. For every 1 ½ to 2 cupfuls, you will need a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it.
Measure the cornstarch into a jug then add a small amount of water. Mix it to a smooth slurry. There should be no lumps left or your gravy will also be lumpy.
Add this white mixture to the simmering stew and gravy, stirring constantly. It should thicken almost immediately. Allow it to simmer for another minute or two to cook the cornstarch.
Test the seasoning and add more if needed. Your stew is now ready to serve.
Watchpoints
- If you need to reduce the amount of gravy, do it before adding the cornstarch. If you try to do it afterward, the bottom of the stew may scorch.
- The slurry must be lump-free before adding it to the stew.
- The stew must be completely cooked and the meat soft before thickening the gravy.
- If you add the cornstarch and the gravy is still not thick enough, mix up another batch of slurry and add it. Never add cornstarch powder without first mixing it with cold water. It will just form a big lump when it hits the hot stew.
- Never make a slurry with hot water. It must be cold or the cornstarch will thicken in the jug.
Cornstarch Substitutes
What should you do if you don’t have any cornstarch? Here are a few pantry items that will do the same job:
- All-purpose flour. Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with a little cold water to make a slurry. This is enough to thicken about 1 ½ cups of beef stew gravy. Cornstarch has about twice the thickening power of flour which is why you need to use more flour.
- Powdered instant soup. Most packet soup powders have a cornstarch base. Choose a flavor that is compatible with your stew such as beef noodle, tomato, or mushroom. Mix it to a slurry as normal. Use a tablespoon or two per cupful of beef stew gravy.
- Powdered gravy mix. Use this as cornstarch. Some brands are quite salty so check the seasoning.
- Mashed potato powder. There is no need to mix this into a slurry. Simply sprinkle a spoon or two on top of the hot stew and mix it in. Be careful though – if you add too much your stew will become a meat-flavored potful of mashed potato.
- Pasta. You can add a handful of uncooked small pasta shapes and let the stew simmer for another fifteen minutes or so. Stir it now and then to prevent sticking.
- Rice. As with pasta, you can add a handful of uncooked, preferably white rice. (Brown rice takes too long to soften.)
We hope this has given you some ideas on how to thicken up that soupy beef stew. If all else fails, serve it in soup bowls with some crusty bread for dipping into the gravy!