Yes, you can absolutely make a roux with olive oil instead of butter. In fact, olive oil makes a wonderful roux for gumbo, gravy, soups, stews, sauces, macaroni and cheese and all kinds of Creole- and Southern-inspired cooking. The basic technique is the same: combine flour with fat and cook the mixture until it reaches the color and flavor you want.

And if you've landed here because you literally typed "Can I make a roux with olive oil?" into Google, you're in good company. We started paying closer attention to the questions bringing people to Rocky Mountain Olive Oil, and we noticed something fascinating: people really want to know how to make roux with olive oil. Which, considering we own an olive oil shop, is exactly the kind of rabbit hole I am happy to go down.

So let's talk about it properly. We're going to cover how to make an olive oil roux, the best olive oil to use, the right olive oil-to-flour ratio, how dark you can take it, whether olive oil works for gumbo and how we use olive oil throughout Creole and Southern-inspired cooking.

The Quick Answer: Can You Use Olive Oil to Make a Roux?

Yes. Olive oil can replace butter or another cooking fat when making roux. A roux is simply flour cooked in fat. Butter is one option, but it is certainly not the only option. Oil-based roux is already common in Cajun and Creole cooking, particularly when making darker roux for dishes such as gumbo.

Olive oil works because it performs the fundamental job the fat needs to do: it coats the flour while the flour cooks and browns. For the most consistent results, we recommend measuring your roux by weight when possible. Start with equal parts flour and olive oil by weight. If you're working with measuring cups instead of a scale, our longtime Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Classic Roux recipe uses 1 cup olive oil to approximately 1 3/4 cups flour. This produces the thick, smooth consistency we want for a roux that will eventually become the foundation of a soup, stew, gravy or sauce.

Olive Oil Roux at a Glance

If you're looking for the answer without reading the entire article, here it is:

Olive oil + flour + controlled heat + constant stirring = olive oil roux. For a basic batch:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Approximately 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux reaches your desired color. A pale roux has more thickening power and a mild flavor. A blonde roux becomes slightly nuttier. A medium or peanut-butter-colored roux develops considerably more toasted flavor. A brown or copper roux has deeper flavor but less thickening power.

The darker the roux becomes, the more important it is to watch the heat and keep stirring. Burned roux cannot really be rescued. If you see black flecks or it smells acrid rather than toasted, start over. It's annoying, but it's still less annoying than ruining an entire pot of gumbo.

What Is Roux?

Roux is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken and flavor foods such as gravy, gumbo, soups, stews and sauces. It sounds like one of those fancy culinary techniques until you actually make it. It's flour and fat. That's it.

The interesting part is what happens when you cook them together. As the flour cooks, its raw flour flavor disappears and it gradually develops deeper, toastier flavors. The longer you cook it, the darker the roux becomes. That's why a pale roux for a creamy sauce tastes completely different from the deep brown roux you might use as the foundation for gumbo.

Can You Substitute Olive Oil for Butter in Roux?

Yes. If a recipe calls for a butter-and-flour roux, olive oil can generally be used as the fat instead. But there is one important difference to understand: Butter isn't 100% fat. It also contains water and milk solids. Olive oil is essentially all fat, so swapping equal volumes of butter and olive oil isn't quite as mathematically tidy as it sounds.

That's one reason we prefer thinking about a roux in terms of consistency—or measuring equal amounts of flour and fat by weight—rather than assuming every fat behaves exactly like butter. You want a smooth paste that is loose enough to stir continuously without pools of oil sitting on top. And no, your roux does not need butter in order to work.

What Is the Best Olive Oil for Roux?

This is where owning an olive oil shop makes the question especially fun. You have options. For most olive oil roux recipes, we recommend starting with a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A balanced EVOO contributes flavor without competing with everything you're about to build on top of it.

Shop our Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

But plain EVOO isn't your only option. Once you understand the basic technique, infused and fused olive oils give you a whole additional flavor toolbox.

