Old Fashioned Sausage Gravy: Sausage gravy over delicious homemade biscuits? A hearty gravy recipe, full of ground sausage, combined with a few other simple ingredients, to make the breakfast recipe of your dreams! It’s similar to our white gravy recipe but with sausage added.
I love a good home-cooked meal, especially when it comes to breakfast foods! Imagine a slow weekend morning where you whip up everyone’s favorites, including sausage gravy. I also love to add jalapeños to spice up gravy!
If your tastes run more sweet than savory, make sure and check out this delicious cinnamon roll casserole. And if you’re always on the go, store some bacon egg sandwiches in the fridge!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Southern classic: Learn to cook just like grandma!
- Make-ahead recipe: This reheats perfectly, so you can make it on a day you have more time to just reheat when ready to serve.
- Crowd pleaser: Everyone loves a homemade sausage gravy! You can easily double this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this old-fashioned sausage gravy recipe.
- Sausage – I like using Jimmy Dean sausage. You can add heat by using a HOT version of the same kind of sausage. Or, like our chorizo gravy, you can use chorizo instead for a different type of gravy.
- Milk – Whole milk is recommended for this recipe. However, using 2% or skim can be used as well, it just may need a bit more flour to thicken properly. You can also use heavy cream, although it may thicken more than when using whole milk.
- Flour – All-purpose flour is best for this recipe
- Bacon Grease – This is optional, and I use either leftover bacon grease after cooking bacon right before making the gravy, or I use a reserved amount that I’ve saved previously from cooking bacon.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
How to Make the Best Sausage Gravy
Making gravy from scratch is simple! See how easy it is below…
STEP 1. Cook sausage. Brown the sausage until cooked through. Break up any large clumps as needed.
STEP 2. Add bacon grease. For a fun added taste, stir in some leftover bacon grease!
Tip: Using different types of milk can change the thickness of your gravy.
STEP 3. Add flour. Stir the flour into the sausage. I love doing it this way because it helps reduce clumping.
STEP 4. Stir in milk. Slowly add milk while whisking. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Bacon Grease. Adding the bacon grease is optional. I like to add it because it helps give the gravy more flavor, and sometimes the sausage doesn’t produce as much grease as I like for gravies.
- Use a whisk. Using a whisk can be a little tricky when cooking with larger pieces of ground sausage but I still recommend it. Whisking the gravy helps break down the flour when it mixes with the milk.
Recipe FAQs
White country gravy doesn’t have sausage in it, while sausage gravy has crumbled breakfast sausage mixed in.
The answer is always biscuits! But it’s also great as a part of an eggs Benedict-style meal. You can also serve over bread or English muffins.
I like adding bacon grease to gravy to help give it even more flavor. However it’s not necessary and you can add more flavor to your gravy with salt and pepper, or even other spices such as garlic powder, sage, or paprika.
What to Serve with Sausage Gravy
It goes without saying that you need hot homemade biscuits for sausage gravy! It’s a great meal on its own or you can add some scrambled eggs and fruit. You could also dip breakfast pigs in a blanket in to it, or over a country fried steak.
You can also bake some breakfast sausage in the oven, or sausage patties in the oven to go with fried potatoes and onions, with this gravy recipe poured over the top.
Love using your air fryer? Making air fryer breakfast potatoes and bacon in the air fryer, are other great sides to have with your new gravy recipe.
Storage
Leftovers: If you have leftover sausage gravy, allow it to cool and store in an airtight container, and place it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat: This gravy can be reheated in the microwave, or on low, on the stovetop. If needed, you can add more milk if the gravy has thickened too much while sitting.
Freezing: You can also freeze this gravy and it should still be delicious if stored properly. Allow to cool and freeze in a freezer-safe container, for up to 3-4 months.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Originally published: January 2024
Updated and republished: May 2025
Recipe
Old Fashioned Sausage Gravy Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 whisk or serving spoon
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground sausage We like using Jimmy Dean
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour heaping tablespoons
- 2½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt remember, sausage and bacon grease can be salty – be cautious of adding too much.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons bacon grease, optional optional
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, cook ground sausage in a skillet until no longer pink. Do not drain. Turn down heat to medium. Optional: Add bacon grease and allow to melt.
- Sprinkle flour on to cooked sausage and stir to combine, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour milk in to floured sausage, add salt/pepper, and whisk/stir over medium heat until thickened. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Gravy can be reheated. Go low and slow on the stove and be ready to splash in some milk as needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
CINDY HOCH says
Delicious 😋 and easy to make. I loved the taste, the texture and the fact you could freeze it, and it lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator .
Was my first time making the gravy from scratch and I loved it.
Jessica says
Oh Cindy this makes me so happy! I’m thrilled that you liked this sausage gravy, thank you!!