This simple and easy recipe for Tomato Gravy is delicious over biscuits for breakfast or brunch. A lot of people love it over rice or cornbread, too.
Featured comment: "This recipe gives me all the feels as it brings me back to my Grandmother making it when I would stay over at her house."
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Homemade Tomato Gravy Over Biscuits
We think it's best over homemade biscuits at breakfast or brunch (you can't go wrong with our classic recipe for homemade buttermilk biscuits), but it also makes a great "Breakfast for Dinner" dish. Lots of folks love it over rice or cornbread, and we're on board with that, too.
This southern tomato gravy recipe is so easy, and uses plain ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, so you can make it often.
For some of you, this Southern dish will bring back sweet memories. The rest of you will wonder where tomato gravy and biscuits has been all your life.
Before you go any further you'll want to read Southern Food Then and Now.
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Ingredient and substitution notes
These are simple, downhome pantry ingredients.
- Canned Tomatoes - The ones that give us the texture we love are diced tomatoes, but you can use crushed tomatoes (it would just have less tomato pieces) or whole tomatoes that you cut up into small pieces.
- Flour - Plain all purpose flour.
- Chicken stock - Chicken broth would be fine instead and beef stock or broth are good too.
- Salt - Plain table salt.
- Black pepper - We recommend freshly ground, but any coarse ground or even finely ground would work.
- Pan drippings from cooking bacon, sausage or ham - Bacon fat, country ham grease, or sausage drippings just can't be bought in a store, though a spoonful of Better than Bouillon (ham flavored) is a decent substitute. Read below for more details.
see recipe card below for quantities and measurements
The most important ingredient
You might think it's the tomatoes. Of course, you can't make it without them, but what really makes it "gravy" and not just thickened tomatoes are the pan drippings from your breakfast meat.
After you've cooked bacon, sausage or ham, use that pan for making your tomato gravy. Leave just a little of the rendered fat in the pan. Then you'll scrape the bottom as you make the gravy to incorporate all of that leftover goodness.
Some people say they can make a good tomato gravy with just the bacon drippings left from previously cooking bacon. We have never tried it that way but can imagine that it's a pretty good version.
How to make tomato gravy
- Begin with the large skillet where you've cooked your breakfast meat - bacon, ham or sausage are all good. Add the tomatoes and heat over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir the flour into the stock and whisk until there are no lumps.
- Add the flour mixture to the hot tomatoes, whisking constantly.
- As it comes to a boil your tomato mixture will thicken. Reduce heat to simmer.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer your traditional tomato gravy at least 5-10 minutes before serving over hot biscuits.
If you're here you must love southern food, so you will definitely want to check out 3 Ingredient Biscuits. It's one of our top posts around here. They are so good, y'all and they make the perfect base for this gravy.
This recipe made our Annual Reader Favorites. Check out the rest here.
Recipe FAQ's
You can! It is traditionally made with canned tomatoes as a way to use up all of those jars that were "put up" in the summer. But, you can certainly use fresh ones if you like. You'll just need to cook them for a few minutes first.
You can use water if you don't have any stock or broth. Besides the tomatoes, the most essential ingredient for flavor is the pan drippings left behind after cooking ham, sausage or bacon. The stock adds additional flavor, but you can get by without it.
You could say that. It became popular during the depression when tomatoes were plentiful but money was not. It was a way of getting the most out of something that people in the south commonly had on hand.
Love all things Southern Food?
If you're reading this post chances are you love southern food and know others that do too.
We've put together this awesome guide, Great Gifts for the Southern Foodie. It has several cast iron cookware choices, books of southern recipes and food history and small items that would make a great gift basket. We did the homework for you, and have only included items with Amazon 4 stars and above.
You'll want to be sure and check out our recipe for Southern Fried Chicken. We even had it cut up with a pulley (wish) bone. Remember those?
And for another classic breakfast staple, check out our traditional recipe for Southern sausage gravy!
Our web story on this recipe can be found here.
📖 Recipe
Easy Tomato Gravy
Ingredients
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup chicken stock or beef stock (or broth)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 2-3 tsp. pan drippings from ham, sausage, or bacon
Instructions
- Heat tomatoes (in iron skillet where you've cooked breakfast meat) over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Stir flour into stock and whisk until there are no lumps.
- Stir flour/stock mixture into hot tomatoes, whisking as you stir.
- Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.
- Reduce heat to simmer.
- Stir in salt and pepper.
- Simmer for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Tomato Gravy is best served over 3 Ingredient Biscuits.
Notes
Nutrition
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Classic Southern Recipes
- Blackened Seasoning Recipe
- Country Fried Steak Recipe: Southern Style
- Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese Recipe
- Smoked Ham on Big Green Egg
- Easy Dirty Rice Recipe
- Squash Fritters (Oven Baked)
- Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
- Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp, and Crab
Michelle says
Never heard of tomato gravy, but it looks so rich and comforting! I'll have to try it with biscuits!
Pam says
You'll love it!
April says
Omg my momma cooked it every Sunday morning when I was a kid I'd love to cook it for her before she leaves us
Jess says
This recipe gives me all the feels as it brings me back to my Grandmother making it when I would stay over at her house.
Pam says
It's definitely an old fashioned recipe for sure.
Wanda says
I am totally craving biscuits now with this sauce! Going to plan ahead and make it for lunch sometime this week!
Pam says
Sounds good to us!
Babbs says
Love it
SIsu says
My mom makes tomato gravy to go over her pork roast with potatoes and carrots. I’ve never had it with biscuits. Gonna have to try that.
Pam says
You'll love it!
Jerome Mcdonald says
I can remember eating this as a kid ,and I loved it. My Mom would make it . We.had little money at times and this went well on biscuits as well as pancakes and at times by it's self. I had almost forgotten about this till now . Thank you for the recipe as well as the childhood memories🤗😁😁😋
Pam says
Thank YOU for letting us know that Jerome. Keeping those special memories alive is a big reason why we do this.
Roy WESTRY says
I try it after my boss brought some too work one morning and I love and I told my wife about it and we got the recipe and we love it.
Roy WESTRY says
I love the gravy
Colby Corella says
Hmm it appears like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I'm still new to the whole thing. Do you have any tips and hints for first-time blog writers? I'd certainly appreciate it.
Pam says
Hi Colby (Sheila?), Whatever type content you want to create on your blog I would advise that you get in some Facebook groups with others who blog about similar content. That's a great place to ask questions, etc.
Gerardo solano says
Hola ! Bendiciones, me llamo la atención esta receta. Me encanta el tomate,esta semana voy a tratar de hacerla, les cuento luego el resultado
Gracias.
veenaazmanov says
This Tomato Gravy is so flavorful and easy to make too. Meal planning becomes so easy with this comfort food. Love the option to enjoying this creamy rich gravy.
Harriet Young says
Lovely! Absolutely delicious with biscuits- really tasty. Thank you!
DK says
I love making this tomato gravy and dipping toast into it! What a fabulous recipe!
Adri says
I love this tomato gravy! It hits all those comfort food spots, but at the same time, it's so much more fresh and light compared to other gravies. And, bonus, quick and easy to make. I'll be making this again, and again, and again! Thank you for the recipe.
Heather says
Absolutely fabulous over freshly baked biscuits and eggs! So easy to make, everyone enjoyed this at a recent brunch. Thank you!
Sharon Wheat says
How many fresh tomatoes do I need