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Our Garlic Infused Olive Oil is probably the first flavored oil I would reach for in a savory roux. It brings garlic flavor into the very foundation of the dish rather than adding garlic only later. Think chicken gravy, sausage gravy, smothered chicken, seafood dishes, creamy sauces and hearty soups.

Butter Infused Olive Oil

If what you're really after is the familiar flavor of a butter roux while still cooking with olive oil, Butter Infused Olive Oil is an obvious choice. It gives you that warm, buttery comfort-food flavor and is particularly good for gravy, macaroni and cheese, creamy soups and lighter roux-based sauces.

Chipotle Fused Olive Oil

For smoky dishes, our Chipotle Fused Olive Oil can add another layer of flavor before you've even added the rest of your ingredients. I wouldn't necessarily make an entire dark roux from a strongly flavored oil the first time you try it. Start by replacing a portion of your regular EVOO with Chipotle and adjust from there.

Baklouti Green Chili Pepper Fused Olive Oil

If your family likes heat, Baklouti Green Chili Pepper Fused Olive Oil is another fun option. Again, blending it with regular EVOO lets you control the heat while building pepper flavor directly into your dish.

How to Make Roux With Olive Oil

Here's our basic method.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approximately 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed saucepan, Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
2. Let the olive oil warm for a few minutes. Sprinkle in a tiny amount of flour. When it begins to gently bubble, you're ready.
3. Gradually whisk the flour into the olive oil.
4. Continue stirring constantly as the roux cooks. You want gentle bubbling, not aggressive frying or smoking.
5. Continue cooking until the roux reaches the color required for your recipe.
6. Use it immediately or carefully transfer the finished roux to a heat-safe container.

Our original Classic Olive Oil Roux Recipe walks through the basic method as well. And I cannot emphasize the "stir constantly" part enough. This is not the moment to unload the dishwasher, answer an email or decide you're going to quickly feed the dogs. Roux demands commitment.

What Color Should Olive Oil Roux Be?

That depends entirely on what you're cooking.

White Roux

Cooked only briefly. Best for creamy sauces, light gravies and dishes where you want maximum thickening without much toasted flavor.

Blonde Roux

Light golden or sandy in color. Great for soups, cheese sauces, creamy chicken dishes and many gravies.

Peanut Butter Roux

Exactly what it sounds like: roughly the color of peanut butter. Now you're getting deeper toasted and nutty flavors. This is where roux starts becoming a flavor ingredient rather than simply a thickener.

Brown or Copper Roux

Deep brown to copper colored with rich, roasted flavor. This is the territory we love for gumbo and hearty stews. One important thing to remember: as roux gets darker, it loses some of its thickening ability.

You're trading some thickening power for flavor.

Can You Make a Dark Roux With Olive Oil?

Yes, but this is where temperature control matters. You do not need screaming-high heat to make dark roux. You need patience. Keep the roux moving and pay attention to both its color and smell. If the oil begins smoking or the flour develops black specks, you've gone too far.

A heavy pan helps distribute heat evenly, which is one reason cast iron and Dutch ovens work so well. And remember that roux continues cooking from residual heat after you turn off the burner. If it is exactly the color you want while sitting over the heat, don't walk away and leave it in a blazing-hot pan.

Can You Use Olive Oil Roux for Gumbo?

Absolutely. Olive oil roux can be used as the foundation for gumbo.

For gumbo, we generally want to take the roux beyond blonde into brown or deep copper territory. That darker roux contributes the nutty, toasted flavor that becomes part of the personality of the finished dish. From there, you can build the rest of your gumbo with onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, stock, seasonings and your choice of proteins and vegetables.

One important distinction: we're not suggesting that olive oil is the only or historically definitive fat for every Cajun or Creole roux. These cuisines have deep culinary traditions, and cooks use different fats and techniques.

We're talking about something much simpler: whether olive oil works. It does. And it gives home cooks another really delicious way to build those flavors.

