Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy start with buttery, flaky, warm biscuits that we smother with mouthwatering creamy sausage gravy. You’ll be amazed how quick and easy this hearty comfort food is to make!

No need to ask Siri for “biscuits and gravy near me” — this homemade version is so much better than anything you’ll get at a restaurant! Why? Because sausage is more expensive than the other gravy ingredients, a lot of restaurants will “stretch” the sausage by serving a thinner gravy with less meat.

Biscuits And Gravy Are Classic American Comfort Food!

In America, biscuits and gravy are a popular breakfast (brunch, lunch, and dinner too!) dish that is pure comfort food. Popular, especially in the Midwest and Southern parts of the country, biscuits and gravy start with tender flaky biscuits that are covered in thick and creamy sausage gravy. The gravy is typically made with pork sausage, flour, and milk.

While it’s typically breakfast fare, biscuits and gravy for dinner is one of the signature dishes my dad made all the time for us growing up. Granted, it’s not the healthiest meal, but whenever the weather cools down, it’s what I crave! And who doesn’t need some good stick-to-your bones comfort food when it’s cold outside?!

What Is Sausage Gravy?

Sausage gravy is more than just gravy. It’s much thicker than typical gravy because in this dish, the gravy is half the meal. It’s more than just a sauce used to enhance the flavor of the food. This gravy is the star of the show, very thick and creamy with meat in every bite. Stocks or broths aren’t in this gravy — just a whole lot of milk or sometimes even some cream. 

How To Make Biscuits And Gravy

Start by preparing the biscuits — buy some at the store or make them homemade. This biscuit recipe is our favorite — delicious, buttery, and flaky biscuits for minimal effort (you’ll be amazed how easy this recipe is!). If preparing homemade biscuits, cut the dough out to 2-3/4- inch rounds.

For even easier-to-make biscuits, try our drop biscuits recipe.

While the biscuits are baking, whip together the sausage gravy. Brown the sausage and then make a roux (butter + flour) right in the same pan. Finish the gravy off with some milk and seasonings.

How to serve: Split one biscuit in half and then top with the gravy–easy peasy. If the sausage gravy is served over whole, un-split biscuits, the proportion of gravy to biscuit will be off and the gravy can’t sink into the biscuit. The end result will be much drier than it is supposed to be.

Recipe Tips

• Use whole milk. In this recipe, the secret ingredient is whole milk! While you can use 1% or 2%, the result won’t be nearly as creamy or thick. And we definitely want thick and creamy gravy!
• Use a tasty pork breakfast sausage. Jimmy Dean® makes our favorite for this recipe (not sponsored). If you like some spice, pick the hot sausage, and if not, go with regular.
• Thin as needed. If the gravy thickens up too much, simply add another splash of milk to thin it to the desired consistency.
• Season to taste. Taste the gravy before layering it on the biscuits to see if it needs a pinch more of salt, pepper, or garlic powder. Adjust until the flavors are vibrant!
• Warm biscuits. If the biscuits aren’t warm, add them (split open) to a sheet pan and bake at 275 degrees F for 5-10 minutes or until lightly toasted and warmed through. 

Biscuits And Gravy FAQs

Can I make sausage gravy the night before?

Yes! You can make this gravy ahead of time. Just prepare it, let it cool, and put it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to use it, warm it up in a pot on low heat, stirring now and then. You might need to add a little milk to make it the right thickness.

How to make Biscuits And Gravy without sausage?

If you don’t like sausage, try ground turkey or lean beef instead. The flavor will change but still be delicious. You might need extra seasonings.

How to make gravy for Biscuits And Gravy?

Here’s a quick overview of the gravy making process:

1. Brown the pork sausage
2. Add butter
3. Add flour and cook off the raw flour taste
4. Gradually add in milk while stirring constantly
5. Allow gravy to thicken
6. Season and serve!

More breakfast favorites

• Ham and Cheese Quiche with Swiss cheese
• Breakfast Potatoes and Bacon made on one pan
• Quiche Lorraine with bacon!
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes with buttermilk

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5 from 3 votes

Biscuits And Gravy

By Chelsea Lords

This Biscuits and Gravy recipe combines warm, buttery biscuits with rich, creamy sausage gravy. This hearty comfort food is surprisingly quick and easy to whip up!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Large pan 4-quart, heavy-bottomed

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Sausage Gravy

• ▢ 1 pound ground pork sausage mild or hot
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/3 cup flour
• ▢ 3 cups whole milk see note 1
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon each: garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ Biscuits see note 2

Instructions 

• Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Break the sausage into small pieces with your hands as you add it to the skillet in a single layer. Add seasoned salt. Brown the sausage, continue to break it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Do not drain.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and add butter to the pan. Once butter is completely melted, sprinkle flour evenly all over the sausage. Stir it around and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan.
• Slowly add 1 cup of milk while stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Once the milk has thickened, slowly add in the remaining 2 cups of milk while stirring constantly. Cook the gravy, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan until gravy thickens nicely. This can take a good 10–15 minutes (see note 3), depending on the heat of the stovetop and how cold the milk was going into the gravy.
• Add garlic powder, dried thyme, and pepper. Taste and adjust any seasonings.
• Spooned over warm biscuits and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired. Enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Milk: Whole milk is going to deliver the best gravy. You can use 1% or 2% milk, but it will be slightly less creamy. I don't recommend skim milk or milk alternatives. Try Lactaid® whole milk for a lactose-free version.

Note 2: Biscuits: If making homemade biscuits, start those first. While they bake, prepare the gravy so both are ready at the same time. Split the warm biscuits by hand and spoon the gravy over them. If using leftover or room-temperature biscuits, preheat the oven to 275°F. Halve the biscuits, place them split side up on a sheet pan, and bake for 5–10 minutes until warmed and lightly toasted. Serve with warm gravy on top.

Note 3: The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Lift up the spoon and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line retains a clear track, the gravy is thick enough. If not, cook a bit longer.  If the gravy gets too thick for your preference, just add more milk.

Nutrition: The nutrition information is for the sausage gravy but not the biscuits, because biscuits can vary greatly.

Storage: Store biscuits in an airtight container 2 days at room temp, 1 week in the fridge, or 3 months frozen and gravy in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, warm biscuits in the oven and gravy on the stove, adding milk if it’s too thick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29.5g | Cholesterol: 75.9mg | Sodium: 626.4mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4.9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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