Make these classic Southern Biscuits and Gravy with creamy, rich sausage gravy served over mile-high fluffy, flaky, soft buttermilk biscuits with just a few cost-conscious ingredients!
Southern Biscuits and Gravy
This Southern Biscuits and Gravy recipe is a favorite in our own household, and a breakfast staple (and who am I kidding, dinner too!).
Savory, creamy sausage gravy smothers flaky, soft, and buttery homemade buttermilk biscuits. Every rich bite absolutely melts in your mouth. It is breakfast heaven!
Plus, it's made using mostly pantry staples! So it's very easy and cheap to make, making it easier to make again and again!
This recipe is a classic and family favorite for a reason! These are truly the best!
What is Biscuits and Gravy?
Biscuits and gravy is a popular southern breakfast dish consisting of soft biscuits covered in a creamy sausage or white gravy.
What Kind of Sausage Should I Use?
You can use hot, mild, or sage sausage in your gravy, whatever your personal preference. We almost always use mild breakfast sausage.
Do I Have to Use Sausage in my Gravy?
Nope! Instead of using sausage, you can use sausage or bacon drippings or butter to make a gravy like this sawmill gravy. I recommend at least doubling this recipe to use for the full 12 biscuits.
How to Get the Gravy to the Right Consistency
Getting gravy to the right consistency is all about letting it reduce down.
After you add your ALL of your milk, it will be extremely thin and liquid-y (but not when you add that first dollop of milk to the pot. At that point, the consistency turns dough-like and that is normal).
Anyway to get it from this super thin liquid state, keep whisking over medium heat and let it reduce down. Stop just before you feel it's thick enough because it will continue to thicken as it cools a bit.
If you accidentally thickened it too much, just add a little dollop of milk, about ¼ cup at a time until it's back to the consistency you want.
What to Use Instead of Buttermilk
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, it's great to know how to make your own quick substitute at home!
This buttermilk substitute uses milk and vinegar or lemon to quickly and effectively use in place of buttermilk.
What to Eat with Southern Biscuits and Gravy
Biscuits and gravy is a super filling dish, so you don't need to add much. You can serve it with a bowl of fresh fruit and some fried or scrambled eggs.
Serve it alongside any of your other breakfast favorites, such as fried potatoes, chicken fried steak, or bacon.
More Southern Recipes You'll Love
- Southern Skillet Cornbread - A super simple cornbread recipe that's tender in the center and crisp around the edges.
- Crockpot Grits - ultra creamy grits made right in the slow cooker. Dress them up with your favorite toppings.
- Southern Chicken Fried Steak - Breaded steak that's pan-fried to golden perfection and then topped with a simple, creamy white gravy.
- Southern Oven Fried Chicken - This chicken is so good, you wouldn't believe it wasn't actually fried. Crispy and flavorful and baked in the oven.
- Southern Corn Pudding - a favorite side dish, especially for holidays, this cheesy, savory casserole (also called spoon bread) is a always a hit.
Southern Biscuits and Gravy Video
Southern Biscuits and Gravy
Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter (unsalted) thinly sliced
- 1 cup cold buttermilk
Sausage Gravy
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3½ cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until pea-size clumps form.
- Create a well in the center of the mixture by pushing the mixture toward the sides of the bowl. Pour buttermilk into the well. Mix gently with a fork until JUST combined. (Over mixing will make tough biscuits!)
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and create a rectangle using your hands.Fold the dough into thirds (like folding a letter). (Fold left side over center, then right side, so it's still in a rectangular shape.) Then roll back out to 1-inch thick. Repeat the folding and rolling process twice more, Rolling the dough out to ½" thick on the final time.
- Cut out about 12 biscuits with a 2 ½"-3" cutter. Re-roll any scraps until there's about 10-12 biscuits.
- Transfer biscuits to a baking sheet so that the biscuits are touching each other and the edge.
- Bake at 425°F for about 13-15 minutes until cooked through and golden brown on top.
For the Gravy
- While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until no longer pink.
- When sausage is cooked through, add flour to the skillet and stir to combine. Allow to heat through, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add milk, about ½ cup at a time to prevent lumps, whisking the whole time. Milk should thin out the mixture. If the gravy is very thin at 3 cups, then that's enough. If it's still thick, add another ½ cup, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Continue cooking and stirring to prevent lumps or sticking, until gravy comes to a low simmer and thickens.
- When gravy has thickened, add white pepper, and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve right away over warm biscuits.
Notes
- Storage: Store gravy covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Biscuits can be stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Freezer Directions: Allow prepared gravy to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To freeze biscuits, allow to cool. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature on the counter before warming in the microwave.
- Reheat Instructions: Reheat gravy in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until desired temperature has been reached. To reheat gravy in the microwave, transfer to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Then microwave in 30 second intervals until gravy is warm. Microwaving for too long at once will cause the gravy to separate, so be sure to only do it in short bursts.
Nutrition
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Andrea says
Easy and delicious! Biscuits turn out so flakey!
And I always choose your recipes when I see them, because I want to be a gracious wife too. Thank you for inadvertently inspiring me!