Olive Oil Belongs in More Than the Roux

This is where I think the conversation gets much more interesting. Once you stop thinking of olive oil exclusively as "the stuff that goes on salad," it becomes incredibly useful in Creole- and Southern-inspired cooking. And not because we're trying to turn every recipe Mediterranean. We're not. Good olive oil can simply be your cooking fat.

Use EVOO to sauté onion, celery and bell pepper. Use Garlic Infused Olive Oil for greens, beans, gravy and roasted vegetables. Use Butter Infused Olive Oil in cornbread, biscuits, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Use Chipotle Fused Olive Oil when you want smoke and heat. Use Baklouti Green Chili Pepper Fused Olive Oil when you want fresh chile heat. You can even combine oils.

That is one of my favorite things about cooking with flavored olive oils: instead of adding flavor only at the end, you can start building it from the first ingredient that hits the pan.

5 Ways to Use Olive Oil in Creole- and Southern-Inspired Cooking

1. Gumbo

Start with an olive oil roux and build from there. A good EVOO makes a versatile base, while adding a little Garlic or Chipotle Olive Oil can push the flavor in a completely different direction.

2. Smothered Chicken and Gravy

Brown seasoned chicken in olive oil, remove it from the pan and use the oil and drippings as the beginning of your roux. Add flour, cook until browned, then gradually whisk in stock. Return the chicken to the pan with onions and seasonings and let everything simmer together.

This is exactly the kind of dinner that disappears quickly at our house.

3. Macaroni and Cheese

Yes, olive oil works here too. Use Butter Infused Olive Oil and flour to make a blonde roux, whisk in milk and then add your cheeses. The Butter Infused Olive Oil is particularly good here because you still get that familiar buttery flavor.

4. Greens

You don't need a roux for greens, but olive oil is excellent for sautéing the aromatics that start the pot. Try Garlic Infused Olive Oil with onions, garlic, crushed red pepper and greens, then add stock and your preferred seasonings. A little smoky Chipotle Olive Oil can also be fantastic here.

5. Red Beans

Use EVOO or Garlic Infused Olive Oil to sauté your onions, celery and bell peppers before adding the remaining ingredients. It's a very simple substitution, but it is exactly the kind of everyday cooking where a really good olive oil earns its spot next to the stove.

Recipe Idea: Olive Oil Roux Chicken & Gravy

This one is easy enough for a weeknight and exactly the kind of comfort food our family likes when everyone is coming and going at different times.

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 chicken thighs
• Salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Garlic Infused Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Creole seasoning, to taste
• Fresh thyme, optional

Directions

1. Season the chicken and brown it in olive oil in a heavy skillet. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. Add enough olive oil to the pan to give you approximately 3 tablespoons of fat.
3. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux reaches a medium brown.
4. Gradually whisk in chicken stock, then add onion, garlic and seasonings.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until tender and cooked through.
6. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or whatever happens to be getting dinner on the table that night.

Recipe Idea: Olive Oil Roux Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Butter Infused Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 to 3 cups shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Cooked macaroni

Directions

1. Warm the Butter Infused Olive Oil over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook until pale golden.
3. Slowly add milk while whisking continuously.
4. Once the sauce has thickened, reduce the heat and stir in your cheese.
5. Season to taste and fold in cooked macaroni.
6. That's it.
7. You have a butter-free roux technique with plenty of buttery flavor.

Recipe Idea: Smoky Olive Oil Roux for Gumbo

For a little more personality, try blending your oils.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Chipotle Fused Olive Oil
• Approximately 1 3/4 cups flour

Directions

1. Combine the oils in a heavy pot.
2. Gradually whisk in the flour and cook over controlled heat, stirring constantly.
3. Take the roux to a deep brown or copper color.
4. Then build your favorite gumbo recipe directly on top of it.
5. The Chipotle Olive Oil adds smoke and gentle chile flavor without requiring the entire dish to taste like chipotle.
6. This is also a great example of why we encourage people to think of infused olive oils as ingredients rather than just finishing oils.

Can You Make Gluten-Free Roux With Olive Oil?

Yes. The olive oil isn't the issue—the flour is. If you need a gluten-free roux, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend designed to substitute for wheat flour. The exact browning and thickening behavior can vary somewhat between flour blends, so pay attention to consistency rather than relying entirely on cooking time.

Common Olive Oil Roux Mistakes

Using Too Much Heat

You are trying to toast flour, not incinerate it. Medium or medium-low heat gives you considerably more control, especially when you're learning.

Walking Away

Don't. Especially once your roux starts getting darker.

Stopping at a Recipe's Exact Cooking Time

Color and aroma tell you more than the clock. Different pans, burners and batch sizes behave differently.

Confusing Dark With Burned

Dark roux smells toasted and nutty. Burned roux smells burned. If you see black specks and smell something acrid, it's time to start again.

Forgetting That Dark Roux Thickens Less

A very dark roux develops tremendous flavor, but it won't thicken liquid as strongly as a pale roux. That's normal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Olive Oil Roux

Can I make a roux with olive oil instead of butter?

Yes. Olive oil can be used as the fat in a roux instead of butter. Combine it with flour and cook the mixture until it reaches the color needed for your sauce, gravy, soup or stew.

What is the best olive oil-to-flour ratio for roux?

Equal parts olive oil and flour by weight is an excellent starting point. When measuring by volume, Rocky Mountain Olive Oil's Classic Roux recipe uses 1 cup olive oil with approximately 1 3/4 cups flour.

Can extra virgin olive oil be used for roux?

Yes. Extra virgin olive oil can be used to make roux. Keep the temperature controlled and don't allow the oil to smoke.

Can I make gumbo roux with olive oil?

Yes. Olive oil can be used to make a brown or dark roux for gumbo. Cook the olive oil and flour together while stirring continuously until the roux reaches the desired brown or copper color.

Does olive oil roux taste like olive oil?

That depends on the olive oil and the finished dish. A balanced EVOO can contribute subtle flavor, while a robust or infused olive oil will be more noticeable. In highly seasoned dishes such as gumbo, gravy and stew, the olive oil becomes one component of a much larger flavor profile.

Can I use flavored olive oil to make roux?

Yes. Garlic, Butter, Chipotle and other savory infused or fused olive oils can be incorporated into roux. For stronger flavors, try combining flavored olive oil with regular EVOO rather than using 100% flavored oil.

Is olive oil roux good for gravy?

Absolutely. Olive oil roux works particularly well for chicken gravy, turkey gravy, brown gravy, mushroom gravy and smothered dishes.

Can you make cheese sauce with an olive oil roux?

Yes. Make a pale or blonde olive oil roux, gradually whisk in milk and then add cheese. Butter Infused Olive Oil is especially good for macaroni and cheese and other cheese sauces.

Why is my olive oil roux separating?

Some separation is normal, particularly after a roux sits or is refrigerated. Stir or whisk it thoroughly before using it.

Why did my olive oil roux burn?

The pan was likely too hot, the roux wasn't stirred frequently enough or it was cooked beyond the desired stage. Dark roux requires patience and constant attention.

So, Should You Make Roux With Olive Oil?

We think you should. Not because every roux ever made needs to contain olive oil and certainly not because we're trying to rewrite generations of Cajun, Creole or Southern cooking traditions. We just want people to understand what a bottle of really good olive oil can actually do.

It can make salad dressing. But it can also start your gumbo. It can make gravy. It can become the base of macaroni and cheese. It can sauté the vegetables for red beans, season greens, brown chicken, enrich cornbread and become part of the kind of slow, comforting dinner that has everyone wandering into the kitchen asking when we're eating.

That's the kind of cooking we love at Rocky Mountain Olive Oil. We spend a lot of time talking about tasting notes, olive varieties, harvest dates and the quality of extra virgin olive oil—and those things matter enormously to us. But ultimately, we want you to cook with it. So the next time a recipe tells you to start with flour and butter, remember: You have options. And there's probably a bottle of olive oil sitting on your counter that's ready for the job.

Shop Rocky Mountain Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oils or explore our Fused & Infused Olive Oils to start experimenting.