A classic recipe for traditional sausage gravy made with breakfast sausage and milk served the Southern way, over hot biscuits.
JUMP TO RECIPEI threw some random pearl of wisdom out to my daughters this weekend while we were all piled up in the kitchen cooking Sunday dinner and Baby Girl asked if I could start writing all these tips and life hacks down.
Then The Oldest piped up with a YASSS!! So, I reckon me and Siri better get to work recording the little nuggets when they come to me.
I'll admit, something about turning fifty this year has me wanting to impart a few specific how-to's on them myself. I don't know that I'll ever get them all written down (seriously, how would you even index such a thing??) but I said I'd try.
I've decided to start writing some recipes specifically for them too. I started with this one because The Oldest swears mine is the only sausage gravy she likes so when I'm gone, she'll be able to make it herself.
I assumed every makes this about the same, but evidently not. I do notice that mine has a little more color than others so maybe there is a little difference.
Sausage gravy isn't rocket science and there's a lot of wiggle room but I'll tell you how I make mine and make some notes that might come in handy!
FAQ QUESTIONS ON SOUTHERN SAUSAGE GRAVY
HOW MUCH SAUSAGE IS USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY? You can make sausage gravy just from the pan drippings or you can use a whole pound of sausage. There's no definitive right answer. I usually make mine with 1/2 pound of sausage.
WHAT TYPE OF SAUSAGE IS USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY? Most any "breakfast" sausage will work. I say most because you won't want to use a maple or sage flavored sausage for traditional southern sausage gravy. I always buy the 1-lb packs. Side note: I cut slices before unwrapping to get perfectly portioned and rounded patties because it's way cheaper than buying patties.
WHAT'S THE BEST BRAND OF SAUSAGE TO USE? I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage. I'm big on texture when it comes to any type of sausage and those two brands have a finer, more tender texture.
CAN EVAPORATED MILK BE USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY? You can. I personally don't care for the taste in this gravy and like good ol' regular milk better but if you like the taste evaporated milk gives white gravies (like my Grandma Betty did!), go for it!
SHOULD I USE WHOLE, SKIM OR 2% MILK? Any of these will work! I usually have 2% milk on-hand so that's what I use. The higher the fat content, the more silky the gravy will be.
CAN I USE SOY OR NUT MILKS TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY? I think so. Technically you can use any liquid when making a roux-based gravy like this so I imagine soy or any nut milk would work just fine.
HOW DO YOU SERVE SAUSAGE GRAVY? Sausage gravy is most commonly served over fresh, hot biscuits but it's great over toast too!
DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR BUTTERMILK BISCUITS? I don't! I'm not great at making homemade biscuits. Nanny just rolled over in her grave. Luckily, we can get some mighty fine frozen biscuits here in the South! I usually use frozen or my super easy drop biscuits (recipe here). You can also use canned biscuits.
FIVE RECIPE NOTES ON SOUTHERN SAUSAGE GRAVY
- I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage which never yield any standing grease. If your sausage produces excess pan drippings, drain off any excess fat.
- I don't recommend using maple or sage flavored sausage for sausage gravy.
- The amount of milk you will need depends on your zodiac and the day's wind direction. Just kidding. Some days my gravy wants more milk, some days it doesn't. Start with 2 cups then go from there. If you're heavy-handed measuring the flour or if the gravy cooks hot and fast, you will likely need more milk. The longer it cooks, the more milk you will need also.
- I wrote this recipe with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper but I personally use a full teaspoon because I love the taste and heat.
- The gravy will continue to thicken once taken off the heat. If you're not able to serve immediately, you will likely need to stir in a little more milk.
MORE SOUTHERN BREAKFAST RECIPES TO TRY!
SHRIMP & GRITS - Award-winning Southern Shrimp & Grits recipe with seasoned shrimp sauteed in bacon drippings served over creamy, cheesy grits.
FRIED POTATOES & SAUSAGE - A simple budget-friendly recipe for a one-pan skillet meal with smoked sausage, onions and southern-style fried potatoes.
HOW TO COOK GRITS - A simple recipe for the best way to cook tender, creamy stone-ground or hominy grits from a Southern cook who knows good grits.
HASH & EGGS - An easy, rustic one-pan recipe for breakfast, brunch or dinner made with ground beef, onions, diced potatoes and eggs.
SAUSAGE & CHEESE GRITS CASSEROLE - An award-winning Southern breakfast casserole recipe with cheesy grits and pork sausage that's perfect for overnight guests and brunch.
RED-EYE GRAVY - Classic southern red-eye gravy recipe made from country ham pan drippings and black coffee.
Recipe for How to Cook Southern Sausage Gravy
Southern Sausage Gravy
A classic recipe for traditional sausage gravy made with breakfast sausage and milk served the Southern way, over hot biscuits.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb breakfast sausage
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 2-2.5 cups milk
Instructions
- Cook and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until nicely browned. Do not drain sausage. 1/2 lb sausage
- Reduce heat to medium, add butter then stir until melted. 3 Tbsp butter
- Stir in flour then continue to cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until the flour coating the sausage is no longer white (we're looking for everything to be a nice golden brown). 1/4 cup flour
- Add salt, remaining seasonings and 2 cups milk. 1/2 tsp salt & pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 2 c. milk
- Cook and stir until mixture starts to simmer. Continue simmering and stirring 3-5 minutes or until gravy thickens to desired consistency. Add more milk, a few tablespoons at a time, if gravy becomes too thick.
- Taste for seasoning then add more salt or pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately over hot biscuits or toast.
Notes
- I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage which never yield any standing grease. If your sausage produces excess pan drippings, drain off any excess fat.
- The gravy will continue to thicken once taken off the heat. If you're not able to serve immediately, you will likely need to stir in a little more milk.
- I typically use all-purpose but self-rising flour can be used in a pinch.
- See the FAQ and Notes sections above the recipe card if you have other questions or would like a few tips.
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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.
I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).
And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy