red-eye gravy
Thin gravy from country-ham drippings mixed with black coffee.
Also called redeye gravy, red ham gravy, poor man's gravy.
Updated September 24, 2026
red-eye gravy pronunciation
/RED-eye GRAV-ee/
Meaning
Red-eye gravy is salt-country-ham grease cut with strong coffee. It stays thin, not flour-thick. You pour it over ham, biscuits, or grits at a Southern breakfast. In the bowl the dark coffee can sit like a pupil inside the reddish fat, which is the red eye most cooks point to.
How folks use it
- “Pass that red-eye gravy for my biscuits.”
- “Mama fried the ham and made red-eye gravy with the leftover coffee.”
Origin and etymology
Southern country-ham cooking. Older papers talk about red gravy and red ham gravy; red-eye gravy shows up in print by the early 1930s. Andrew Jackson stories about a cook's bloodshot eyes are fun folklore. The look of the coffee-and-grease bowl is the plainer explanation.
Frequently asked questions
Does red-eye gravy always use coffee?
Traditional versions do. Some cooks use water instead, but coffee is the classic Southern way.