Bacon Gravy
by Sommer Collier — on Aug 31, 2026 Whenever I fry bacon, I save every drop of that flavorful grease because I know exactly what I’m going to do with it, make Bacon Gravy! I use the drippings instead of butter to give my easy Southern gravy an extra-rich, smoky, and savory flavor while keeping it perfectly thick and creamy. It’s a simple, no-waste recipe I love spooning generously over warm, fluffy biscuits.
If you happen to be one of those people that keeps a little jar of bacon grease in your fridge at all times… This recipe is for you. (And we should definitely be friends!) I’ve shared several amazing gravy recipes on the site over the years, like my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ homemade gravy for biscuits and gravy. My new bacon gravy recipe is already a favorite at home, and I know this will be a 5-star recipe for you, too! I love how simple it comes together with just a few pantry staples, but tastes like a special breakfast and brunch gravy from an elevated Southern restaurant. And you can make it with just bacon grease, or if you fried up a bunch of bacon to get bacon grease, you obviously need to chop and sprinkle the bacon pieces in there!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Add Extra Bacon… Or Not – Do you need bacon grease to make the gravy? Well, yes. But do you have to add chopped bacon as well? No, not necessarily. If you only have the grease on hand but no actual bacon, no worries! The gravy is still delicious.
Quick and Easy – I make this one pan gravy with only 4 ingredients (or 6 if you count salt and pepper, but c’mon) and 10 minutes, including prep work. The base is a standard roux made with fat (in this case, bacon grease) and flour, with a few spices and milk. You’ve got this!
True Gravy Lover’s Gravy – You can serve bacon gravy over just about anything! Of course I like it over biscuits, it’s scrumptious with all kinds of baked goods, and is amazing on mashed potatoes in place of my brown gravy recipe. (Which is also fantastic!) I hate to sound trite but seriously, I could eat bacon gravy with a spoon right from the pan.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Bacon grease – I typically keep leftover bacon grease in a container in the fridge for up to 3 months or so, for just such an occasion. Or I make fresh bacon when I want to add cooked chopped bacon to the gravy as well. It doesn’t matter if the grease starts as solidified or liquid, it’ll melt in the pan before the flour is added to make the roux.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour here.
- Milk – I like the rich taste and consistency of whole milk. 2% also works well, but I don’t recommend skim milk as it is too watery and pretty much tasteless.
- Seasonings – In addition to salt and pepper, I add a bit of onion powder to the gravy for an extra layer of savory flavor.
- Chopped bacon – You only need the grease to make gravy. However, if you can cook some fresh, or have some precooked and ready to use, crispy chopped bacon is a *chef’s kiss* addition to the gravy texture.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep and Heat – To start, I set my large cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Any large, deep pan with a heavy bottom will do, but cast iron really is the best choice when it comes to making Southern gravy. Once the pan is hot, I add the bacon grease and let it melt.
Make the Roux – Then I sprinkle the flour all over the melted bacon grease in the pan, and use a wire whisk to bring them together to form a thick paste-like consistency. I whisk constantly for a few minutes to let the roux become a beautiful light golden color… But don’t let it burn!
Add Milk and Spices – Next, I start to slowly pour the milk into the pan while whisking nonstop. Otherwise, the roux will clump up with the milk and stick to the pan. Whisking constantly makes the bacon grease and flour mixture blend smoothly with the milk and forms a thick but-not-too-thick gravy. Note that the bacon gravy will thicken as it cools, so it’s ok if it seems a tiny bit thin while on the stovetop.
Once it’s smooth without clumps, I quickly whisk in onion powder, salt, and a bit of fresh cracked black pepper.
Now you can remove the pan from the stove and let the bacon grease gravy cool slightly before serving. OR…
Add More Bacon! – As I mentioned this is optional for some, but for me, it’s a must! I chop up crispy cooked bacon into tiny pieces and add them to the white gravy while the pan is still on the stove. Stir them in well and get the bits warm, but obviously you don’t have to “cook” the precooked bacon anymore. Give the gravy just a minute or two, then turn off the heat and take the skillet off of the hot stove.
Expert Tips
Add milk slooowly. I pour the milk into the hot pan bit by bit as I whisk, only adding more milk as the roux gets smooth and slightly thicker after each pour. Pouring in too much milk and/or too fast will cause the gravy to seize up and get clumpy. Or on the flip side, the milk and roux won’t be able to incorporate well and heat evenly, and you’ll wind up with a super thin sauce versus a rich gravy.
Easy with the salt. Bacon grease will be pretty salty as-is. And if you’re also adding chopped cooked bacon, you have even more salt in the gravy. So go easy on adding more salt. I recommend tasting the gravy before whisking in any extra.
Gravy too thin? First, a quick reminder that the gravy will thicken up a good bit once the pan comes off of the heat. However, if it doesn’t seem to be thickening up as much as you like, place the skillet back on the stovetop on low heat, and continue to cook and whisk the gravy every few seconds or so (versus whisking constantly) until it reaches your perfect consistency.
Slightly too thick? While the pan is still on the warm stove, whisk in more milk just a teeny tiny splash at a time. You don’t want to add too much… Otherwise, you’ll lose the deep bacon taste and could make the gravy too thin. Don’t get stuck in the loop of too thick –> add milk –> too thin –> cook more and on and on.
Got lumps? Same tip as above. Keep the pan on the warm stove and pour in just a bit of milk. Whisk constantly to get the gravy smooth and dissolve any clumps. Depending on the consistency, you might now need to continue heating the bacon gravy to get it thickened up again.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re able to keep yourself from drinking it all first, I recommend pouring bacon grease gravy over fresh baked buttermilk drop biscuits or fluffy cathead biscuits. Or pop open a tube of ready-to-bake refrigerated biscuits, no judgement here! You can also use it to make my fabulous biscuits and gravy casserole recipe, which is great for feeding 6+ people.
But this savory gravy isn’t just for breakfast! Like my country white gravy made with butter, gravy with bacon grease is delicious on mashed potatoes and to use as a sauce with steak fingers, chicken tenders, or any finger-lickin’ good dippers!
Storage Notes
I cool the gravy completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
I stir in a splash of milk before reheating it in the microwave for short 5-10 second bursts at 50% power. Or add the milk and heat the gravy on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use 1/3 cup of bacon grease to make the gravy, which is a smidge over 5 tablespoons. If you don’t have quite enough grease I recommend substituting however much fat you need with unsalted butter.
Bitter tasting gravy is usually due to burnt grease or overcooked pieces of bacon stuck to the bottom of the pan. In other words, burnt = bitter.
Turkey bacon will likely not yield enough fat for the full 1/3 cup needed to make the gravy base. But like noted above you you can supplement with butter, then add cooked chopped turkey bacon to the finished gravy.
Help Me Spread the Word about this Fabulous Free Recipe! Sharing this recipe link on Pinterest and Facebook is super impactful, and I greatly appreciate it! Find the share buttons below the recipe form.
More Breakfast Recipes
Bacon Gravy
Video
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup bacon grease
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- 3 + cups whole milk
- Serve with biscuits and cooked chopped bacon
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon grease to the skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux.
- Continue to stir and whisk the roux for 2-4 minutes until it is slightly golden brown. Then pour in the milk and whisk vigorously to break up any clumps and create a smooth gravy.
- Add the onion powder, along with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Whisk again and taste. Add additional salt if needed.
- Once the gravy reaches your desired consistency turn off the heat. Remember, it will continue to thicken as it cools. If the gravy is too thick for your liking, add an additional splash of milk to the skillet and whisk again.
