This bacon grease gravy recipe is a classic southern comfort food that's quick, easy, creamy, and full of rich flavor. Perfect for your next Sunday morning breakfast!
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Highlights
- Made in about 20 minutes
- Only need 3 ingredients
- Homemade, not packaged
- Kid and family friendly
This creamy bacon gravy is a kind of country gravy popular in the southern United States. It's a great way to use leftover bacon fat with other pantry staples like flour and milk.
Bacon grease gravy is simply a white gravy made with rendered bacon fat from slices of bacon. It is the best gravy to smoother your biscuits, mashed potatoes, and these homemade steak fries.
The key ingredient in this dish is bacon grease. So how do you get it? That's simple: just fry up some chopped bacon until crisp, remove the bacon, and you'll have your bacon drippings ready for you in the pan.
To make your bacon grease gravy thick, you just add flour and milk until the mixture becomes a smooth paste but still has some texture.
When you cook bacon and then use the grease afterward to make gravy, it is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. You can even add bacon pieces for extra flavor!
Recipe profile
Super easy - this bacon grease gravy couldn't be easy to make. You only need three simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and one pan!
Kid-friendly - kids typically love to eat bacon, so they are definitely going to enjoy this warm and flavorful bacon grease gravy.
Versatile - of course, this bacon grease gravy will go perfect atop a heap of warm homemade biscuits, but you can eat it with anything. Mashed potatoes, chicken nuggets, pork chops, tater crowns, and fried chicken are all time favorites.
Key ingredients
Bacon grease - this is the main ingredient. When you make gravy, you always need fat, and bacon grease is the most flavorful fat you can use. I used regular slices, but thick cut bacon can also be used. Reserve cooked bacon to add back into the gravy, if desired.
All purpose flour - flour is super important in this recipe because it's what will thicken your gravy. Using the right fat to flour ratio is very important to get the correct consistency.
Milk - I use whole milk in this recipe, because that is how traditional gravy is made. But you can try it with 2% or even 1%. Your gravy may not be as thick and creamy, but it will still taste great!
Salt and black pepper - to taste
Instructions
This is an overview of how to make bacon grease gravy with step-by-step photos. Scroll to the bottom of the post for precise amounts and printable recipe card.
Step One: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. You should have about ¼ cup drippings left in the pan.
Step Two: Gradually add flour to the pan stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir until no lumps remain. Then slowly add one cup milk, continuing to whisk until gravy has thickened.
Step Three: Whisk in additional milk until desired consistency is achieved. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over biscuits and top with bacon.
Top tips
- Freeze bacon for 15 minutes to make cutting easier.
- For easier cutting, use kitchen shears to chop your bacon.
- Be sure bacon doesn't burn! Keep a close eye on it while it cooks.
- Make it as thick or thin as you like by adjusting the amount of milk you use.
- Crumble bacon and add it to the gravy when it's done.
- For best results use whole milk, but 2% or 1% will work too.
- Try unsweetened almond or oat milk if dairy isn't well tolerated.
- Going keto: try almond flour in place of wheat flour.
Storage and reheating
Make bacon grease gravy ahead of time and reheat as needed.
To store in the refrigerator: Put your leftover gravy in an airtight container, and it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Unfortunately, since this is a milk gravy, it does not freeze well.
To reheat on the stovetop: spoon bacon gravy into a skillet. Heat the gravy on medium-low heat and reheat it slowly. Stir your gravy until it is simmering. Turn it to low and let it simmer while stirring until heated through. Add a tablespoon at a time of milk to thin, if necessary.
To reheat in the microwave: take the gravy out of the fridge and give it a good stir. Transfer your gravy to a microwave-safe container, cover, and heat for about 1 minute. Stir and test the temperature. Add 30 more seconds if not quite warm enough.
Most asked questions
To make your bacon grease grave uncongeal, you will need to heat it and thin it out with broth, milk, or water.
If you are reheating your gravy in a pot, you can make it uncongeal without adding extra liquid as long as it warms up properly and you stir it well with a whisk.
If stored properly, food safety experts recommend storing bacon grease in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Just make sure that you keep your bacon grease in an airtight container, such as a mason jar with a tight fitting lid.
What can you cook in bacon fat?
