I absolutely love homemade biscuits and gravy and today we have what we think is the BEST Biscuits and Gravy Recipe ever! I know that’s a big statement to make, but I spent some serious time creating perfect biscuits that easily split in the middle, hold up to the thick and creamy sausage gravy while still being soft enough to soak some of the gravy goodness in!

Our recipe takes under an hour to whip up and it’s one of the best, totally indulgent breakfast or brunch dishes to enjoy. We highly recommend long naps after digging into this amazing comfort food!

How to Make the BEST Biscuits and Gravy Recipe

Process

BISCUITS

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add butter and shortening to flour mixture. Cut into the dry mixture, until a coarse mealy texture forms. Stir in buttermilk until just incorporated and turn mixture out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Knead until a dough just comes together, make sure not to overwork.

Dry ingredients being cut in with butter and shortening.

Cut into the dry mixture, until a coarse mealy texture forms.
Stir in buttermilk until just incorporated and turn mixture out onto a clean and lightly floured surface. Knead until a dough just comes together, make sure not to overwork.

Form a square with the dough and cut in half.
Stack one half of the dough on top of the other.

Biscuit dough being folded in half on a surface.

Roll until about 1 inch thick square. Cut dough again in half and stack atop one another. Again roll into a 1 inch thick square. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces.
Place biscuits onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush surface of each biscuit with melted butter.

Biscuits on a baking sheet being brushed with butter.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are golden brown. Set aside and allow biscuits to cool slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Freshly baked biscuits on a baking sheet.

SAUSAGE GRAVY

Pour oil into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once the breakfast sausage has browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. Drain grease from saucepan.
Add butter and melt. Stir in garlic and shallot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

Butter and garlic with shallots cooking in a pot.

Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and continue to stir until gravy thickens, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir sausage mixture back into the gravy. Simmer gravy for 2 to 3 minutes and adjust seasonings as needed.

Flour being whisked into a pot to make a gravy.

ASSEMBLY

Split biscuits in half crosswise and place each onto a plate or shallow bowl.Top each serving with a generous ladle of sausage gravy. Finish with a sprinkle of chives and black pepper. Serve.

Why Add Shortening to the Biscuits?

We add a little bit of shortening to our buttermilk biscuits to give them a more tender texture. We love using butter for the buttery flavor and the moist texture, but the shortening does add a tender touch to the biscuits, which we think is important for biscuits that are used in biscuits and gravy!

Tips and Tricks for Success

When you are making the biscuits, be sure not to over-knead your dough. The biscuits will become dense and tough.
It is best to stick with whole milk (or even cream for an extra indulgent gravy) for this recipe, but if you cannot have dairy, you can use milk alternatives such as almond or oat milk. The flavor will vary slightly.
If you don’t want to use sausage in your gravy you can substitute with mushrooms for a vegetarian version, bacon, or ground turkey for a lighter version.
It is best to serve this dish when everything is warm! The fluffy biscuits will soak up the delicious creamy sausage gravy better when they are fresh.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Biscuits

You can bake them ahead of time and store them in an airtight container for up to three days. When you are ready to serve, just pop them into the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm up.
To freeze the biscuits: Place the uncooked biscuits onto a baking sheet as if they were going into the oven. Place them in the freezer until full frozen (about 2 or 3 hours), then transfer to an airtight bag such as a ziplock and store in the freezer for up to three months. Then bake when you are ready to use!

For the Gravy

Make the gravy ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you are ready to serve, reheat on the stove until warmed all the way through.
To freeze the gravy: Make gravy and let it come to room temperature. Place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to reheat, place the gravy on the counter for 6 hours to thaw. Then reheat on the stove until warmed through.

What to Serve with Biscuits and Gravy?

Biscuits and gravy is a full meal in itself. Traditionally it’s served for breakfast, but we also love this recipe for a ‘breakfast for dinner’ sitch! Here are some ideas for what goes well with our biscuits and gravy: