The Ultimate Southern Breakfast Guide: From Grits to Gravy

The Most Important Meal of the Day, Southern Style

In the South, breakfast isn't just fuel to start your day—it's a celebration, a comfort, and often the best meal you'll eat all day. Southern breakfast is hearty, satisfying, and unapologetically indulgent. We're talking about creamy grits, fluffy biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, crispy bacon, country ham with red-eye gravy, and eggs cooked just the way you like them.

This isn't grab-and-go breakfast. This is sit-down, take-your-time, savor-every-bite breakfast. It's the kind of meal that fuels a full day of work and brings families together around the table before everyone scatters to their daily activities.

Whether you're cooking for a crowd on a lazy Saturday morning or treating yourself to a special weekday breakfast, mastering these Southern breakfast classics will transform your mornings.

Grits: The Foundation of Southern Breakfast

If there's one food that defines Southern breakfast, it's grits. These humble ground corn kernels are a blank canvas that can be dressed up or down, served sweet or savory, and adapted to any taste.

What Are Grits, Exactly?

Grits are made from corn that's been treated with an alkali (traditionally lye or lime) in a process called nixtamalization, then dried and ground. This process, borrowed from Native American cooking, makes the corn more nutritious and gives grits their distinctive flavor.

You'll find several types of grits:

Instant grits - Pre-cooked and dried, ready in minutes. Convenient but lacking in flavor and texture.

Quick grits - Finely ground, cook in about 5 minutes. Better than instant but still not ideal.

Regular (old-fashioned) grits - Medium grind, cook in 15-20 minutes. This is what most Southerners use for everyday cooking.

Stone-ground grits - Coarsely ground using traditional stone mills, with the germ left in. These take 45 minutes to an hour to cook but have incredible flavor and texture. Worth the wait for special occasions.

How to Cook Perfect Grits

The ratio is typically 4 parts liquid to 1 part grits, but this can vary depending on how thick you like them.

Bring your liquid (water, milk, or a combination) to a boil with a generous pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in the grits to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender and creamy.

The key to great grits is patience and plenty of stirring. As they cook, the grits will thicken and become creamy. If they get too thick, add more liquid. If they're not thick enough, keep cooking.

Once the grits are cooked, stir in butter—lots of butter. Some cooks also add cream or cream cheese for extra richness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grits Variations

Cheese Grits - Stir in sharp cheddar cheese at the end of cooking. Perfect alongside eggs and bacon.

[Shrimp and Grits](/recipes/shrimp-and-grits-with-andouille-sausage) - Creamy grits topped with sautéed shrimp, andouille sausage, and a rich, slightly spicy sauce. This Low Country classic has become a Southern breakfast icon.

Sweet Grits - Cook grits with milk and a touch of sugar, then top with butter, honey, or fruit. Less common but delicious.

Biscuits and Gravy: The Ultimate Comfort Food

Biscuits and gravy is the dish that converts people to Southern breakfast. Fluffy, buttery biscuits split open and smothered in rich, peppery sausage gravy—it's pure comfort in a bowl.

Making the Biscuits

For detailed biscuit instructions, check out our Complete Guide to Perfect Southern Biscuits. The key points:

Making the Sausage Gravy

Sausage gravy is surprisingly simple—just sausage, flour, milk, and seasonings.

Brown 1 pound of breakfast sausage in a large skillet, breaking it into small pieces. Don't drain the fat—you need it for the gravy. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour over the sausage and stir to coat. Cook for a minute or two to eliminate the raw flour taste.

Slowly add 3-4 cups of whole milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. The gravy will thicken as it cooks. Season generously with black pepper (this is where the "pepper" in "peppered gravy" comes from) and salt to taste.

The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, let it simmer a bit longer.

Split your hot biscuits, place them on a plate, and ladle the gravy generously over the top. This is not a time for restraint.

Country Ham and Red-Eye Gravy

Country ham is a Southern delicacy—salt-cured, aged ham with an intense, salty flavor. It's traditionally served in thin slices, fried until the edges are crispy, and served with red-eye gravy.

What Is Red-Eye Gravy?

Red-eye gravy is one of the simplest gravies you'll ever make, but it's packed with flavor. After frying country ham, you deglaze the pan with strong black coffee (and sometimes a splash of water). The coffee combines with the ham drippings to create a thin, dark gravy with a unique, slightly bitter flavor that perfectly complements the salty ham.

The name supposedly comes from the appearance of the gravy—the fat from the ham floats on top of the coffee, creating a circle that looks like an eye.

Serve country ham and red-eye gravy with grits, biscuits, and eggs for a traditional Southern breakfast.

