Who can resist a cozy breakfast classic like biscuits and gravy? Easy buttermilk biscuits smothered in a rich and creamy homemade sausage gravy make for a meal everyone is sure to enjoy.
Biscuits and gravy are one of my all-time favorite breakfast meals, it’s just pure comfort food. My whole family loves them too, and whenever I make biscuits and gravy on a slow weekend morning I know I’m always going to get a “wahoo!” from the kids.
My famous soft and buttery biscuits topped with rich and creamy sausage gravy are sure to become a household favorite for you too. They’re not only perfect for breakfast or brunch, but also lunch and dinner. And perhaps best of all, this is an easy enough recipe for anyone to make!
Table of Contents
The BEST biscuits and gravy recipe
My easy buttermilk biscuit recipe continue to be one of the top recipes on my site and I bake them almost on a weekly basis. They’re just so good! Buttery and flaky, and just 6 basic ingredients. The gravy is a simple, classic homemade recipe— just sausage, roux and milk. Don’t cut corners and use a store-bought gravy mix, homemade is so much better!
I’ve made this meal dozens of times, and will probably use this exact recipe till the day I die. It’s a keeper! Spoon the gravy over a few biscuits, and enjoy. Serve with eggs, hash browns, a side of greens, or fresh fruit for a complete meal that rivals any brunch restaurant.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Butter— Use cold butter to get tall, flaky biscuits. In the gravy, use butter to form the roux base which provides thickening and lots of flavor.
- Buttermilk— Not only does it give the biscuits a delicious tangy flavor, but it also helps keep them tender.
- All-purpose flour— You’ll use it in both the biscuits and to thicken the gravy.
- Baking soda and baking powder— Using both leaveners in the biscuits gives the most rise.
- Sausage— Bulk pork breakfast sausage is always my preferred choice, but turkey, chicken or even vegetarian sausage will work too.
- Milk— Whole milk will yield the richest flavor and creamiest texture, but 2% is also a great option. I do not recommend 1% or skim milk.
- Salt and pepper— For flavor, of course. Don’t be afraid to go heavy with the black pepper in the gravy.
Make your gravy a little extra: This gravy is perfect as it is! But if you want to add a little more flair and depth of flavor, stir in red pepper flakes or fresh herbs like sage, thyme, or chives.
Step-by-step instructions
- Prepare the biscuit dough. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, then cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry blender. Finally, add buttermilk and mix until it forms a dry, shaggy dough. Dump out on the counter and use your hands to bring it together, then flatten to about 1 inch thick and cut into rounds. (See my biscuit recipe post for more biscuit making tips and instructions!)
- Bake biscuits. Place biscuit rounds on a parchment-lined pan and bake in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes until tops and bottoms are golden brown.
- Make the gravy. While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy by first browning the sausage in a large skillet. Set cooked sausage aside and melt butter in the same skillet, then whisk in the flour to make a thick paste, or “roux”. Gradually add the milk while whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until thickened. Add sausage back in and simmer another few minutes.
- Top biscuits with gravy. Everything is best served hot. You can slice biscuits in half first for a higher gravy-to-biscuits ratio if you want. Enjoy!
baking tip:Why biscuit and scone ingredients need to stay cold
For tall, soft, and flaky biscuits and scones, make sure you start with cold butter and milk/buttermilk, and work the dough quickly so the butter doesn’t have a chance to warm up. If your kitchen is really warm, consider freezing your biscuits and scones on the sheet pan for 15 minutes before baking.
How to make biscuits and gravy in advance
Biscuits and gravy are a great make-ahead breakfast or brunch option! Both components can be prepped and even completely made ahead of time.
Make biscuits ahead of time: Prep biscuits as written, then either 1) bake, cool and freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for several hours, then warm in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Or, 2) freeze unbaked biscuits in their baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 days. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes of bake time.
Make gravy ahead of time: Completely make the gravy as written, then cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to serve, warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat (thaw first if frozen), stirring often.
More breakfast recipes
Get the recipe
Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
This classic dish is perfect for breakfast or dinner! Easy buttermilk biscuits smothered in a rich and creamy homemade sausage gravy make for a meal everyone is sure to enjoy.
To make the biscuits:
-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
-
In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough starts to come together to make a very dry, shaggy dough.
-
Dump the dough out onto a clean surface and use your hands to gather and gently need the dough until it comes together and all dry bits are incorporated. Pat the dough flat (about 1 inch thick) and then fold it on top of itself, like you’re closing a book. Flatten and fold a few more times, which helps create flaky layers in the biscuits.
-
Pat dough again to about 1 inch thick. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds with a lightly floured cutter (these are the round cutters I use). You should get 8 biscuits total, but you’ll need to gather up scraps and re-roll and cut to get the last few. Place biscuit rounds on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush with buttermilk.
-
Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make the gravy:
-
While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy. Brown the sausage in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Transfer browned sausage to a paper towel to drain. Leave grease in the skillet to add more flavor, or you can drain some or all of it out of the pan if you’d like.
-
Reduce heat to medium low and add butter. Once melted, add flour and whisk together to make a thick roux, or paste. Slowly add the milk while whisking constantly, scraping bottom of pan with the whisk to removed browned bits. Add salt and pepper.
-
Bring gravy to a boil and simmer gently until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and additional salt and pepper as needed, to taste.
-
Serve warm biscuits with the gravy. The gravy may seem really thin, but it starts to thicken as soon as it starts cooling, so by the time you’re spooning it over the biscuits it should be the perfect consistency.
-
Store leftover gravy in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. See Notes section below for make-ahead tips.
- How to make ahead of time
- Make biscuits ahead of time: Prep biscuits as written, then either 1) bake, cool and freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for several hours, then warm in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. Or, 2) freeze unbaked biscuits in their baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 days. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes of bake time.
- Make gravy ahead of time: Completely make the gravy as written, then cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to serve, warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat (thaw first if frozen), stirring often.
- I prefer to use bulk pork sausage, but chicken, turkey or even vegetarian sausage are all options for this recipe.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or fresh herbs like sage, thyme or chives for a little extra flair and flavor, if desired.
- Serving size is 1 biscuit plus gravy per serving.
Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 769mg, Potassium: 386mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 532IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 2mg
This recipe was originally published February 2014.