Bacon fat is a saturated fat that's very versatile, and you can use it for cooking many foods. You can replace other cooking oils and fats with bacon grease to give your food more flavor. One great idea would be to sauté some brussels sprouts in bacon grease. Bacon and brussels sprouts flavors mix together really well.
You may also want to add some bacon grease to brown rice to give it a better flavor. Bacon grease is also fantastic for making scrambled eggs. It really ties in those delicious favorite breakfast flavors.
More gravy recipes
- Gravy with Onion and Guinness Stout Beer
- Hawaiian Brown Gravy
- Cajun Red Gravy
- Southern White Gravy
- How to Freeze Gravy
Thank you for checking out this Bacon Grease Gravy recipe. I'm grateful to have readers like you! If you enjoyed the recipe, I'd love a star rating and any feedback you may have. Please come back for more recipes made with maximum flavor and minimal effort!
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How to Make Bacon Grease Gravy
Ingredients
- 8 slices regular bacon 6 slices thick cut, chopped (you'll need ¼ cup grease)
- ¼ cup flour all purpose
- 1 to 2 cups whole milk adjusted to how thick or thin you like it
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crisp.
- Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Gradually add flour to the pan stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir until no lumps remain. Then slowly add one cup milk, continuing to whisk until gravy has thickened. Whisk in additional milk until desired consistency is achieved.
- Serve over biscuits and top with bacon.
Charli Boyens says
It was delicious and easy but I’m a newbie at gravy. Why is mine turning out a dark brown color?
Nikole Berg says
Hi Charli, great question! My guess is that your roux (the flour and fat mixture) was cooked until it was brown. That is perfectly fine and as long as it tasted good, then it works. It could also have been that the pan had some brown bits left in in, or maybe the Worcestershire sauce added the color. If you prefer a white color, you can skip the Worcestershire sauce, be sure the roux is cooked briefly and that your pan is wiped clean after cooking the bacon. Hope this helps!
Jon E Ditsworth says
Age Old recipe? Infinite Variations with different Meats or Spices added. Render any meat with a little cooking Oil and reserve the residue / oil / liquid as your flavor source. Depends on your likes and texture. Same process through-out. Results vary as you wish! Add some frozen vegetables in small quantities, as you Wish! Endless variations. Your imagination or taste is unlimited here. Experiment with what you like or enjoy. Just plain good and tasty topping! Adjust as you see fit. Measuring not required. Makes notes to repeat recipe if you like. {it's called Cooking} no hard fast rules!
Nikole Berg says
I agree Jon! Cooking is one big experiment many people, like you and me, love. I hope my recipes give beginners the confidence to begin their culinary journeys! Learning to nourish yourself and/or your loved ones is a priceless endeavor, and I want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in it!
Michelle says
I want to make this using bacon grease I’ve saved. How much should I use?
Nikole Berg says
This recipe calls for 1/4 cup. The important thing to remember is to use equal parts grease to flour. Hope that helps!
Kathy3882 says
I've been making and eating this gravy for many years. As a child, my Mom, Aunt and a Grandma used to make it, so I learned how to make it at a young age. You can also make sausage gravy, but I think bacon 🥓 gravy is by far the best 🏆
Connie says
I have made my gravy like this since cooking for myself. My mom and grandma and great grandma made it this way. I do however cook my flour with the bacon or sausage grease, salt and pepper till it turns a medium brown color and then add my milk. As you said any milk will do as I always use 1%. I have never come across anyone who makes their gravy like this. It truly is the best tasting gravy and glad to see it on here.
Nikole says
Awesome comment-thank you!
Tosha Pudder says
What type of flour are you using? All purpose or self rising?
Nikole says
This is made with all purpose flour.
Danny says
Been making this recipe for years but, not so much for breakfast. Rather, it’s our breakfast for dinner and we have it almost every week. However, I brown the flour and grease mixture a bit before adding my 2% milk and I only make it in an iron skillet. I also season to taste with salt and pepper. This recipe was passed down from my grandma to my mom to me and my siblings but we never measure anything we just sort of eyeball it. I drain about 1/2 the grease from a pound bacon. and add flour a little at a time until you have a pasty mix which is usually about 2/3 cup of flour.
Nikole says
Thank you for sharing Danny!