Southern Sausage Gravy Recipe (2024)

By Julie Kotzbach Published in Breakfast

This post first appeared on Yellow Bliss Road where I am a contributor.

When it comes to weekend brunch, nothing beats a homemade Southern Sausage Gravy Recipe! This creamy, peppery gravy is comfort food at its finest!

My husband’s favorite breakfast is biscuits & gravy. Anytime I make it his eyes light up and I get that warm fuzzy “food is love” feeling. It’s the best!

This sausage gravy is so easy to make. Just 4 simple ingredients some seasonings and you’re in business. Serve thebest sausage gravy recipe around over some homemade buttermilk biscuits and you’ll be everyone’s favorite person!

LOVE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
Follow Bread Booze Bacon on Pinterest

I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve made this sausage gravy for my family. Over the years I’ve tried different things. Taking the sausage out of the pan to make the gravy with the fond and roux. Leaving the sausage to mixture the flour and some extra butter. Adding some extra spices to give a little more umami (depth of flavor) to the gravy.

This is my favorite iteration of this recipe. Mike is pretty choosy about his biscuits and gravy, and he clears the plate every time I make my gravy this way. Wife tested, husband approved

Homemade Sausage Gravy Ingredients

• Breakfast Sausage – Whichever kind you like. We prefer Jimmy Dean mild sausage, but sage or hot works just fine too.
• Unsalted Butter
• All-Purpose Flour
• 2% Milk
• Black Pepper – I like to go heavy on the pepper for my gravy, but you could start by using 1/2 teaspoon and then add more to taste.
• Salt,Garlic Powder & Paprika – This combo is a homemade seasoned salt (skip the bottle from the store). It’s a flavor boost and adds a great depth of flavor. If you want, you can leave out the garlic powder and paprika. I’ve made this recipe both ways and it’s delicious either way, so you do you.

How to Make Sausage Gravy

1. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break down the sausage as it cooks. You want small pieces. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and is starting to sear (get browned and caramelized).
2. Add unsalted butter to the pan. Let the butter melt while stirring it in with the sausage and sausage grease. We’re making a roux and need more fat in the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir it all together. Boom, roux. Cook the flour for 1 minute to take away the raw flour taste.
3. Pour in 1 cup of milk and stir it with the sausage. This will pull the flour/fat mixture into the milk and prevent lumps in your gravy. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir.
4. Bring your gravy to a simmer (just bubbling). Stir frequently to prevent the milk from scalding. Continue to cook until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency.
   *If the gravy gets too thick, you can add some more milk until it thins out to your liking.
5. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle fresh sage over the gravy if desired.
6. Serve warm over biscuits that have been split in half.

What goes with biscuits and gravy?

• Ummm, everything! I make this sausage gravy and biscuits as a stand-alone breakfast at my house. That being said, some breakfast potatoes and fresh fruit are great side options.

How long will sausage gravy last in the refrigerator?

• Usually about 3 to 5 days at our house… if it lasts that long. I like to reheat the gravy by itself and then spoon over biscuits or toast. Just pop the storage container in the microwave and nuke for 1 minute, stir and nuke for 30 seconds. Repeat stirring and 30-second heating intervals until warmed through.

How do you make Alton Brown sausage gravy?

• Basically, it’s the same recipe you see here without the butter, garlic powder, and paprika. And instead of adding the flour to the skillet with the sausage, Alton takes the sausage out of the pan to make a roux with the sausage grease and flour. He whisks in the milk and adds the sausage back after the gravy has thickened.

How do you thicken sausage gravy?

• The flour and grease combination in the skillet creates a roux which is the thickening agent for this gravy.

If your gravy is too thin, you can mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and stir it into the gravy. Cook until the gravy thickens up.

If your gravy is too thick (I like mine on the thick side), add a tablespoon or two of milk and stir into the gravy. Repeat until your desired consistency is reached.

So much sausage, so little time! (That’s what she said…)

• Sausage Pinwheels
• Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing
• Smoked Sausage and Potatoes Foil Packet Meal
• Hissy Fit Dip

Crazy good breakfasts we love!

• French Onion Sour Cream Biscuits
• Overnight Blintz Bake
• Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
• Cheesy Sausage Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
• Dad’s Coffee Cake
• More breakfast recipes…