Our homemade Southern White Country Gravy recipe is so easy and you only need 5 simple ingredients, including salt and pepper! In this post I will give you tips so you don’t have to struggle to make gravy like I did.
Mindy’s Recipe Snapshot
Cooking Method: This gravy is made on the stove-top in a skillet.
Key Ingredients: Butter, flour and milk.
Ease: Making gravy can be intimidating. But don’t worry, you got this! Once you learn the basic method it’s quick and easy. I have a video so you can see exactly how I make it.
Top Tip: Whisk the flour and butter mixture constantly over high enough heat that it will get nice and bubbly. Then whisk it constantly when you add the milk.
This post was originally published in July 2023. It was updated in January 2025 to add content and a couple of pictures.
Featured Comment
From Mary: “This gravy was delicious!! Tastes just like my Granny used to make.”
Jump to:
- Mindy’s Recipe Snapshot
- Featured Comment
- Ingredients
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Simple White Gravy
- Tips
- How to make southern country gravy using meat drippings
- Watch the video to see how I make bacon gravy
- What we love about this homemade gravy recipe
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Biscuit Recipes
- Southern White Country Gravy
Gravy is one of those dishes that I struggled for many years to make. Lee’s buddy gave me a helpful tip and the next time I made it after that it wasn’t awful. It took another try and that time it actually tasted good!
So what he told me was that you have to let the flour cook for a good minute or two in whatever fat you are using. This allows the flour to develop nice flavor so it doesn’t have that raw flour taste.
That is the single most helpful thing he told me. Once I got this down it was easy peasy.
Southern White Country Gravy is a classic southern dish. It has several variations known by other names. These include sawmill gravy (made from meat drippings), white pepper gravy, milk gravy, southern gravy, or country-style gravy.
All of these versions are made from a simple roux. A roux is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together. These gravies are pure comfort food.
Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: I like unsalted butter for this. If using salted butter then you will not need as much salt as the recipe calls for.
- Flour: Regular ol’ all purpose flour works best in this homemade country gravy.
- Milk: I have used whole milk, 2% milk and even skim milk for this and still end up with delicious gravy.
- Salt & Black Pepper: We keep it simple, you can add a little cayenne pepper for extra flavor.
How to Make Simple White Gravy
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the flour, salt and pepper to the melted butter; cook whisking constantly for about 1-2 minutes. You want the butter and flour mixture to get nice and bubbly.
- Slowly add the milk and continue to cook over medium to medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.
- Serve over hot biscuits, mashed potatoes, or cooked meat.
Check out this video of how I make Bacon Gravy (also embedded below)for a visual of how to make this gravy recipe. Just start when I add the bacon grease to the pan. Also keep in mind that this video is not in real time, it is sped up quite a bit.
Tips
- The longer the flour and butter cook the less it will thicken the gravy.
- I almost always make this in a nonstick skillet and use a silicone covered whisk.
- For best results whisk constantly over high enough heat that the flour and butter mixture will still get nice and bubbly. Then again after you add the milk.
- Gravy will thicken more as it cool downs.
- If gravy becomes too thick add a splash of milk to thin it down a bit.
- This recipe can easily be cut in half or doubled. If doubling it is helpful to know that 4 tablespoons is equal to 1/4 cup.
How to make southern country gravy using meat drippings
This creamy gravy can be made using bacon grease, breakfast sausage grease, or the pan drippings after making chicken-fried steak, fried chicken tenders or pan fried pork chops (basically any pan-fried meat). You just need the same amounts as specified in the recipe card below.
If I make chicken fried steak or chicken fingers, I measure out the fat after the meat is cooked. If I don’t quite have 4 tablespoons of fat leftover, I just add enough canola oil to equal 4 tablespoons.
Watch the video to see how I make bacon gravy
What we love about this homemade gravy recipe
- We always have everything on hand to make this.
- It is an easy recipe that only takes about 8 minutes to whip, that’s quick!
- This gravy is versatile and can be served over biscuits, potatoes, or meat.
- It has a creamy texture that is so comforting.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is personal preference, really. We like our gravy to be stick to your ribs thick. For this easy white gravy recipe we use 2 cups of milk. You can use a bit more milk for thinner gravy if you want, maybe an additional half cup.
Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Since it’s so quick and easy to whip up I always make it fresh. According the USDA you can freeze it for 4-6 months.
Did you love this recipe?
We would love it if you’d leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
Southern White Country Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups milk
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Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.4 tbsp butter
- Add the flour, salt and pepper to the melted butter; cook whisking constantly for about 1-2 minutes until bubbly.4 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
- Slowly add the milk and continue to cook over medium to medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens to the desired consistency, about 5 minutes.2 cups milk
- Serve over hot biscuits, mashed potatoes, or cooked meat.
I’m sorry but now I understand why wife’s gravy is unacceptable. I’m from SouthEast Texas, my father’s family was/is in Louisiana. My wife of 25 years is from Central Missouri, she claims that’s the South, but it’s not. The Missouri Senate fled to Marshall, Texas and the Yankees took over Missouri and they’re still there. True Southern gravy is made by starting with a roux and that takes about 45 minutes by itself. I normally use peanut oil because that’s what I cook using other than olive oil. After the roux is made (of which I keep a pre-made jar in the cabinet) then you add whole milk and pepper, salt if you need it. What you have here may be gravy and easy, but it’s not what my southern family makes for gravy. I use a dark roux, the color of milk chocolate. I use a bit darker roux for gumbo. I’ll bet you put ketchup on a hamburger too!
I do, in fact, put ketchup on my burger. Guilty as charged! Also, a roux cooked for 45 minutes won’t thicken gravy too well. I’ll have to agree to disagree with you on this one. But hey, that’s the beauty of cooking—you can make it just the way you like it!
It turned out excellent
Very pleased, would try again. It turned out just like the recipe said it would and still tastes like country gravy!
Hello, can this be used with plant based oat milk? I know. I’m boring. Lol
I haven’t tried it with plant based milk, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. If you try it let me know how it turns out!
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe! Made this for Thanksgiving and about to make again for Christmas. It was easy to double the recipe and it’s also easy to customize with herbs like rosemary and thyme or whatever you like!
You’re welcome, I am so glad you like it!
Ehh. It’ll do, but it’s pretty basic.
It was meant to be an easy recipe so basic is what I was going for here!
This gravy was delicious!! Tastes just like my Granny used to make.
I love how certain food reminds us of good times. Thanks for commenting and reviewing!
This recipe worked great! I did 1 cup milk, 1 cup buttermilk (fresh not the store bought one) bc I had extra to use and it turned out great!
Sounds delicious, thanks for commenting!
We make pancakes syrup for many years we even use Berry’s to make our syrup different flavors, best syrup ever camping and picking wild berry s use 4 syrup or and our pancakes