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    Food » Southern White Gravy

    Southern White Gravy

    Posted: 02/07/2023 | Last updated: 02/07/2023 by Erin 1 Comment
    Post may contain affiliate links via Amazon Associates or other programs. (Disclosure)

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    This 3 ingredient (plus some salt and pepper) southern white gravy is the perfect addition to your hot buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, or anything else you want to add a big steaming ladle. A truly versatile and oh-so-easy gravy recipe!

    Overhead shot of biscuits and southern white gravy on a small wooden board, sprinkled with pepper.
    A simple, delicious gravy recipe.

    Country Gravy vs. Southern Gravy vs. White Gravy

    What's the difference? Psst.. they're all (mostly) the same! A gravy that starts with a roux, is extended with milk, and seasoned with salt and pepper can be referred to by any of the names in the heading above. While the type of fat that is used in the roux can vary, the resulting gravy is white or very light in color.

    Darker gravy, like brown gravy, turkey gravy, chicken gravy, etc, usually uses broth instead of milk and contains extra seasonings other than salt and pepper.

    What Is a Roux?

    The simple answer: a roux is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour that is used to thicken gravy, sauces, or stews. The fat and flour are cooked together, forming a smooth paste, and then combined with a liquid such as milk or broth to create a thick and creamy substance.

    What Kind of Fat Should I Use?

    It's an old-fashioned tenet of southern cooking to preserve the grease from the bottom of the skillet when cooking up some crispy bacon. The cooled and solidified fat is a delicious addition to all kinds of dishes, from sautéing onions to a starter roux for southern white gravy.

    While bacon grease is the classic fat to use in a southern roux, you can also use butter, lard, or a vegetable shortening like Crisco. Vegetable/canola oil will work as well. Olive oil can be used as well, but be wary of the lower smoke point of the oil and closely control the heat of your stove.

    A plate of biscuits topped with southern white gravy with fresh ground pepper on top.
    Add some sausage, a pile of scrambled eggs, and breakfast is served.

    How To Store Bacon Grease

    If you want to try saving your bacon grease, here's what to do:

    • Let the grease cool in the pan so that it is warm but no longer hot.
    • Strain grease into a heat-resistant container through a fine mesh strainer (or coffee filter) to remove any bits of bacon.
    • Let grease cool a bit more and then cover and store in refrigerator. It will solidify and can be scooped out when you're ready to use.
    • Make sure your container has a wide enough mouth to fit a spoon or scoop.

    Ingredients For Southern White Gravy

    You only need a few basic ingredients to pull together a delicious gravy. You likely already have most of this in your kitchen! Here's what you'll need to grab:

    • Fat: Bacon grease, butter, lard, vegetable shortening (crisco) or vegetable/canola oil.
    • Flour: Use regular all-purpose (plain) flour.
    • Milk: Whole milk will yield the richest gravy, but low/non fat versions can be used as well.
    • Seasonings: Basic salt and pepper is all you technically need, though you can sprinkle in other flavors as well such as onion powder, garlic powder, and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

    Sausage Gravy Variation

    Want to make the perfect sausage country gravy for your biscuits? Cook sausage in a skillet and then remove the cooked meat to a plate. Reserve the fat from the sausage (strain it if there are too many little burned bits) and proceed with recipe, using sausage grease for the roux. Stir some of the cooked sausage into the gravy, serve over biscuits, and voila!

    A ramekin filled with peppered creamy southern white gravy.
    Perfectly thick, creamy, salted and peppered to perfection.

    How To Fix Lumpy Gravy

    Is your gravy not coming out as creamy and luxurious as you wanted? Lower the heat and continue whisking constantly until all of the lumps are worked out. If this doesn't work or if your gravy has overall become too thick, drizzle in a little extra milk and keep whisk, whisk, whisking!

    If you have stubborn lumps that just won't go away, strain the entire batch of gravy through a fine mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to push the liquid through the strainer. Any remaining hard lumps will be left in the strainer, leaving you with smooth, lump-free southern white gravy!

    Serving Suggestions

    So you've got a batch of delicious, thick, warm southern white gravy. How do you use it? Oh, so many ways! Here are some ideas:

    • Biscuits - I mean, duh, right? Especially when made from bacon grease, this is the perfect gravy to use when making biscuits and gravy.
    • Fried Chicken - Spoon a generous amount over crispy fried chicken to take the flavor profile to the next level.
    • Country-Fried Steak - Man, there's nothing like a golden, crunchy fried steak covered in a perfect southern gravy.
    • Toast and Eggs - Yup, try a drizzle of this gravy over a piece of toast topped with an over-medium egg for a filling and easy breakfast.
    • Roasted Chicken or Turkey - while fried poultry gets all the attention when it comes to being drenched with gravy, roasted or baked chicken or turkey also can benefit from this tasty topping.
    • Pork Chops - Don't forget about the other white meat, this gravy is delicious on all things pork, too!

    Storage and Reheating Instructions

    How to Store Leftovers: Use a nonstick spatula to scrape leftover gravy into an airtight storage container. Store in refrigerator up to 2-3 days.

    Reheating Instructions: Transfer leftover gravy into a saucepan and heat over low or medium-low heat. If gravy is too thick and doesn't loosen to the desired consistency when heated, drizzle in a little extra milk.

    Print
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    Southern White Gravy


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Erin
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 3-4 Servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A rich and delicious classic southern gravy that can be used for serving over breakfast or dinner items.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 tablespoons bacon grease or unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • Salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter or grease. Sprinkle flour on top and whisk constantly until a smooth paste is formed. Continue whisking and cooking for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until gravy thickens.
    • Season with a few shakes of salt and pepper, stir, taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
    • Serve warm over fried chicken, country-fried steak, fresh biscuits, etc.

    Notes

    Helpful Equipment

    OXO flat whisk - flat whisks are awesome for maneuvering in a sauce pan and getting all of those lumps out of your gravy.

    1.5 quart stainless saucepan - An all-purpose stainless steel saucepan for making this gravy or a number of other things.

    Adorable bacon grease container with strainer - I LOVE this cute container for straining and keeping bacon grease!

    • Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.
    • You can add additional seasonings as desired such as onion powder, garlic powder, or a pinch of cayenne for some heat.
    • Other sources of fat such as vegetable shortening (crisco), lard, or vegetable oil can be used.
    • Prep Time: 5 mins
    • Cook Time: 15 mins
    • Category: Sauces
    • Method: Stovetop

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    Thanks so much for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy making this delicious, easy gravy!

    Overhead view of golden biscuits topped with peppery southern country  gravy, with text for Pinterest.
    Pin for Later!

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    About Erin

    Erin is a mom of two human babies and two fur-covered babies. She loves comfy clothes, eats too much peanut butter, and watches excessive amounts of Netflix. Make her day and toss her a like on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. Post may contain affiliate links including those via the Amazon Associates program

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lel

      February 09, 2023 at 8:15 am

      Just made this tonight, we all loved it! Thanks

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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