Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Homemade biscuits and sausage gravy garnished with parsley on a blue and white plate

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5 from 2 votes

This easy Biscuits and Sausage Gravy recipe is a traditional Southern breakfast that has been loved for generations!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword biscuits and gravy casserole, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, Southern Biscuits and Gravy

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 310kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

For the Biscuits:

2 cups self-rising flour
¼ cup very cold butter, diced and chilled, plus additional for brushing
⅔ - ¾ cup very cold buttermilk (or more, as necessary)

For the Sausage Gravy:

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups whole milk, warmed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Make the Biscuits:

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan with a light coat of cooking spray and set aside.
Place flour in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter, two knives, or a food processor to work the butter into the flour until the lumps are about the size of peas.
Slowly add ⅔ cup of buttermilk, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir until a soft dough forms. Add small amounts of buttermilk slowly, as needed, until the dough comes together. Stop stirring or pulsing as soon as you have a soft dough (be careful not to over-mix the dough).
Flour a work surface. Place dough onto floured surface and knead it once or twice. If the dough is sticky, feel free to sprinkle it with more flour, as needed.
Pat the dough out until it’s about ¾" thick.
Use a 3-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out the individual biscuits. Firmly press the cutter down into the dough, but do not twist. Twisting the biscuit cutter seals off the edges of the biscuits and they therefore will not rise as high. Arrange biscuits (with sides touching) in the prepared pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown.
Serve biscuits warm with gravy.

Prepare the Gravy while the Biscuits are in the Oven:

Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. When the sausage is no longer pink, use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towels (leave the drippings in the skillet). You should have about ¼ cup of drippings. If you sausage is leaner, you may need to add butter to the skillet to equal ¼ cup of fat.
Whisk the flour into the hot drippings until smooth. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
Slowly whisk in the milk and cook for 5-7 more minutes, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly. Stir in the cooked sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately over warm biscuits.

Notes

Instead of biscuits, try serving the sausage gravy over hash browns, toast, fried breakfast potatoes or grits.
For a spicy gravy, use hot pork sausage and add a dash of cayenne to the gravy.
Swap out the pork sausage for an equal amount of ground beef, or use a different type of sausage (such as turkey sausage or Italian sausage).
Add even more flavor to the gravy with additional fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme and rosemary.
I prefer the gravy when it's made with whole milk; however, you can also substitute with half-and-half or heavy cream. Use 2% milk or skim milk in a pinch, but the gravy will not have the same rich, thick consistency with the lower fat liquids.
You can use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour when making your biscuits. A food processor also works, or try this tip from my dad: freeze a stick of butter, then grate the butter directly into the flour.
It's important to keep the biscuit ingredients very cold in order for the biscuits to stay tender and flakey and to ensure a high rise in the oven.
Don't have buttermilk for the biscuits? You can make your own buttermilk at home by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then use in the recipe as instructed.
Don't have self-rising flour? You can make 1 cup of self-rising flour by placing 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. This recipe calls for 2 cups of self-rising flour, so you would need to combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

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