There’s something unmistakably Southern about a skillet of sausage gravy simmering on the stove. It’s creamy and thick with just enough pepper to make it interesting and the crumbled sausage gives it so much flavor. If you’ve never made it from scratch, you’re about to see why this simple dish is such a Southern tradition.

A plate with a biscuit smothered in savory sausage gravy sits beside a fork. In the background, a cup of tea or coffee rests on a textured tray alongside a folded cloth napkin.

Start Your Day with a Southern Classic

Homemade biscuits are already something special, but as soon as you spoon over some Old Fashioned Sausage Gravy, no one will be skipping breakfast. I grew up thinking everyone ate sausage gravy on Saturday mornings. It wasn’t until college that I realized most of my friends had never tasted it.

It’s one of those classic comfort foods and it’s crazy that something this good has so few ingredients. Breakfast sausage. Flour. Milk. Butter. That’s it. Four things that somehow turn into the best topping for a buttermilk biscuit.

I pour it over everything. Fresh biscuits, day-old biscuits, a breakfast casserole, crispy chicken fillets, even mashed potatoes. It works every time.

If you’ve got biscuits that are a little stale, toast them and you’re back in business. Honestly, sausage gravy fixes nearly any breakfast problem.

Sausage gravy poured over biscuits in a black casserole dish.

The sausage matters more than people think. If you can find a local one with good seasoning, go with that. Or check the deli case. The flavor really depends on whatever sausage you start with, mild or spicy. Use your favorite.

And just to clear it up, this isn’t country gravy. That one has no meat at all and is used for chicken fried steak. It’s a totally different thing.

Four Ingredients Are All You Need for the Best Sausage Gravy

Here’s how I make mine.

Step 1 – cook the sausage

Cook the sausage until crumbly and brown.

Step 2 – make the gravy

Use the same pan to make the gravy.

Cooked sausage mixed with flour in a skillet. — Add butter and flour.

A skillet of sausage gravy. — Add milk and whisk until thick.

If it gets too thick, just stir in more milk. (it’s a very forgiving recipe) Add cracked black pepper and spoon over fresh homemade biscuits.

Pro tip: One small tip: this gravy thickens as it cools. When you reheat it, add a little milk and you’re back to silky perfection. I do this all the time when someone wanders into the kitchen two hours late wanting “just a little gravy” after the rest of us have already eaten.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

A collage of four cooked dishes, with text reading "Just getting started in the kitchen? Shop my favorite cooking essentials to help find everything you’ll need!" and icons of a shopping cart and whisk at the bottom.

A white plate holds a biscuit topped with rich sausage gravy, with a fork beside it. In the background, there is a mug of dark tea and a folded white cloth napkin.

A Simple Sausage Gravy Recipe with Big Southern Flavor

Author: Barbara Curry

No ratings yet

Print Pin

PREP: 0

COOK: 20

TOTAL: 20

Servings:

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large skillet, cook the sausage on high heat until crumbly and brown.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add butter to the skillet, once melted add the flour and whisk together, cooking for about 3 minutes.
Gradually add warmed milk and salt and let it simmer until it is thickened. About 5-8 minutes.
Sprinkle with pepper and serve over biscuits.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

The gravy will get very thick as it cools, just add warm milk to thin it down to the consistency you want.
You can easily double, or triple. Most sausage comes in 1 lb packages so you’ll have enough to double the recipe if you’re feeding a crowd.

Nutrition

Explore Recipes

Breakfast & Brunch Sauces, Dips & Preserves Stovetop Buttermilk