American
Biscuits and Gravy
Buttermilk biscuits bake at 425°F while pork sausage cooks to 160°F for a peppered milk gravy. The biscuits are split and covered while both are hot.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Cold butter and cold buttermilk make flaky layers.
- The sausage has to reach 160°F before the flour and milk go in.
- A little of the sausage fat replaces extra butter in the gravy.
- Baking the biscuits on a hot oven rack browns the bottoms.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan.
- 2
Stir the 2 cups flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cut in the cold butter until the pieces are pea-sized. Stir in the buttermilk until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3
Pat the dough about 3/4 inch thick, cut 6 biscuits, and set them on the pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until golden and the centers are cooked through.
- 4
Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and the crumbles reach 160°F, about 8 minutes. Leave about 2 tbsp fat in the pan.
- 5
Sprinkle the 1/4 cup flour over the sausage and stir 1 minute.
- 6
Slowly whisk in the milk. Simmer, stirring, until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with the remaining salt, remaining pepper, and garlic powder. The sausage must still read 160°F.
- 7
Split the biscuits, ladle the gravy over them, and serve.
Pro tips
- Check the sausage in the thickest cluster of crumbles so you know it is 160°F.
- If the gravy is lumpy, whisk hard over low heat for a minute.
- Do not twist the biscuit cutter; a straight cut lets the sides rise.
Easy substitutions
- pork breakfast sausage
- mild Italian sausage, still cooked to 160°F
- buttermilk
- 3/4 cup milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice
- whole milk
- 2 percent milk, simmered a minute longer
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate biscuits and gravy separately up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm the gravy on the stovetop until the sausage reaches 160°F, and heat the biscuits in a 350°F oven until hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 526
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Oven, Stovetop
You might also like
Breakfast Casserole
Pork sausage is browned to 160°F, then baked with bread cubes, eggs, and cheddar at 350°F. The center should be just set and read about 170°F.
1 hr 10 min · Easy
View recipe
Chilaquiles
Corn tortilla chips soften in a simmered tomato-chipotle sauce and are topped with fried eggs. The egg whites are cooked until set and the yolks stay soft.
30 min · Easy
View recipe
Ham and Cheese Quiche
A pie crust holds diced ham, Swiss cheese, and an egg custard that bakes until the center is just set, about 170°F. It rests before slicing so the filling stays together.
1 hr 5 min · Medium
View recipe
Migas
Corn tortilla strips fry until crisp, then scramble with eggs, onion, jalapeño, and cheddar. The eggs cook until the whites are set and the yolks form soft, moist curds.
25 min · Easy
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Banana Pancakes
Mashed ripe bananas go into a simple buttermilk-style pancake batter that cooks on a griddle until the centers are set. The bananas replace most of the sugar.
30 min · Easy
View recipe
Biscuit-Topped Chicken Bake
Chicken, peas, and carrots sit in a pan gravy with refrigerated biscuits baked on top. The biscuits take most of the oven time, and the filling is a pot-pie style mix without a bottom crust.
55 min · Easy
View recipe
Classic Waffles
A buttermilk-style batter of milk, melted butter, and eggs cooks in a waffle iron until the centers are set and the grids are deep golden. They are crisp at the edges and tender inside.
35 min · Easy
View recipe
Denver Omelet
Beaten eggs wrap diced ham, bell pepper, onion, and cheddar in a folded omelet. The whites are cooked until set and the yolks are just set, with no liquid egg left.
22 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.