Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (2024)

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Our sausage gravy recipe is a classic that’s been handed down through generations of our family. With just five simple ingredients and 20 minutes, you’ll have our favorite Southern breakfast on your table. It’s full of flavor with a rich cream sauce, perfectly flavored sausage, and seasonings. Pour it over fresh, hot biscuits and you’ll have everyone asking for this recipe.

Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (1)

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This Homemade Sausage Gravy is an absolute southern comfort

This sausage gravy is one of my husband’s all-time favorite breakfasts to make. We serve it for special occasions (it’s great for a crowd) or just an everyday Sunday breakfast. Sausage gravy can be intimidating, but we’ve perfected this recipe for so long and rewritten it so that you can follow our step-by-step instructions to recreate it perfectly at home.

Within a matter of minutes, you’ll have piping hot sausage gravy that you can serve over hot open-faced biscuits.

What is Sausage and Gravy?

Sausage Gravy, better known as biscuits and gravy, is a staple southern classic breakfast dish. It is made up of an incredibly easy to make homemade sausage gravy with simple ingredients that you normally have on hand that is then poured over nice hot biscuits. It screams good old southern home cooking.

Typically this will be a dish that you eat when it is chilly outside, but honestly people eat this sausage gravy with biscuits all year long.

Homemade Sausage Gravy Recipe Ingredients

Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (2)

Sausage – For this sausage gravy I use a mild sausage to give it flavor, but not overpower the dish by using a spicy sausage.

Flour – In this recipe the flour is the thickening agent. When adding it to the sausage gravy recipe be sure that you do it slowly while stirring. If you just pour it in all at once you will have lumps in your gravy.

Milk – You are going to want to use whole milk with this recipe. This gives the gravy a thick creamy texture that you will love poured over your biscuits.

Seasoned Salt – Seasoned salt gives a nice variety of seasonings mixed with the salt. I use seasoned salt so often and it is a great staple to have on hand all the time.

Pepper – Pepper adds a little bit of pop and added flavor to the sausage gravy.

Biscuits – Grab some canned biscuits in the refrigerated section. I prefer Grands biscuits, but any will do.

How to make Homemade Sausage Gravy

Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (3)
  1. Cook biscuits according to the packaging.
  2. Brown sausage in a medium-large skillet over medium heat while the biscuits cook. Break up the sausage into small pieces. Once browned reduce heat to low.
  3. Add flour gradually to browned sausage while stirring to combine.
  4. Sir in milk.
  5. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. This will take around 10 minutes.
  6. Add seasoned salt and pepper.
  7. Serve sausage gravy on top of warm, open-faced biscuits.

How to make this recipe for Sausage Gravy in advance

One of the best things about sausage gravy is that you can make it ahead of time. I will typically do this for a special occasion like Christmas morning or even on Thanksgiving when I don’t want a big mess to clean up afterward.

To do this, you will make the gravy as directed and then allow the sausage gravy to cool completely.

Once cooled, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days ahead of time. Typically I like to make it the night before. If you do make ahead of time you will not want to store it again after reheating.

To reheat the gravy, place it in a saucepan over medium heat to warm back up. Stir occasionally while reheating. If you find that the gravy is too thick go ahead and add some milk to it.

Sausage and Gravy Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Be sure to not omit the seasoned salt and the pepper. The seasonings gives this dish the flavor you are craving from biscuits and gravy.
  • Typically when browning sausage you would drain the fat, but when making sausage gravy you want to be sure to keep all the fat in the pan. This gives the recipes so much flavor!
  • Serve this dish over nice big open-faced biscuits, if you find yourself without biscuits potatoes will work well too!
  • If you like a thicker gravy, reduce the sauce down longer on the stove. If you prefer a thinner gravy, don’t cook it for as long.

What to serve with the Best Sausage Gravy Recipe

Sausage gravy is best when served with hot biscuits, but if you don’t have any biscuits on hand you can serve it over:

  • Fried potatoes
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Open-faced English Muffins
  • Grits
Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (4)

How to store Sausage and Gravy

To store your sausage gravy you will want to wait until it is completely cooled.

How long is Sausage Gravy good for in the fridge?

Once it is cooled you can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I would cook the biscuits the morning of because you want them to be hot and fresh.

CAN YOU FREEZE SAUSAGE GRAVY?

I don’t recommend freezing the sausage gravy. It is best if you make it and eat it.

With it being such a simple dish it is easy to whip up each time you are craving some good southern cooking.

LOOKING FOR OTHER AWESOME BREAKFAST RECIPES? TRY THESE!

Air Fryer Donuts

Sticky Buns with Biscuits

Hot chocolate donut holes

Sausage and Gravy Recipe FAQs

Can this recipe for sausage gravy be made without pork?

Pork sausage tends to be a little more on the fatty side, so people who are trying to eat healthier wonder if you can make sausage gravy without pork.
You can substitute the pork sausage for turkey sausage, but by doing this you are drastically changing the texture and the flavor of sausage gravy and biscuits.
I would say make biscuits and sausage gravy on your cheat day to really enjoy this dish how it is meant to be enjoyed.

Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (5)

Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (6)

Sausage and Gravy


Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. sausage mild
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 2-3 teaspoons pepper
  • Biscuits (such as Grands biscuits)

Instructions

  • Cook biscuits according to package instructions. While biscuits are in the oven, start the gravy.

  • Place sausage in medium-large skillet and brown sausage over medium-high heat, breaking sausage into small pieces. Cook until just brown. Reduce heat to low.

  • Gradually add flour to cooked sausage and stir until flour is combined with sausage.

  • Add milk and stir.

  • Continue to cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. This will take up to 10 or more minutes.

  • Add in seasoned salt and pepper.

  • Serve sausage gravy on top of warm, open-faced biscuits.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe for Sausage Gravy - Balancing Motherhood (2024)

FAQs

What makes sausage gravy taste better? ›

Sausage gravy can be as simple or "fancy" as you'd like to make it. Substitute any kind of sausage—hot, mild, sweetened with apple or maple, or even try it with chorizo for a spicy twist. Chopped fresh onion or garlic add more savory notes, while dried or fresh herbs give the gravy hints of freshness.

How do you keep sausage gravy from separating? ›

To fix broken gravy, all you need to do is add more liquid, whether it's milk or cream, and continue to whisk until the gravy begins to recombine. A good rule of thumb is "the thicker, the better"— adding emulsifiers such as butter, flour, or heavy cream are very good for helping to "rebuild" broken gravy.

What is the best way to thicken sausage gravy? ›

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Why does my sausage gravy have no flavor? ›

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

What is the secret to good gravy? ›

Here are my principles for making great gravy without fear:
  • Make it ahead. This is the most important one. ...
  • Make a really good homemade turkey stock first. Don't skimp on this crucial first step. ...
  • Reinforce the stock's flavor. ...
  • Simmer, simmer, simmer. ...
  • Strain and cool. ...
  • Reduce. ...
  • Hot liquids only.
Nov 5, 2021

How to jazz up sausage gravy? ›

For an additional kick, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes along with the seasonings. Onions/Garlic can be sautéed with the sausage as well. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a splash of milk. This may be particularly helpful if reheating from a cold state.

How do you stabilize gravy? ›

If your gravy is looking watery, you can add a slurry (a mixture of cornstarch/flour and water) or a roux (a mixture of flour and butter) to thicken it up. Other pantry ingredients like Wondra (an instant flour), arrowroot, tapioca, and potato starch can also be used to thicken gravy to a deliciously silky consistency.

What can I add to my gravy for flavor? ›

Fortunately, Shannon has several suggestions for fixing bland gravy, starting by adding a bouillon cube, herbs or a splash of wine or cognac. But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic.

Is it better to make gravy with flour or cornstarch? ›

What's the difference between using cornstarch or flour to make your gravy? Cornstarch does have more thickening power than wheat flour (because it's pure starch, while flour has some protein in it). So usually you need a little less cornstarch than flour for the equivalent thickening power.

Is gravy better with flour or cornstarch? ›

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour, so it's best to go slowly and add a little at a time until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. The best way to do that is to make a slurry of one tablespoon cornstarch to one cup of cool stock, whisked together.

What do chefs use to thicken gravy? ›

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

What to add to bland sausage gravy? ›

Ingredients That Will Seriously Upgrade Your Sausage Gravy
  1. Real butter. Polad Gasimov/Shutterstock. ...
  2. Whole milk. Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock. ...
  3. Ground sage. Michelle Lee Photography/Shutterstock. ...
  4. Homemade sausage. Irena Maslova/Shutterstock. ...
  5. Vegan sausage. Antonina Vlasova/Shutterstock. ...
  6. Maple syrup. ...
  7. Garlic powder. ...
  8. Ground nutmeg.
Sep 8, 2022

How do you fix tasteless gravy? ›

Herbs and spices: Add dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, or spices such as black pepper, paprika, or cayenne pepper. These will impart additional flavors and complexity to the gravy.

What's the difference between country gravy and sausage gravy? ›

Country gravy uses the same ingredients as sausage gravy, but leaves out the sausage — however, this doesn't mean country gravy is vegetarian or vegan. Country gravy is often made with the fat of whichever meat the gravy will be served with, such as ham or fried chicken.

What can you add to gravy to give it more Flavour? ›

Simply adding a teaspoon or two of chopped rosemary or sage can elevate gravy while adding an extra layer of depth. But if you're going to add herbs, it's best to do so in the last few minutes of cooking, since they tend to be so delicate. That way you'll get the most flavor out of them.

How do you make sausages taste better? ›

Seasonings, spices and herbs are added to give the sausages extra flavour. Small pieces of cooked apple, caramelised onions or other ingredients that pair well with pork can also be added to create interesting varieties.

How do you make bland gravy taste better? ›

It's bland.

The solution: The first thing you should try is adding a little more salt, as salt helps bring out the inherent flavors of the gravy that you didn't taste before. If that doesn't work, add umami (savory)-heavy condiments like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

What gives sausage its distinct flavor? ›

Salt: Salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative. Sugar: Sugar can be used to balance the saltiness in sausage and add a slight, tasty sweetness. Spices: Various spices give a sausage its robust flavor. Commonly used sausage spices include black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and paprika.

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