Give Biscuits And Gravy A Spicy Upgrade With This Sausage Swap

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Southern comfort food is iconic for a multitude of reasons. It's often rich and hearty, and able to fill you up for hours or send you straight into a blissful satisfied nap. Gumbo, etouffee, and fried chicken often come to mind, but biscuits and gravy are definitely one of the Southern comfort foods you might need to try. Flaky biscuits split to reveal soft crags, smothered in creamy gravy studded with pieces of savory sausage? Sign us up. The classic version is perfect for any meal of the day and can be tweaked to create endless variations. One of the easiest ways to upgrade it is by changing out the sausage, and making a spicy swap of chorizo, instead.

Sausage gravy is traditionally made with breakfast sausage, particularly ones made from pork. Chorizo makes it easy to keep with the porky theme, while adding a deliciously spicy flavor from dried chilies and other warming spices, like cinnamon, cumin, and cloves, to the overall dish. To match the textural vibes of sausage gravy, use Mexican chorizo instead of Spanish chorizo, so you can crumble the sausage meat into your cast-iron pan to cook and render that precious pork fat out. It should be fairly straightforward to use chorizo in most biscuits and gravy recipes. Replace the one pound of uncooked breakfast sausage called for with one pound of uncooked chorizo. Proceed with the rest of recipe as written, and you are in for a delightful flavor explosion!

There are several options for choosing chorizo for your biscuits and gravy. You can opt for ones made and sold at your local Mexican grocery store or order a store brand like Cacique, its spice coming from paprika, mustard, and guajillo chili. But if you have the wherewithal, you can make your own chorizo at home with this fresh Mexican chorizo recipe. The recipe does not specify a particular variety of chili powder, so use one (or a blend) you prefer, as different types of chili have different heat and smokiness levels. Make sure to source Mexican oregano as well for that authentic flavor.

For the final part of the biscuits and gravy equation, consider making your own biscuits to make it restaurant-quality. While you could use canned biscuits or procure fast food biscuits from your favorite place, nothing quite beats the taste and quality of homemade biscuits, like with this buttermilk biscuit recipe. The butter is grated straight from the freezer, ensuring maximum flakiness throughout your biscuits. To serve, simply assemble your split homemade biscuits and spicy chorizo gravy on a plate and remember to clear your schedule for a nap afterward.