Easy Sausage Gravy

by Stacey Updated: Aug 22, 2023

Enjoy the rich and comforting flavors of Sausage Gravy. A satisfying and hearty breakfast topping poured over warm homemade biscuits, grits, eggs, and more.

Sausage Gravy is a breakfast staple at our house and has been for as long as I can remember. As a kid, Mom would make it and pour it over warm buttermilk biscuits. And while that’s my favorite way to enjoy it, I’ve been known to pour it over grits and scrambled eggs as well. I might even have been known t pour a little over this Bacon and Pimento Cheese Quiche. 😉

It’s one of those hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kinda things that just gets you going in the morning. For me, it just tastes like home. And my super quick and easy method doesn’t require any draining, and it all cooks in one skillet – making this comfort food a cinch to whip up.

What is Sausage Gravy?

Traditional sausage gravy features crumbled breakfast sausage cooked in a skillet. In that same skillet with the sausage and grease still present, a roux is created by combining flour and milk that gradually thickens into a gravy. Typically sausage gravy is seasoned with salt, pepper, and the occasional herbs and spices. Although delicious all on its own, sausage gravy is usually poured over biscuits or grits as a hearty and delicious breakfast in the South.

Sausage Gravy being poured over a biscuit

Considerations and Substitutions:

You can use either mild or hot sausage! This recipe uses a pound of bulk breakfast pork sausage. You know the kind in the plastic tube thing? We like to use the mild sausage since we never know who might show up at the breakfast table, but the hot sausage works just as well. In fact, it adds even more flavor to the gravy.
Turkey sausage can be used as a substitute with one small modification! You can use bulk turkey sausage here, but it won’t render out enough fat to make a roux for the gravy. So, you’ll need to add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter or oil to the sausage as it cooks.
Actually brown the sausage! As you are browning the sausage, you need to really get some brown color on it. Don’t just cook it through. Let it sit still in the pan some so it can get some of those browned bits on it. That adds tons of flavor!

How do you thicken sausage and gravy?

The way I like to make sure my gravy is nice and thick is to make a dense roux. And being that we’ve got all that fat rendered out of the sausage, we’ve got a great head start. Here is how to whip up the perfect roux for this mouthwatering recipe:

With the sausage and grease still in the skillet, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour right over the sausage and grease right in the pan.
Stir, stir, stir. We need to cook the flour a bit without letting it brown. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.
Next, you’ll gradually add in the milk, stirring well after each addition. Some folks like a thick gravy, so using about 2 cups of milk will be enough. Others like it thinner, so you can add up to 1/2 cup (or more) to the gravy to get it thinner. I like to use whole milk here, but 2% or skim milk will work in a pinch.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the gravy to thicken.
The gravy will thicken even more as it sits, so feel free to stir in a little more milk to thin it out if it starts getting too thick for your liking.

There you have it! You just made the perfect thick sausage gravy! Grab the biscuits and enjoy!

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