Add Sausage Gravy Recipe

Brown the sausage

Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the ground breakfast sausage, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook 6–8 minutes until the sausage is browned and no pink remains and most of the fat has rendered. If your sausage is very lean and there's not enough fat to make a gravy, add the unsalted butter now. If the sausage produced a lot of fat, you can pour off 1–2 tablespoons but leave enough to flavor the gravy.

Create the roux

Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour evenly over the sausage and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes. The flour should absorb fat and begin to smell nutty; this cooks off the raw flour taste. Keep the mixture bubbling gently but do not let it burn.

Add liquids

Slowly pour in the whole milk while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. If you want a slightly thinner gravy, add the optional chicken or pork stock along with the milk. Continue to stir constantly as the mixture comes up to a gentle simmer; the gravy will thicken over 3–5 minutes.

Season and adjust

Once the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency, season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more pepper if you want a pepper-forward gravy. If using, stir in crushed red pepper flakes and fresh thyme leaves now. If the gravy is too thick, thin with additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired pourable consistency.

Finish and serve

Simmer the seasoned gravy over low heat for another 1–2 minutes to meld flavors, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve immediately over biscuits, toast, or mashed potatoes. Leftover gravy can be cooled, refrigerated up to 3 days, and reheated gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk as needed to loosen.