Homemade Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

There’s something about biscuits and gravy that just feels like a warm hug on a cold morning. It’s the kind of breakfast that brings everyone to the table without having to ask twice. But here’s the thing – I used to think making it from scratch meant heating up my kitchen with the oven and dirtying every pan I own.

That’s where my dutch oven comes in. I can make the biscuits and the gravy in the same pot, whether I’m cooking over a campfire or just trying to save myself from a pile of dishes on a Sunday morning. The biscuits come out fluffy, the gravy is thick and savory, and I only have one pot to wash when it’s all over.

Want restaurant-quality biscuits and gravy without the fuss? This recipe is going to change your weekend breakfast game. Trust me, once you try making it this way, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way.

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to stick with regular all-purpose flour for both the biscuits and the gravy. All-purpose flour has just the right amount of protein to create tender, fluffy biscuits without making them tough or dense. If you’re thinking about using self-rising flour, you can do that for the biscuits, but you’ll need to skip the baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt since those are already mixed in. For the gravy, all-purpose flour is your best bet because it thickens smoothly and creates that classic creamy texture we all love. Whatever you do, avoid using cake flour or bread flour here – cake flour will make your biscuits too delicate and crumbly, while bread flour will make them chewy instead of light and fluffy.

Options for Substitutions

This classic comfort food recipe has some room for swaps if you need them:

• Buttermilk: Don’t have buttermilk? Make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Butter: You can use shortening instead of butter for the biscuits, which will give you a slightly flakier texture. Just make sure it’s cold when you cut it into the flour.
• Cream of tartar: If you’re out of cream of tartar, you can leave it out – it helps with the rise, but the baking powder will still do most of the work.
• Meat grease: This is really what makes the gravy special, but if you don’t have enough saved grease, you can use butter or a mix of butter and a little bacon fat for flavor.
• Ground pork sausage: Turkey sausage works fine here if you prefer a leaner option. You can also use crumbled bacon or even skip the meat entirely for a vegetarian version (just use butter for the roux).
• All-purpose flour: For the biscuits, all-purpose flour is really best and shouldn’t be substituted. For the gravy, you can use the same amount of cornstarch mixed with cold water if you’re out of flour.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with biscuits is overworking the dough, which develops too much gluten and results in tough, dense biscuits instead of light and flaky ones – mix just until the ingredients come together and handle the dough as little as possible.

Keep your butter as cold as possible (some people even freeze it for 15 minutes before using) because those cold butter pieces create steam pockets during baking that give you those beautiful flaky layers.

For the gravy, adding cold milk to your roux will cause lumps, so always warm your milk first and whisk constantly while pouring it in slowly to get that smooth, creamy texture.

Another common issue is making the gravy too thick right away – remember it will continue to thicken as it cools, so aim for a slightly thinner consistency than you want in the final result, and you can always add more milk if needed.

What to Serve With Biscuits and Gravy?

Biscuits and gravy is pretty filling on its own, but I love rounding out the meal with some scrambled or fried eggs on the side for extra protein. A simple fruit salad with berries and melon adds a nice fresh contrast to the rich, creamy gravy, or you could go with some crispy hash browns if you’re really hungry. For a Southern-style breakfast spread, add some bacon strips or a side of sliced tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Coffee is a must with this meal, and if you want to get fancy, a mimosa or Bloody Mary makes it feel like a special weekend brunch.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep leftover biscuits and gravy in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The biscuits stay fluffier when stored separately, and the gravy won’t make them soggy. You can also wrap individual biscuits in plastic wrap if you want to grab them for a quick breakfast.

Freeze: Both the biscuits and gravy freeze really well for up to 2 months. Wrap cooled biscuits individually in foil, and store the gravy in a freezer-safe container. This is great for making a big batch on the weekend to enjoy throughout the month.

Reheat: Warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of milk if it’s too thick. For the biscuits, wrap them in foil and heat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or microwave for 20-30 seconds. The gravy might need a good stir while reheating to get it smooth again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3350-3550
• Protein: 70-80 g
• Fat: 200-220 g
• Carbohydrates: 290-310 g

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup chilled butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

For the gravy:

• 1/2 cup meat grease (reserved from cooking sausage)
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour (for thickening)
• 1.5 cups milk (whole milk works best for creamier gravy)
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage (breakfast style preferred)
• salt to taste

Step 1: Cook the Sausage and Prepare the Oven

• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage

Brown the ground pork sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, until fully cooked and crumbled (about 8-10 minutes).

