Marry Thompson This Pioneer Woman sausage gravy is a thick, peppery breakfast gravy made with crumbled sausage, flour, milk, and seasoned salt. It serves 4 to 6 people and comes together in about 25 minutes. Pour it over split buttermilk biscuits for a filling weekend morning.
Ree Drummond builds her gravy directly in the sausage drippings, which is what gives it that deep, savory flavor store-bought versions can’t match. Her version on The Pioneer Woman keeps things stripped back: no butter, no cream, just rendered pork fat and flour doing all the work. That simplicity is the whole point, because the sausage carries the gravy.
The flour needs a full two minutes of toasting before any liquid goes in. Skipping that step leaves a raw, pasty taste that milk alone won’t fix. Toasting cooks out the starch flavor and gives the roux enough structure to thicken 3 1/2 cups of milk into a proper gravy.
Pioneer Woman Sausage Gravy Recipe
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings5
20
minutes375
kcalThis Sausage Gravy is a thick, peppery skillet gravy, perfect spooned over warm buttermilk biscuits on a lazy morning.
Ingredients
- Gravy
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1 lb. breakfast sausage, like Jimmy Dean
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1/2 sweet onion, chopped (optional)
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1/3 cup all-purpose flour
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3 1/2 cups whole milk
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1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
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1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste
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1 tsp. dried sage or thyme (optional)
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Salt, to taste
- For Serving
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Biscuits
Directions
- Pull off small pieces of the breakfast sausage and add them to a large skillet in a single layer. Sprinkle the chopped onion over top, if using. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and stir to coat. Let it cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is lightly toasted.
- While stirring, pour in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Once the mixture boils and thickens, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the seasoned salt, black pepper, and sage or thyme, if using.
- Let the gravy simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season with salt and more pepper to taste. Serve over warm biscuits.
FAQs
Can I make this sausage gravy ahead and reheat it the next morning?
Yes, and it actually reheats well if you store it properly. Gravy thickens as it cools because the flour-based roux continues to set, so it will look almost solid in the fridge. Reheat it over medium-low heat with a few tablespoons of milk, stirring steadily until it loosens back to a pourable consistency.
Why does my sausage gravy sometimes turn out lumpy?
Lumps form when flour clumps together before it can absorb fat, usually because too much is added at once. Sprinkling the flour gradually and stirring it into the rendered fat for the full two minutes prevents pockets of dry starch from surviving. Pouring the milk in a slow, steady stream while stirring also keeps the roux from seizing.
Is there a lower-fat version that still tastes right?
Swapping whole milk for 2% works, but the gravy will be noticeably thinner and less glossy. Turkey breakfast sausage renders less fat, so you may need to add a tablespoon of butter to give the roux enough fat to properly toast the flour. Expect a lighter result, though the pepper and herbs still come through clearly.
What other dishes pair well with a batch of sausage gravy?
Beyond biscuits, this gravy is excellent ladled over a hash brown breakfast casserole for a loaded brunch plate. It also works over fried chicken sandwiches, scrambled eggs, or even crispy waffles. Keep the sides simple so the gravy stays the star.
Does the type of milk actually matter for the final texture?
Whole milk creates the thickest, most velvety gravy because its higher fat content emulsifies with the roux more completely. Skim or 1% will leave the gravy thin and almost translucent, closer to a broth than a proper coating. For a richer twist, stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream at the end, then serve alongside something sweet like a baked French toast casserole to balance the richness.