The invention relates to a method for preparing high-viscosity cross-linking carboxymethyl starch, belonging to the field of preparation methods of food additives, especially modified starch. The method for preparing high-viscosity cross-linking carboxymethyl starch comprises the following steps: uniformly dispersing corn starch into 90-95% ethanol, adding a proper amount of sodium hydroxide and a cross-linking agent at the temperature less than 30 DEG C, uniformly stirring, aging for 20-30 minutes, adding chloroacetic acid, keeping the temperature at 45-50 DEG C, performing etherification reaction for multiple hours, neutralizing by using acid, filtering, washing, drying at a low temperature, and crushing, thereby obtaining a product, namely the high-viscosity cross-linking carboxymethyl starch. The method provided by the invention has the characteristics of simple process, high operability, applicability to industrial production, high application performance and the like. The prepared high-viscosity cross-linking carboxymethyl starch can be used in situations that the viscosity needs to be kept stable for a relatively long time, is suitable for being used in situations needing high temperature steaming and sterilization in the food industry, and is applicable to a certain acid environment (such as acid beverage) and processing procedures with external shearing force (such as homogenization).