How to Thicken White Wine Sauce

A thick white wine cream sauce can elevate any dish from good to great.

Whether you’re serving it over pasta, chicken, or fish, a thick creamy sauce is the perfect finishing touch for weeknight dinners.

But what do you do if your sauce is too thin? Never fear; there are plenty of ways to thicken it up. Read on for some tips.

How Do You Make Your White Wine Sauce Thicker?

There are several ways to thicken your white wine sauce recipe, and all of them are easy.

See the different ways to thicken yogurt sauce.

All Purpose Flour

One of the easiest ways to thicken dairy-based sauces is using flour as a heavy cream alternative.

Simply whisk in a tablespoon of flour until it’s well combined with the sauce.

Then, let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency. Keep in mind that this method will also add a bit of body and flavor to the sauce.

If you do not want to use flour, see how to thicken sauce without flour.

Cornstarch

Another option is to use cornstarch. Cornstarch is a fine, powdery starch that’s derived from corn kernels.

It’s a popular choice for thickening sauces because it doesn’t alter the flavor of the sauce, and it doesn’t require cooking time to work. Some people even eat raw cornstarch.

Simply whisk in a few teaspoons of cornstarch until it’s fully incorporated into the sauce. Then, let the sauce simmer for a minute or two until it thickens.

Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot powder is a great choice if you’re looking for a gluten-free option. Arrowroot powder is made from dehydrated and ground arrowroot plant tubers. It works similarly to cornstarch—just whisk in a few teaspoons until fully blended into the sauce before letting it simmer until thickened.

Reduce the Liquid

If you don’t want to add any starches to your sauce, another option is to reduce the liquid. This means cooking off some of the water content in the sauce so that the remaining liquid is more concentrated and thicker. To do this, simply simmer the sauce over low heat until it reduces by about half. This method will also intensify the flavors of your sauce, so keep that in mind when seasoning it.

Egg Yolk

If you want your sauce to be extra creamy and rich, whisk in an egg yolk before cooking it. The egg yolk will cook along with the sauce and thicken as it does so. If you’re worried about raw eggs, you can temper them first by whisking them together with a bit of hot liquid from the pot before adding them back in. Just be sure not to let the mixture come to a boil, or else you’ll end up with scrambled eggs!

Vegetable Puree

Another way to thicken your white wine sauce is by pureeing vegetables into it. This works especially well if you’ve already added those vegetables into the dish as part of the recipe (for example, sauteed mushrooms or onions).

Simply transfer those cooked veggies into a blender or Food Processor and pulse until they’re broken down but still slightly chunky.

Then stir them back into your sauce and let them cook for a few more minutes until heated. The veggies will release their natural starches as they cook and help thicken your dish.

Butter

Finally, this is the method for you if you desire a delicious sauce with extra thickness but not an overwhelming amount. (Similar method to thickening gravy for a big group)

Be sure to swirl the unsalted butter, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice (optional) into your sauce near the end of cooking over medium heat.

If exposed to high heat, the butter will break down and won’t thicken your sauce as intended.

Conclusion

There are plenty of ways to thicken a runny white wine pasta sauce—depending on what ingredients you have on hand and what kind of texture and flavor you’re going for. So next time you have a light sauce, don’t despair—just grab one of these simple ingredients and cook like in a fancy restaurant!