This is my classic, old-fashioned homemade sausage gravy recipe (also often known as “sawmill gravy”)! Just 4 ingredients and 15 minutes and you can have this classic breakfast staple on your table. Pairs perfectly with my 5-star foolproof homemade biscuits!
The Best Sausage Gravy Recipe
When the chilly weather starts to roll around, the first thing I do around here is break out my sausage gravy recipe.
That’s not entirely true, I have it more-than memorized by now, but the skillet comes out, the biscuits go in the oven, and we start getting serious about comfort food. Sweater weather means homemade sausage gravy and biscuits and buttermilk pancakes for breakfast and my best chili recipe and potato soup on weekly dinner rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Super simple to make — beginners & experts will enjoy this recipe, and find equal success with it!
- Ready in under 15 minutes
- It’s a satisfying, filling, and hearty breakfast gravy
- Full of authentic flavor; you won’t find a sausage gravy this tasty on any shelf or even your favorite breakfast spot.
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need 🧂
Simple ingredients, spectacular results. Here’s what you need for my homemade sausage gravy recipe:
- Sausage. Search for pork breakfast sausage, which is typically sold in a log as shown above. If you can find a sage variety, grab it, it will make your gravy even more flavorful.
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour for this recipe, it serves as the thickener that keeps the gravy from becoming too loose/watery. Some readers have reported success using a 1:1 gluten free flour in place of wheat flour, but I have not personally tried this myself yet.
- Milk. Whole milk is best for the proper consistency. Using a lower-fat milk will result in a thinner sausage gravy.
- Seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, and, if you’d like, just a pinch of crushed red pepper. If the flavor of the gravy tastes anything less than amazing once it’s finished cooking, you most likely just need a few more shakes of salt!
This is just an overview of the ingredients we’re using today. For the full list of amounts and all recipe details, please scroll down to the printable recipe.
How to Make It
- Cook the sausage in a skillet over medium/high heat, crumbling with a spoon or spatula as you cook.
- Cook until the sausage is thoroughly browned and well broken up. No need to drain the meat!
- Sprinkle flour over the sausage and stir until the flour is absorbed, then cook a few seconds longer!
- While stirring, slowly drizzle in the milk and cook until it’s absorbed. Add crushed red pepper, if using. Let the mixture thicken (stir occasionally) and add salt and pepper to taste!
SAM’S TIP: Use your spoon, spatula or even a whisk to break up any flour clumps after adding to your sausage but before you add the milk. This will keep you from having any flour lumps in your breakfast gravy!
The technique is simple and I have no doubt you’ll find success with this sausage gravy recipe (hundreds already have!), but if you’re more of a visual learner, be sure to check out my how-to video tutorial in the recipe card!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe is a great make-ahead breakfast option! Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and simply reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat the next morning. The gravy will have thickened quite a bit overnight, so add a splash of milk and stir well when you first add it to the skillet and cook until the gravy is heated through.
My sausage gravy recipe is thickened by the flour that the recipe calls for. When you first add the milk, it will likely seem very runny, but as you continue to cook the mixture, the gravy will thicken. If you like an even thicker gravy than seen here in photos, don’t add more flour, just continue to cook until your desired consistency is reached. As the milk cooks out, it will become thicker!
The primary difference is that country gravy is typically prepared without meat (quite unlike today’s recipe)! The base is usually built on a base of butter rather than sausage grease. While it’s certainly tasty when done right, it simply doesn’t smother biscuits quite as satisfyingly, if you ask me (though I’d say they both fall slightly short of chocolate gravy 😉!).
Warm, hearty, and just simply delicious, I hope this homemade sausage gravy recipe will be a new staple in your household cold-weather breakfast rotation. If you try it, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
Let’s cook together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube!
Homemade Sausage Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb (455 g) pork breakfast sausage I recommend using sage flavored
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 ½ cups (590 ml) whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place sausage in a skillet over medium/high heat.1 lb (455 g) pork breakfast sausage
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up and crumble sausage as it cooks, cooking until completely browned and no pink remains. I don't drain my skillet, you want to have at least a Tablespoon or up to 2 Tablespoons of grease, but if you have much more than this you may wish to drain your skillet.
- Sprinkle flour evenly over the sausage crumbles. Stir frequently until flour is absorbed (about 1 minute).¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- Slowly drizzle the milk into your skillet, stirring as you pour. Add crushed red pepper, if using.2 ½ cups (590 ml) whole milk, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Continue to cook, stirring frequently until mixture is thickened and desired consistency is reached.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm over homemade biscuits!salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Notes
Storing/Making in Advance
Sausage gravy can be made the night before you plan to serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add to a skillet over medium/low heat. Gravy will likely be thickened, so add a splash of milk to it and stir well until mixture is heated through.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
More Great Recipes to Try
I originally published my sausage gravy recipe in October of 2018. The recipe remains unchanged, but I’ve since updated the post to be more informative and helpful.
Lindsey
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out great. My boyfriend has been requesting biscuits and gravy. I have never been much of a cook but this recipe here made me out to be a liar. Top notch gravy. He was impressed and happy with breakfast for dinner.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it worked out so nicely for you, Lindsey! 🩷
Travis
Thanks going try out in the morning..
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Paula
Perfect.
Slyann
I tried this recipe! It was super easy to make this sausage gravy. 😋 I did add my own preference of ingredients, the taste was spot on! This recipe reminded me of my childhood down in the south. Thank you for sharing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed it 😊
Susan
Delicious and easy! The gravy thickened up nicely.
Old man cook
Good basic recipe, experiment from here.
Deven
Simple and tasty! My only changes were I had 2% milk on hand so that was what I used and a bit of ground sage.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Deven! 🙂
Chris
I’m making 3 pounds and freezing for family vacation! Biscuits and gravy at the beach.🏖
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! That’s a surefire way to make a beach trip even better 🥰
Slyann
Will have to try that! Great idea!
Tamara Johnson
I love sausage gravy and often one of the items I always get when going for breakfast. Thought it was hard to make. But it’s so simple and enjoying it right now as my lunch! I added tabasco sauce towards the end and cajun salt.
This will be on rotation!
Sharon Miller
This is my grandma’s recipe! I’ve made it a million times times just exactly the same as this recipe, only I never measured anything!! lol now I do! Makes prep soo much easier!!!
Joel Roszell
This is pretty much what I do. But try this with Half and Half. Even better.
Raisa
My son’s mawmaw passed away before she was able to give me the family recipes. He loved her biscuits and gravy. This is the closest I have found to match what hers tasted like. Thank you. It is super easy, quick, and delicious.
Sam
You’re welcome! I’m glad you have found a suitable substitute. 🙂
Ronald Schuler
Old,82, great Grandpa doing 1st time cooking. The gravy was so good,ate too much . Thanks for the ‘simple recipe,yum.
Jennifer Schultz
I made this tonight, which is probably my 10th or so time making it, and this is by far the BEST sausage gravy recipe ever! I make butter swim biscuits and pour the sausage gravy on top, and OMG….it’s heaven on a plate! If you haven’t made this yet, you need to.
Lura Joy
Omg! I do it the same way!! Delish!!
Carrie
I haven’t made this yet but I am going to give this recipe five stars just based on the way the recipe is written. I love that each step of the recipe also includes the ingredient specifics so you don’t have to keep scrolling back up to the ingredient list. Brilliant!
Karol
Delish and very easy to make.love this recipe
Carol
Easy recipe! Even after simmering it wasn’t thick enough for me. I will make it again but will add a pinch more of flour. The flavor was great!
Brittanie
I used the cookie sheet in the oven and omg. FLUFFIEST biscuits I’ve ever made!! I’ll be using this recipe every time
Laura
I used precooked turkey sausage patties by crumbling in food processor then browning with 2T butter. Followed rest of recipe as is. Turned out great. So simple. Probably the first recipe I can remember after only 1 making. As I tell people I’m not much of a cook but I can follow a recipe. TY!