Easy 3-Ingredient Sausage Gravy

This easy 3-ingredient sausage gravy is rich, creamy, packed with flavor and ready in just 20 minutes. All you need is breakfast sausage, flour and milk, and you've got the best easy gravy recipe around. Perfect for biscuits and gravy!

It might seem a bit overwhelming to make homemade gravy, but it really doesn't have to be. Before long, you'll think there's nothing to it and you'll be whipping up overnight French toast and an overnight Southwest breakfast casserole to go with it - all for a perfect breakfast buffet.

But first, let me say this. Once you've made sausage gravy from scratch, you will never (ever) want to go back to making "sausage" gravy from a packet mix. Ever. And I say that with love.

Sure, it takes a few more minutes than a mix. But the taste! And the aroma. I mean, seriously folks... I could live for days off the smell wafting through the kitchen alone.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

This really is a 3 ingredient sausage gravy. Here's what you need and what you can swap.

• Breakfast sausage. Plain pork breakfast sausage from a roll is the classic choice, and regular, sage or hot all work great. You can also make your own with the seasoning from our homemade breakfast sausage patties and crumble it into the pan. Turkey sausage works too, but it's much leaner, so plan on adding a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan.
• All-purpose flour. Just 2 tablespoons thickens the whole pan. It cooks in the sausage drippings to make a quick roux. For a gluten-free gravy, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend instead.
• Milk. Whole milk makes the creamiest gravy. 2% works fine, it's just a little thinner. For an extra-rich version, swap half a cup of the milk for half-and-half. Skim milk isn't my favorite here because the gravy turns out thin.
• Salt and pepper. These don't count toward the three, but I suggest adding them! Sausage gravy should be nice and peppery, so be generous with the black pepper. Taste before adding salt, since the sausage is already salty.

Helpful Tips

Use a cast iron skillet. If you don't already have one, I highly recommend using a pre-seasoned cast iron pan when making sausage gravy. It browns the sausage beautifully and keeps the gravy warm on the table. Once you use a pan like this, you will use it for almost everything.

Check your drippings. You want about 2 tablespoons of fat left in the pan for the flour. If your sausage is lean and there isn't enough, add a pat of butter. If there's a lot more, spoon off the extra so the gravy doesn't turn greasy.

Cook the flour for a minute. Whisk the flour into the drippings and let it bubble for about a minute before you add any milk. This gets rid of the raw flour taste and gives the gravy a lovely toasty flavor.

Add the milk slowly to avoid lumps. The secret to smooth gravy is pouring the milk in a little at a time while you whisk constantly. Add a splash, whisk until it's smooth, then add a little more. If a few lumps show up anyway, don't panic! Just keep whisking over the heat and most of them will disappear.

Get the thickness just right. The gravy thickens as it simmers and keeps thickening as it cools, so take it off the heat when it coats the back of a spoon but still pours easily. Too thick? Whisk in a splash of milk. Too thin? Let it simmer for a few more minutes.

Variations

• Spicy sausage gravy. Use hot breakfast sausage and add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Maple sausage gravy. Maple breakfast sausage gives you a yummy sweet and salty twist that's great over biscuits.
• Herby gravy. Whisk ½ teaspoon of dried sage or thyme in with the flour for a cozy, country-style flavor.
• Bacon gravy. Swap the sausage for 6 slices of chopped bacon and use the bacon drippings to make the gravy.
• Cream cheese gravy. Stir in 2 ounces of cream cheese at the end for a super creamy, slightly tangy gravy.

Serving Ideas

Biscuits and gravy is the classic, of course! This is my go-to easy gravy recipe for biscuits. Split warm biscuits open and spoon the gravy right over the top. Our copycat restaurant style biscuits are out of this world if you have a little more time, and quick drop biscuits are perfect on a busy morning. Canned biscuits work great too.

Honestly, I think about this gravy more than I should. I once sat in an airport eating a perfectly tasty bowl of clam chowder and still caught myself daydreaming about it. How could I not?

To round out a big breakfast, add scrambled or fried eggs, crispy hash browns and some fresh fruit. Sausage gravy isn't just for breakfast either. It's perfect over a pile of fluffy mashed potatoes, and it's delicious on toast, chicken fried steak or fried chicken.

Storing & Freezing

Refrigerate leftover sausage gravy in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. It gets very thick in the fridge, and that's totally normal.

To reheat, warm it in a saucepan over low heat and whisk in a splash of milk until it's smooth and creamy again. You can also microwave it in 30-second bursts, stirring in between.

Yes, you can freeze sausage gravy! Let it cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stove with a little milk. It may look a bit separated at first, but a good whisk brings it right back together.

More Breakfast Recipes

If you loved this sausage gravy, here are a few more breakfast favorites you might enjoy:

• Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
• Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Browns
• Mushroom & Sausage Egg Bites
• Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Recipe

Easy 3-Ingredient Sausage Gravy

This easy 3-ingredient sausage gravy is rich, creamy and peppery, made with just sausage, flour and milk in about 20 minutes. Spoon it over warm biscuits!

4.9 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 260 kcal

Equipment

• cast iron skillet

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 8 ounces breakfast sausage regular, sage or hot
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk whole milk is best
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Instructions

• Cook the sausage in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks, until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to move the sausage to a bowl. Leave about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan and spoon off the rest (add a little butter if there isn't enough).
• Turn the heat down to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the drippings and whisk for about 1 minute, until smooth and lightly golden.
• Pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly so the gravy stays smooth.
• Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Stir the sausage back into the gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over warm biscuits.

Notes

Drippings: you need about 2 tablespoons of fat for the flour. If your sausage is lean, add a little butter. If there is a lot more, spoon off the extra.

Thickness: the gravy keeps thickening as it cools. Whisk in a splash of milk if it gets too thick, or simmer a few minutes longer if it is too thin.

Storage: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat over low heat with a splash of milk, whisking until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 13gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 698mgPotassium: 334mgSugar: 6gVitamin A: 243IUCalcium: 158mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.

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