Easy Bechamel Sauce
This bechamel sauce is easy to make in less than 15 minutes using pantry-staple ingredients. This is a classic staple in French cuisine and is often used as a base for many other sauces.
It is also known as white sauce. It is smooth, luscious, creamy, and velvety, adding richness to any dish you add it to without making the dish heavy. Bechamel sauce can be easily made vegan or gluten-free. Let me show you how to make it.
Why you will love this easy bechamel sauce
It’s quick, easy, and tastes better than store-bought sauce. You will never look back once you learn how to make this sauce. It is super easy and yields a great result every time.
Make it your own: Bechamel sauce is a blank canvas and can be customized to your liking or adapted to the recipe you need it for. You can add different spices, herbs, or cheese to create a unique flavor profile that suits your taste buds.
Versatile: This sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used in various dishes such as lasagna, mac and cheese, pasta bake, and many more. The cooking technique can also be adapted to making soups.
Budget-friendly: Bechamel sauce requires only a few simple ingredients that are often already available in most kitchen pantries.
Related recipes: Air fryer cauliflower cheese and parsley sauce.
Bechamel sauce ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this creamy, tasty and comforting sauce. Full recipe in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour
Unsalted butter
Whole milk: substitute with semi-skimmed milk for a lighter version.
Salt and pepper to taste
it Optional but it does add a depth of flavor to the sauce
How to make bechamel sauce
Make a white roux: Add unsalted butter to a pan on medium heat until it melts Add flour and stir to combine until smooth. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. This process allows the flour taste to be cooked off.
Add milk: gradually pour in the milk while stirring to avoid lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Taste it to be sure that it no longer tastes floury, otherwise, continue to cook it for another 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor.
Season: add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. You can also add other herbs or spices at this point if desired.
Use it in your favorite dish: Pour over cooked pasta, use it as a base for creamy soups or casseroles, or mix it with cheese for a delicious mac and cheese sauce. The possibilities are endless!
Watch how to make it
Variations
Make Monray sauce: Infuse the milk with any aromatics of choice before adding it to the roux, then add a handful of grated gruyere and parmesan cheese to the basic bechamel sauce for a rich and decadent Mornay sauce.
Add spices and herbs: Customize your bechamel sauce by infusing it with different spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, or herbs like thyme, rosemary, dill, or basil to add an extra layer of flavor.
Make parsley sauce: Add finely chopped fresh parsley to the bechamel sauce for a delicious British classic sauce for your white fish dishes.
How to store
The best way to store bechamel sauce in the fridge is to cover it with clingfilm. You press the clingfilm into the sauce, which will prevent it from forming skin on the top. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. That said, I prefer that this sauce is used fresh when it is made as it has the tendency to go lumpy when you try to reheat.
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Easy Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 600 ml milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Make a white roux: Add unsalted butter to a pan on medium heat until it melts Add flour and stir to combine until smooth. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. This process allows the flour taste to be cooked off.
- Add milk: gradually pour in the milk while stirring to avoid lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.Taste it to be sure that it no longer tastes floury, otherwise, continue to cook it for another 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor.
- Season: Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. You can also add other herbs or spices at this point if desired. Take it off the heat.
- Use it in your desired recipes.
Notes
Variations
Make Monray sauce: Infuse the milk with any aromatics of choice before adding it to the roux, then add a handful of grated gruyere and parmesan cheese to the basic bechamel sauce for a rich and decadent Mornay sauce. Add spices and herbs: Customize your bechamel sauce by infusing it with different spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, or herbs like thyme, rosemary, dill, or basil to add an extra layer of flavor. Make parsley sauce: Add finely chopped fresh parsley to the bechamel sauce for a delicious British classic sauce for your white fish dishes. Vegan Option: substitute the butter with vegan butter or olive oil. Substitute the milk with any plant-based milk of your choosing.Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and delicious white sauce recipe you can make at home in no time. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 stars and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
Hi Ajoke,
I hope you and co. are all well.
Thankyou for sending this recipe as I can never remember the ratio of fat to flour.
Admittedly it is a simple recipe but so often simple recipes are the most difficult to excecute well. You are SO right when you say this is only a base. Add the flavours you like to go with the dish you’re serving.
Use stock instead of dairy…such a wonderful invention. It takes practice to perfect. It’s all about cooking out the flour and whisking vigorously after each addition of liquid. Almost as if making Mayonnaise.
Thankyou,
Paul:-)