Classic Sausage Gravy for Biscuits and Gravy

This recipe for classic sausage gravy only calls for a few ingredients and comes together quickly. Serve over fresh biscuits for a hearty, comforting meal of biscuits and gravy! 

OVERVIEW

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Technique Used: How to Make Roux

I grew up eating biscuits and gravy for dinner. Not all that frequently but it was a dinner that we had on occasion and I loved it! Living in the heart of the Midwest, biscuits and gravy was a necessity on any good breakfast menu.

I received a request from a reader to write a recipe for sausage gravy. I’m actually surprised I haven’t done one before because it is one of my favorite things to make. One of the things I love so much about cooking is that once you learn some basic techniques you can easily cook without recipes. So that is what I want to teach you today.

Ingredient List & Substitutions

There are only 5 must-have ingredients to make a classic sausage gravy.

• Sausage: I like to use a sage flavored hot pork breakfast sausage but you can use mild or non-sage flavored. You can also substitute the type of meat and use chicken sausage or a meat-free substitute. If you prefer to make a breakfast gravy without sausage, omit the sausage and melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet before adding the flour.
• Flour:
• Milk: A liquid is necessary to make the roux. I prefer using whole milk for a rich flavor but you can use a lower percentage fat or skim. I have not tried this recipe using a non-dairy milk.
• Salt: Salt is used to flavor the gravy.
• Black Pepper: A classic gravy is traditionally heavily seasoned with black pepper. This is the main flavor in the gravy.
• Fresh Thyme: Thyme is an optional ingredient that isn’t totally necessary but I think it adds an additional flavor and more gourmet feel.

Let’s go over the basic process of making a gravy because all it really is, is a simple formula. It involves two simple steps: cook together a mixture of fat and flour then stir in liquid and allow it to heat and thicken. Here we go!

How to make sausage gravy

The process of making sausage gravy involves making a roux. A roux is simple a mixture of fat and flour that is cooked together and acts as a thickening agent. Roux is used for many different things in the culinary world and you can use any fat to make one.

For gravy, it usually makes sense to use the fat from the meat you are cooking to make the roux. If you’ve ever watched someone make gravy on Thanksgiving you may have noticed them collecting the juices from the roasting pan and letting the fat separate to the top to make their gravy. However, sometimes if I need gravy in a pinch and don’t have any rendered fat from meat, I will use butter. This is the same idea.

Brown the meat

Brown the sausage until it is no longer pink. If there is quite a bit of fat in the pan, spoon some of it off. This really doesn’t need to be exact here but as a general rule of thumb when making a roux you want about equal amounts of fat to flour.

Once the sausage is cooked through, sprinkle the flour over the sausage.

Cook and stir until the flour is absorbed into the fat and sausage. Cook for about 2 more minutes to cook out the raw flour. Once the flour is fully absorbed into the fat and sausage, you won’t see any white streaks. This is exactly what you want!

Add the Milk

Once the roux has cooked for several minutes and the flour is absorbed, slowly stream in the milk while stirring continuously. There will be brown bits on the bottom of your pan from cooking the sausage. These bits of browned food on the pan are called fond, and are packed with flavor. While stirring in the milk, scrape up all the bits with your spoon to incorporate into the gravy.

Once all of the liquid is added, the gravy is going to seem very thin. This is normal. As the liquid heats and bubbles up, it will thicken into a luscious gravy. Continue cooking and stirring for about 8-10 minutes until bubbly and thick.

Season and Serve!

Classic sausage gravy is traditionally seasoned very heavily with black pepper. It is the iconic taste you are looking for.

Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. This gravy alone is wonderfully delicious as is but I love to throw in a little fresh thyme right before serving. It adds a little something that makes it feel even more comforting (if that is possible) and a little more gourmet.

A touch of hot sauce or red pepper flakes is always a good choice too!

Once you have seasoned the gravy just the way you like it, spoon it over hot biscuits split in half. Any biscuits will do!

My old-fashioned lard biscuits are my personal favorite biscuits to enjoy with sausage gravy but my fluffy buttery biscuits are amazing as well as these black pepper and sage biscuits and my simple drop biscuits.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

After the gravy cools completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave with the lid off for about 2-3 minutes or in a saucepan on the stove over low heat until warmed through. The gravy will look very thick when it’s cold but will thin out as it warms. If it’s still too thick, add a splash of milk.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

Here are some other biscuit recipes that pair very well with classic sausage gravy.

• Classic Butter Biscuits
• Old Fashioned Lard Biscuits
• Easy 3 Ingredient Self-Rising Flour Biscuits
• Easy Drop Biscuits