Southern Sausage Gravy (Sausage Gravy)

Name: Southern Sausage Gravy (Sausage Gravy)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) bulk pork breakfast sausage, or links with the casings removed; 3 tbsp (24 g) all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk, plus more for thinning; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste; 1/2 tsp fine salt, or to taste; 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional); 1/2 tsp dried sage or thyme (optional)

Sausage Gravy Say it: SAW-sij GRAY-vee

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 5, 2026.

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Southern sausage gravy is the creamy white gravy that anchors the region's most famous breakfast: split buttermilk biscuits under a ladleful of sausage-studded sauce. Crumbled pork sausage is browned hard, dusted with flour, then simmered with milk until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Black pepper gives it its gentle bite, and a pinch of cayenne or sage deepens the flavor. It is eaten at diners, church halls and kitchen tables across the South, usually before 10 a.m.

Southern Sausage Gravy (Sausage Gravy)

Sausage Gravy

Pronounced SAW-sij GRAY-vee

Serves: 4
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free and egg-free.

Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

1 lb (450 g)450 g (1 lb) bulk pork breakfast sausage, or links with the casings removed
3 tbsp (24 g)24 g (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups (600 ml)600 ml (2 1/2 cups) whole milk, plus more for thinning

Seasoning

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp fine salt, or to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp dried sage or thyme (optional)

Method

Put the sausage in a cold 12-inch (30 cm) skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking it into hazelnut-size crumbles with a wooden spoon, for 6–8 minutes, until no pink remains and the edges are browned and crisp.
Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and its rendered fat. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, until the flour turns pale golden, smells toasty and no dry streaks remain.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the milk, stirring hard to work the flour into a paste. It will look lumpy at first — keep stirring.
Add the rest of the milk in three or four additions, stirring after each until smooth before adding more.
Simmer gently, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the skillet, for 6–8 minutes, until the gravy is thick enough to mound on a spoon and a line drawn through it holds. Do not let it boil hard.
Stir in the pepper, salt, cayenne and sage, if using, then taste and adjust. If it tightens too much, splash in more milk. Serve hot, spooned over split warm biscuits.

Regional variants

Some Southern cooks add a splash of strong black coffee or a spoonful of bacon drippings for a smokier, deeper gravy, while others use evaporated milk for extra richness. A fattier sausage gives a more peppery, savory result than a lean one.

Cook's notes

Keep the heat low once the milk goes in; a hard boil can make the gravy taste floury and catch on the pan.
If the pan looks dry after browning, add a tablespoon of butter with the flour so it has enough fat to turn into a smooth paste.
The gravy thickens as it stands, so make it a little looser than you want and loosen again with a splash of milk when reheating.

Serve with

Split buttermilk biscuits, scrambled or fried eggs, and hot coffee or sweet iced tea.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring often.

Southern Sausage Gravy (Sausage Gravy)