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Home » Recipes » Cooking Tips and Basic Techniques

White Sausage Gravy

Published: Sep 7, 2023 · Updated: Jan 10, 2024 by Marye

This easy white sausage gravy recipe is rich, creamy, and full of tasty crumbled sausage. Spoon it over biscuits, toast, or cornbread for a quick breakfast treat! It's done in about 15 minutes.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 15 minutes minutes
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Overhead view of gravy with a wooden spoon in it.
Overhead view of gravy with a text overlay for Pinterest.

Stir up a batch of your favorite biscuits - and get ready for a classic Southern breakfast! This delicious recipe is ready in minutes.

Overhead view of a skillet with gravy in it. Title text overlay.
Table of Contents
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 How to store white sausage gravy
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • Easy to make, rich and creamy with a slight spicy bite, this simple white gravy is a southern breakfast staple.
  • Homemade sausage gravy is the perfect breakfast for a special occasion or casual weekend morning.
  • (techniques they'll learn or some other informative fact from the post)

If you're talking about a southern specialty then this recipe is going to be close to the top of the list!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

ingredients for this recipe.

📖 Variations

  • Instead of using pork sausage in this homemade sausage gravy recipe, you can use turkey sausage for a lower fat option. If the turkey sausage doesn't give off about two tablespoons of drippings, you may need to add a little oil or butter.
  • Use cooked bacon and bacon drippings instead of ground sausage if you prefer.
  • Sometimes I use cooked ground beef.
  • Use heavy cream or half and half instead of milk for an extra creamy gravy.
  • Add yellow onions to the ground sausage while you are browning it for additional flavor.
  • If you like more pepper in your gravy, add more to suit your taste buds.
  • To make a flavorful gravy, you can add garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or even hot sauce.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Collage of the steps to make this recipe.
  1. Place sausage in a large skillet, then brown over medium heat until it's no longer pink. Make sure it's cooked all the way through.
  2. Stir flour into the sausage until it's all absorbed, then cook for another minute or to two.
  3. Slowly blend in milk, stirring constantly to prevent clumps from forming. A whisk works best for this.
  4. Cook until the flour mixture thickens, stir constantly to prevent the gravy from scorching.

🥫 How to store white sausage gravy

Leftover gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.

A flour based gravy like this can be frozen for up to two months, be sure to store it in a freezer-safe container.

If it's a little watery when it's thawed just stir it in as it's heating up.

For freshly cooked taste I recommend reheating leftover gravy in a medium saucepan on medium heat.

You may need to add a small amount of milk to make the gravy creamy again.

Biscuits are also best, when reheated in the oven instead of the microwave.

Overhead view of biscuits and gravy on a white plate.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Be sure to stir this constantly, because gravy can scorch quickly. Stirring constantly helps prevent that.

  • If the gravy is too thick, add a little more milk or heavy cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
  • If the gravy is too thin, cook over medium-high heat until it thickens.
  • I recommend using whole milk or evaporated milk to make this, as it gives the best flavor and texture.
  • If you don't have enough drippings, you can also melt butter to make a roux for gravy.
  • If you find lumps in the gravy, whisk it well until they break up. If a whisk doesn't work you can also smash the lumps against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon.
  • Serve southern white gravy over fresh biscuits for a delicious southern breakfast.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is white gravy made of?

It's a simple cream sauce recipe - just flour, fat, and milk with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Why is my sausage gravy not thickening?

There could be two reasons why your gravy hasn't thickened. First, is it boiling? It needs to be hot to thicken. Second, you may not have used enough flour. To fix this make a flour slurry with 2 Tablespoons flour with 3 Tablespoons of water and add to the gravy.

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch for gravy?

It is better to use flour. If you use cornstarch, be very careful not to let the gravy scorch or it will become very thick and difficult to correct. Cornstarch also makes a slightly cloudy gravy.

What is the difference between sawmill gravy and white sausage gravy?