Eggs: Cooked Your Way

Southern breakfast always includes eggs, cooked however you like them:

Fried - Over easy, over medium, over hard, or sunny-side up

Scrambled - Soft and creamy or firm and fluffy

Poached - Gently cooked in simmering water

Boiled - Soft, medium, or hard

Omelets - Filled with cheese, vegetables, ham, or whatever you like

The key to great eggs is not overcooking them. Eggs continue to cook after you remove them from the heat, so take them off just before they reach your desired doneness.

Breakfast Meats: Bacon, Sausage, and More

Bacon

Southern bacon is typically thick-cut and cooked until crispy. Some folks prefer it chewy, but crispy bacon is the standard.

For the crispiest bacon, bake it in the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. This method is less messy than pan-frying and produces evenly cooked bacon.

Sausage

Breakfast sausage comes in links or patties. It should be well-browned and cooked through, with a slightly crispy exterior.

Southern breakfast sausage is typically seasoned with sage, black pepper, and sometimes a touch of red pepper for heat.

Country Ham

As mentioned above, country ham is salt-cured and aged. It's much saltier than regular ham and is served in thin slices. Soak thick slices in water or milk for a few hours to reduce the saltiness if desired.

Breakfast Casseroles: Feed a Crowd

Breakfast casseroles are perfect for feeding a crowd or for make-ahead meals. They typically combine eggs, cheese, bread or potatoes, and meat, all baked together in one dish.

Classic Breakfast Casserole

Layer cubed bread, cooked sausage, and shredded cheese in a baking dish. Pour a mixture of beaten eggs and milk over the top. Refrigerate overnight, then bake in the morning until golden and set.

This is perfect for holiday mornings or when you have house guests.

Hash Brown Casserole

Frozen hash browns mixed with sour cream, cheese, and cream of chicken soup, topped with crushed cornflakes and butter. It's rich, indulgent, and absolutely delicious.

Southern Breakfast Sides

Fried Apples

Sliced apples cooked in butter with cinnamon and sugar until tender and caramelized. These are a classic accompaniment to pork dishes and add a touch of sweetness to the breakfast plate.

Sliced Tomatoes

In summer, thick slices of ripe tomatoes with just a sprinkle of salt are a refreshing contrast to rich breakfast foods.

Fried Potatoes

Diced potatoes fried with onions until crispy and golden. Simple but satisfying.

Fresh Fruit

A bowl of fresh fruit—melon, berries, grapes—provides a light, refreshing element to balance the richness of Southern breakfast.

Breakfast Breads Beyond Biscuits

Cornbread

Leftover cornbread from dinner makes excellent breakfast, especially crumbled into a glass of cold buttermilk (a traditional Southern breakfast that sounds strange but is surprisingly good).

Pancakes

Southern pancakes are typically made with buttermilk for extra fluffiness and tang. Serve with butter and cane syrup or maple syrup.

Waffles

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and perfect for holding pools of syrup and melted butter.

French Toast

Thick slices of bread soaked in an egg and milk mixture, then fried until golden. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with syrup.

Breakfast Beverages

Coffee

Southern coffee is typically strong and served black or with cream and sugar. It's not fancy, but it gets the job done.

Sweet Tea

Yes, some Southerners drink sweet tea with breakfast. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely a thing.

Orange Juice

Freshly squeezed if you're feeling ambitious, or from a carton if you're being practical.

Milk

Cold milk is the perfect accompaniment to biscuits, pancakes, or any sweet breakfast item.

Putting It All Together: The Full Southern Breakfast

A full Southern breakfast might include:

This is a lot of food—more than most people can eat in one sitting. The idea is to have variety and let everyone choose what they want. Leftovers can be saved for later or sent home with guests.

Making Southern Breakfast Practical for Weekdays

You don't need to cook a full Southern breakfast every day (though some people do). Here are some ways to enjoy Southern breakfast on busy weekday mornings:

Make-ahead breakfast casseroles - Assemble the night before, bake in the morning

Quick grits - Use quick-cooking grits for a faster breakfast

Biscuit sandwiches - Make biscuits on the weekend, freeze them, and use them for breakfast sandwiches during the week

Simplified plates - Just eggs, bacon, and toast is still a good breakfast

The Joy of Southern Breakfast

There's something special about a proper Southern breakfast. Maybe it's the way it brings people together around the table. Maybe it's the comfort of familiar flavors and traditions. Or maybe it's just that everything tastes better with butter and gravy.

Whatever it is, Southern breakfast is worth the effort. Whether you're cooking for your family on a Saturday morning or treating yourself to a special weekday breakfast, these dishes will start your day off right.

So fire up that stove, get out your cast iron skillet, and make yourself a real Southern breakfast. Your taste buds—and your soul—will thank you.

Ready to get cooking? Start with our Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Sausage or master the art of Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy. Your mornings will never be the same.