Reserve the meat grease in the skillet for the gravy—you should have about 1/2 cup.

While the sausage cooks, preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a Dutch oven or baking pan generously to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients and Cut in the Butter

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup chilled butter

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar.

Cut the chilled butter cubes into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips, working quickly until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible.

This creates pockets of steam during baking that make biscuits light and fluffy.

I like to chill my mixing bowl beforehand—it keeps the butter cold and makes flakier biscuits.

Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients and Form the Dough

• 1 large egg
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2

In a small bowl, beat together the room temperature egg and buttermilk until combined.

Pour this mixture into the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 and stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together—don’t overmix or the biscuits will be tough.

Flour your hands and work surface lightly, then turn the dough out and knead it gently 10-15 times until it holds together, being careful not to develop the gluten too much.

Step 4: Cut and Bake the Biscuits

• dough from Step 3

Pat the dough from Step 3 out to a thickness of 3/4 to 1 inch on your floured surface.

Using a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass if you don’t have one), cut out biscuits and place them in the buttered pan, nestling them close together so they support each other while rising.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and brush the hot biscuits with a bit of melted butter for added richness and flavor.

Step 5: Build the Sausage Gravy

• 1/2 cup meat grease from Step 1
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• cooked sausage from Step 1
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Return the skillet with the reserved meat grease from Step 1 to medium heat.

Sprinkle the flour over the grease and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, allowing the mixture to bubble gently—this roux will thicken and darken slightly.

Gradually pour in the milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps, cooking for another 2 minutes until the gravy is smooth and thickened.

Stir in the cooked sausage from Step 1 and season generously with salt and black pepper to taste.

I always taste as I go and adjust the seasoning right before serving—it makes a real difference.

Step 6: Serve the Biscuits and Gravy

• biscuits from Step 4
• sausage gravy from Step 5

Split the warm biscuits from Step 4 and arrange them on a serving plate.

Pour the hot sausage gravy from Step 5 generously over the biscuits, allowing it to soak into the crumbly layers.

Serve immediately while everything is warm and the biscuits are at their fluffiest.

Homemade Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy

Delicious Homemade Dutch Oven Biscuits and Gravy recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 13 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Total Time 41 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3450 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the biscuits:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup chilled butter (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

For the gravy:

• 1/2 cup meat grease (reserved from cooking sausage)
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour (for thickening)
• 1.5 cups milk (whole milk works best for creamier gravy)
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage (breakfast style preferred)
• salt to taste

Instructions

 

• Brown the ground pork sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, until fully cooked and crumbled (about 8-10 minutes). Reserve the meat grease in the skillet for the gravy—you should have about 1/2 cup. While the sausage cooks, preheat your oven to 350°F and butter a Dutch oven or baking pan generously to prevent sticking.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Cut the chilled butter cubes into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips, working quickly until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible. This creates pockets of steam during baking that make biscuits light and fluffy. I like to chill my mixing bowl beforehand—it keeps the butter cold and makes flakier biscuits.
• In a small bowl, beat together the room temperature egg and buttermilk until combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 and stir gently with a fork until the dough just comes together—don't overmix or the biscuits will be tough. Flour your hands and work surface lightly, then turn the dough out and knead it gently 10-15 times until it holds together, being careful not to develop the gluten too much.
• Pat the dough from Step 3 out to a thickness of 3/4 to 1 inch on your floured surface. Using a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass if you don't have one), cut out biscuits and place them in the buttered pan, nestling them close together so they support each other while rising. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the hot biscuits with a bit of melted butter for added richness and flavor.
• Return the skillet with the reserved meat grease from Step 1 to medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the grease and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, allowing the mixture to bubble gently—this roux will thicken and darken slightly. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring continuously to avoid lumps, cooking for another 2 minutes until the gravy is smooth and thickened. Stir in the cooked sausage from Step 1 and season generously with salt and black pepper to taste. I always taste as I go and adjust the seasoning right before serving—it makes a real difference.
• Split the warm biscuits from Step 4 and arrange them on a serving plate. Pour the hot sausage gravy from Step 5 generously over the biscuits, allowing it to soak into the crumbly layers. Serve immediately while everything is warm and the biscuits are at their fluffiest.