Southern Country Sausage Gravy

Name: Southern Country Sausage Gravy
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound good quality sausage (I like to use the hot variety); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups cold milk; 1/2 teaspoon salt

Jump to Recipe

Southern Country Gravy is a rich and flavorful gravy that takes just 10 minutes to make. It is the perfect accompaniment to homemade biscuits for a comforting breakfast.

Pan of sawmill sausage gravy with basket of biscuits.

Jump to:

What is Southern Country Gravy?
Ingredients
Instructions
Frequently Asked Questions
Serving Suggestions
Recipe
Reviews

What is Southern Country Gravy?

Southern country gravy is also called sawmill gravy. It is made with meat drippings, flour, and milk. It can be traced all the way back to the early 1800s. Sawmill workers needed an inexpensive, calorie-dense breakfast to feel them for a day of hauling logs.

When I was young my mom would often make biscuits and gravy as a weekend treat. This recipe is the exact same one that she made! While super simple, it is so good that even after years of making it myself I never needed to change a single thing.

Ingredients

This recipe is so easy, there are just 4 simple ingredients!

Sausage - Your favorite ground breakfast sausage can be used. I love to use hot sausage but mild works as well.
Flour - All-purpose flour is standard for this recipe but you can also use a gluten-free substitution. Take a look at the bag to find out the substitution ratio.
Milk - Lowfat or whole milk can be used.
Salt - I use Kosher salt but table salt can also be used.

Instructions

Step One: Brown the Sausage

In a medium skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbs as it cooks.
Continue cooking until there is no more pink.

Step Two: Cook the Flour

Depending on the fat content of your sausage, you may have several tablespoons, or you may need to add a little more oil. You want 2-3 tablespoons of oil total.
Stir the flour into the oil, and cook along with the sausage for 2 minutes.
If you do not cook your flour then the gravy will have a glue-like taste. When the flour is just beginning to turn golden, you are ready to add the milk.

Step Three: Add Milk

Pour the milk in all at once, and continue cooking, while stirring occasionally.
After about 5 minutes, the gravy will thicken.

Gravy with milk added to it, before it has been cooked to thicken.

Step Four: Finish with Salt

Don't forget the salt! I cannot tell you how many times I have served biscuits and gravy, only to take one bite and exclaim, "I forgot the salt!" Fortunately, it's an easy thing to fix. But still best if you remember to add the salt before serving. It's a game-changer with the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make southern sausage gravy recipe without milk?

Gravy can be made dairy-free with an equal substitution of either almond milk or cashew milk!

Can I make sawmill gravy without the meat?

Traditionally, sawmill gravy is made using the grease leftover from cooking bacon or sausage. You can use these drippings and save your meat for later, if you want a smooth gravy. This is often desired when serving with fried chicken.

For a completely meat-free gravy, skip the sausage completely and use 3 tablespoons of canola oil or butter to make your roux.

Why is my gravy lumpy?

If you add the milk to the gravy before the flour has been cooked into the oil, the flour will form clumps in the milk. To avoid this, cook the flour and oil together for a couple of minutes, then add the milk all at once and stir well.

Serving Suggestions

I think the best way to enjoy sawmill sausage gravy is with buttermilk biscuits. It is one of our family's favorite things to make for brunch!
It is also delicious with fried chicken!

This recipe was a part of our Exploring the States series. We enjoyed it for our Mississippi state dinner!

Skillet of sausage gravy with a spoon, blue checkered towell on the side.

Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind-the-scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!

Recipe