Southern Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

You’ll enjoy this easy, southern-style Biscuits and Sausage Gravy recipe, y’all. Scratch-made tender and fluffy biscuits paired with extra flavorful sausage gravy aka sawmill gravy. This one right here is a cozy classic + down-home delight that gives those diner-style vibes we all know and love! Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Gahhleee, oh how I love me some biscuits and gravy. Hbu? One of my favorite breakfast pairings, ever. Still can’t believe that it’s taken me up until this point to share this recipe considering my love for this staple, ha. Back in my early college days (when I hardly ever cooked at home), I used to frequent a local diner that had the best biscuits and gravy. The buttermilk biscuits billowed with steam when torn open and the sausage gravy was always thick and sumptuous, whew.

Biscuits and Gravy, Y’all 🙌🏾

Biscuits and gravy go together like ham and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, cereal and milk, bacon and eggs…so on, so forth. Extra tender biscuits all cozied up with flavorful sausage gravy, there really ain’t nothing better. This here is a sausage gravy that you’ll love with ample flavor, and that signature velvety body.

It’s an unapologetically rich and savory dish that’s famous for good reason. The buttermilk biscuits are scratch-made and the sausage gravy whips up in under 30 minutes! We love this dish for breakfast or brunch, and hell, even for dinner at times because it’s bangin’ like that. Biscuits and gravy forever!

⇢ More recipes: buttermilk waffles, my fave sweet potato cinnamon rolls, these smothered turkey wings, crispy garlic parmesan wings, the fluffiest homemade brioche doughnuts, and lemon pepper chicken tenders– delish.

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Biscuits: You’ll need some warm and delicious biscuits for sopping up the gravy, yes? My buttermilk biscuits are easy to make and so tender and fluffy. Feel free to use store-bought refrigerated biscuits, too!
• Butter: For browning + sautéing, #butterbeready 🧈
• Ground sausage: A pound of any ground sausage will do. Use breakfast sausage or pork sausage. Choose hot or mild and even flavored options like brown sugar, maple, etc.
• Shallot: Love the sweet, delicate flavoring of a shallot.
• Garlic: For a really robust gravy, garlic is so nice.
• Fresh thyme: For some freshness and an aromatic touch, yum.
• Flour: For thickening the gravy sauce, see notes for gf needs!
• Half and half: Love the half-milk and half-cream goodness that half and half provides, you can also use whole milk as well!
• Maple syrup: A bit of sweet maple flavoring, chef’s kiss.
• Worcestershire: It has a unique combo of flavors from various ingredients. Also, it kinda acts like an umami flavor bomb.
• Spices: I use cajun seasoning, ground nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to provide some flavoring and depth to this sausage gravy.

How To Make Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Make the biscuits. Make a batch of my homemade tender, fluffy buttermilk biscuits. You can make them a few days in advance and store in the fridge (reheat until warmed through). Or you can make them right before and pop them in the oven while you’re making the sausage gravy so they’re nice and hot once the gravy is done.
2. Brown the sausage. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the ground pork. Use a wooden utensil to break the sausage apart and cook until mostly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the aromatics. Add the shallot, garlic, and thyme into the pan and continue sautéing along with the sausage until tender and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir well. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
4. Add the cream & flavor agents. With one hand, slowly pour the half and half into the skillet while stirring the mixture with a wooden utensil using your other hand- scraping up any bits on the bottom. Then add the maple syrup, worcestershire, cajun seasoning, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and black pepper- stirring everything well to fully combine.
5. Simmer the gravy. Lower the heat to low and simmer the gravy, stirring every so often until the gravy has thickened some, about 2-3 minutes. Give the sausage gravy a taste test and add more cajun seasoning (or other desired seasonings) to preference.
6. Serve sausage gravy hot over warm buttermilk biscuits. Enjoy!

Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More

You may have additional questions about this biscuits and gravy recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info you might find helpful:

• Browning sausage: For this sausage gravy, I recommended browning the meat just until cooked through as opposed to achieving a deep sear on the meat. We want to cook it just until it brings out the meaty flavor but not overcook the sausage into tough chewiness.
• Don’t have a shallot? Use half of a small onion, finely chopped.
• Fresh thyme replacement: I recommend freshly chopped rosemary or freshly chopped tarragon or chives that add a lovely herb-y note to your gravy.
• Slowly pour in the cream/milk: With one hand, slowly pour the half and half into the skillet while stirring the mixture with a wooden utensil using your other hand. The slow introduction ensures that the cold ingredient temperature slowly rises and becomes compatible with the pan temperature. Proper emulsification for a slick, creamy gravy.
• Troubleshooting the gravy: Some like theirs thick and others like theirs thin. Feel free to adjust the sausage gravy by adding a splash more half and half (or milk) to thin out gravy to desired consistency while simmering. For thick-gravy connoisseurs, simply simmer the gravy on the stovetop for a few minutes longer until it’s just how you like it.

Vegan (or dairy-free) Biscuits and Gravy

Easily make this non-vegan sausage gravy recipe into a vegan situation with a few swaps! Use vegan sausage (like Beyond Sausage or Field Roast!), vegan butter, vegan milk, and replace the worcestershire with tamari or soy sauce…use your favorite vegan biscuits! Lactose-free milk for my dairy-free peeps!

Serving Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

I like to split the warm biscuits in half and then pour the sausage gravy over. You can also just spoon the gravy right over the biscuits or use the biscuits as a vessel to sop up the gravy, however you’d like it to go down. Biscuits and gravy pairs well with other breakfast/brunch faves like bacon and eggs and fresh fruit.

Make-Ahead, Storing & Freezing

Make-ahead notes: You can make this sausage gravy up to 2 days in advance if you’d like and store it inside of an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop (or microwave) with an extra splash of half and half (or milk) to thin out the gravy, as needed. The buttermilk biscuits can also be made ahead and stored as well, check here for biscuit-related info.

Storing leftover gravy: The sausage gravy can be kept stored inside of an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat it the same as noted above.

Freezing leftover gravy: I’ve tried freezing this gravy and wasn’t a fan of the texture/taste afterwards. If you use milk (as opposed to half and half), it’s likely to fare better. Let the leftover gravy cool completely and then transfer into an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat with more milk to thin.

This Biscuits and Gravy combo is the perfect treat to whip up for yourself or the whole family! It’s sooo good, mmm. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Want more cozy goodness? Check out:

• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie w/ Biscuits
• Gnocchi Bolognese
• Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup w/ Sourdough Croutons
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Chicken & Waffles

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