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.
April stacey
Delicious my first time making sausage gravy. Didn’t add crushed red pepper maybe next time will do for an extra kick
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, April!
Susan
Use this always so delicious
Angel Oh
Excellent recipe! Did add a little fresh sage – so good!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! We are so happy you enjoyed it 🩷
Kerri
It turned out perfect and was very easy to make.
Aviles Michelle
Can i make a suggestion? Ive been making sausage gravy for as long as i can remember. I use Jimmy deans hot sausage chub cause to me its not that hot.
Besides salt and pepper i use basil and lots of it. It really brings out the flavor. .
Bianca
Do you use fresh or dried basil?
Sam
Dried 🙂
Joanne
This is a perfect recipe, so easy and awesome!
Morgan
I make this recipe a lot, as well as the biscuit recipe. Each I make with oat milk! Sounds weird, but it’s actually delicious. For this recipe, I use 1/2 a cup less of milk and add a little extra flower to get the best consistency with it!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy it so much, Morgan! Thank you for your oat milk substitution feedback. 🙂
Aviles Michelle
Dried basil yes
Susan Clair
Sam is a Wonder!! For years and years I used Libby’s canned sausage gravy. Sam’s recipe is perfect!!! Saves soooo much money too.
I have watched her on youtube and never tried to make anything she does until now.
If I could make all the goodies and real food she has in her repertoire, I would probably weigh 300 pounds because I wouldn’t be able to resist eating a pile of it.
Thank you beautiful young woman, wife and mother! You are fabulous and gorgeous inside and out!! God Bless You & Your Family Richly more and more!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Susan! ☺️
Bobby g
very easy to make, taste was surperp i used maple sausage best ever.
shelley Felthaus paull
my son uses just about the same recipes you do. he’s a firefighter and has learned and made the best foods ever! i made the sausage gravy as directed, but it just was not as good as his lol
Todd M Sitorius
I’m was just at the store and was looking at the maple wondering how that would be, thanks I’m definitely trying now. I do like a mild sweetness background flavor, so I dice and saute half an apple and a quarter of a sweet onion and add to the sausage, going to make it right now !
Richard Wells
first time making biscuits and gravy Loved your recipe IT was easy and straightforward to make
thanks
Rick
LeAnn Marir Rafac
A delicious recipe for sausage gravy. I made a double batch and cut back the red pepper flakes by half. Added a few dashes of sage.
Anonimus
I absolutely love this recipe! I have used it so many times, and my entire family loves it as well!!
Danielle Hernandez
Turned out amazing and was easy!
William Wesbey
simple and great. I went an extra cup of milk to make my gravy was a little thinner.
Jodie Y
The recipe is simple to follow and quick to make. My entire family loves it! It tastes like we are back in WV.