Slow Cooker Sausage Gravy - Recipes That Crock! (2024)

FAQs

What makes sausage gravy taste better? ›

What makes sausage gravy taste better? Sometimes sausage gravy can taste under-seasoned. This recipe is packed with flavor thanks to the use of chicken broth rather than just milk, as well as thyme, black pepper, salt, garlic, and cayenne in the final gravy. Spend time carefully deepening the color of the roux.

Prop the lid up for evaporation.

While your dinner cooks, prop the lid open a bit so that moisture can escape and thicken the stew naturally without extending the cooking time too much. Skewers or chopsticks between the lid and the crock of the slow cooker work well for this.

The main difference is that country gravy does not have sausage. Country gravy uses butter to make its roux, while sausage gravy uses the rendered fat from the meat, cooked with flour, to thicken the gravy. Check out Ree Drummond's recipe for country gravy which she serves alongside chicken fried steak.

The most important foundation of any good gravy is the homemade roux. A roux is made up of flour and fat (in this case butter), cooked together, and used to thicken sauces and gravies. What is this? One of the most important keys to the best gravy is to cook the roux until golden in color.

If you don't have milk, you can use slightly thinned-out cream or half-and-half.

This moist environment allows you to leave food to cook for hours without risking it drying out. But because there is no evaporation, the liquid isn't able to reduce and thicken naturally in a slow cooker, often resulting in watery sauces and loose gravies. The common solution? Using a thickener.

Chefs and home cooks often use pan drippings and other cooking liquids, such as chicken broth, wine, or milk, to thicken and flavor the gravy. You can add different seasonings to enhance the flavor; common additions include salt, pepper, herbs, mustard, and balsamic vinegar.

Take the lid off

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

How do you keep a sauce from going watery in a slow cooker? ›

A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of a cold liquid with cornstarch. It is used as a thickening agent, and is particularly common in Asian sauces. As a rule of thumb, dissolve 2 parts cold water and 1 part cornstarch. Add the slurry to your sauce as it simmers in the slow cooker.

How much liquid do I add? Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.

The spices for sausage gravy are simple and complement the other ingredients perfectly. We'll use: Garlic Salt, Seasoned Salt, Ground Sage, and Black Pepper. Red Pepper Flakes make a nice (optional) addition as well.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful.

Drizzle in Balsamic Vinegar

Similar to mustard, using a bit of balsamic vinegar as a finishing touch helps to boost the flavor of any jarred gravy. Adding a drizzle of balsamic to gravy while it's heating up gives it a depth of flavor, almost like magic!

I only season my homemade gravy with salt and pepper, and it's delicious! If you want to add more spices, avoid anything with large pieces (such as dried rosemary) to keep gravy smooth. Thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and oregano all taste great.

Salt: Salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative. Sugar: Sugar can be used to balance the saltiness in sausage and add a slight, tasty sweetness. Spices: Various spices give a sausage its robust flavor. Commonly used sausage spices include black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and paprika.