Sawmill gravy is always made with drippings from meat, but it could be with bacon or sausage drippings. Just like the name implies sausage gravy is always made with sausage. It's also called country gravy or cream gravy when there's no sausage in it.

Can you make gravy with evaporated milk

You sure can! Evaporated milk (not condensed milk!) makes a rich, creamy gravy that's delicious!

Closeup of biscuits with gravy on top.

📚 Related recipes

  • Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins are a delicious comfort food breakfast that's great to make ahead.
  • Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits is a copycat recipe that the entire family will enjoy.
  • You can never go wrong with these Buttermilk Waffles. They are a southern staple that appears on breakfast tables often.
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🍽️ Serve with...

To me there's just nothing that compares to a country breakfast with all the fixin's.

I'm not a huge fan of eggs but I love this Egg Bites Recipe. It is a simple recipe for mornings when you want to add some flavor and protein to your breakfast.

Of course sausage gravy goes with homemade buttermilk biscuits but it's also great over hashbrowns or crispy fried potatoes (home fries).

You could also try these Easy Drop Biscuits if you want to save a little time in the kitchen.

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Egg Bites Recipe
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Hashbrown Casserole
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How to Make Crispy Fried Potatoes
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Buttermilk Biscuits
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Drop Biscuits

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I love my Lodge cast iron skillet. It heats evenly and is the pan that I use the most on a regular basis! It will last for ever if you treat it right.

I have a ton of whisks but this is the set that gets the most use for gravies and sauces.

📞 The last word

I could eat my weight in this stuff.

I like to use spicy sausage and then once it's covering the biscuit I sprinkle hot sauce over the top. Gosh, it's so good!

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If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of gravy with a wooden spoon in it.

White Sausage Gravy

4.67 from 12 votes
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This easy white sausage gravy recipe is rich, creamy, and full of tasty crumbled sausage. Spoon it over biscuits, toast, or cornbread for a quick breakfast treat! It's done in about 15 minutes.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings:8
Calories:233
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces ground pork breakfast sausage
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste, garlic powder, chipotle powder, crushed red pepper onion powder are optional possibilities.

Instructions

  • Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it's done and there's no more pink. Be sure to break up the meat as you cook. This will take about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the flour and cook, stirring until all the flour is absorbed - cook for at least a minute or two.
  • Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.
  • Cook until the mixture comes to a slow boil and starts to thicken, stirring all the while.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 more minutes, continuing to stir and make sure that the gravy doesn't scorch on the bottom.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper and any additional seasonings you want to use.

Notes

Storage:
Leftover gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
A flour based gravy like this can be frozen for up to two months, be sure to store it in a freezer-safe container. If it's a little watery when it's thawed just stir it in as it's heating up.
For freshly cooked taste I recommend reheating leftover gravy in a medium saucepan on medium heat. You may need to add a small amount of milk to make the gravy creamy again. Biscuits are also best, when reheated in the oven instead of the microwave.
Expert Tip: Be sure to stir this constantly, because gravy can scorch quickly. Stirring constantly helps prevent that.
  • If the gravy is too thick, add a little more milk or heavy cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
  • If the gravy is too thin, cook over medium-high heat until it thickens.
  • I recommend using whole milk or evaporated milk to make this, as it gives the best flavor and texture.
  • If you don't have enough drippings, you can also melt butter to make a roux for gravy.
  • If you find lumps in the gravy, whisk it well until they break up. If a whisk doesn't work you can also smash the lumps against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon.
  • Serve southern white gravy over fresh biscuits for a delicious southern breakfast.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

First published Feb 27, 2022. Last updated September 7, 2023, for updated information and editorial improvements.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.67 from 12 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Janet Baumes says

    April 02, 2022 at 1:10 pm

    I make this ehit grabey for cube steak. Fry floured cube steak and leave the grease in pan. Remove cube steak and add a little flour stir till grease is absorbed. Add milk while stirring. Gravey will thicken as it cooks. I add gravey master to darken gravey. Delicious. Was raised in W Va

    Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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