Sausage Gravy Recipe

Brown the sausage

Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bulk breakfast sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is well browned and cooked through, about 7–9 minutes. If the sausage renders a lot of fat (more than about 2 tablespoons), spoon off and reserve 1–2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and discard the excess (or save for another use).

Add butter and aromatics

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the unsalted butter to the pan with the sausage fat. Once melted, add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to let it brown.

Add flour to make a roux

Sprinkle the all-purpose flour evenly over the sausage and aromatics. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste and combine it with the fat; the mixture should look pasty and lightly golden but not dark brown. This creates the roux that will thicken the gravy.

Add milk and stock

Gradually pour in about half of the whole milk (about 1 1/2 cups) while stirring or whisking to smooth out any lumps. Then add the remaining milk and the optional chicken stock (if using) in a steady stream, stirring constantly until fully incorporated. Increase heat to medium-low to bring the mixture to a gentle simmer; do not boil vigorously.

Simmer until thickened: Continue to simmer, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, about 6–10 minutes. For thicker gravy let simmer longer; for thinner gravy add up to 1/2 cup more milk or stock, a little at a time.

Season and adjust

Season the gravy with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: because the sausage can be salty, start with the 1 teaspoon salt and add more if needed. Stir in the optional hot sauce and chopped fresh thyme or sage if using.

Final simmer and serve

Let the gravy simmer another 1–2 minutes to meld flavors. If the gravy becomes too thick as it cools, thin with a splash of milk or stock. Serve immediately over warm buttermilk biscuits, fried potatoes, or toast.