This Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe is the ultimate comfort food, bursting with bold, savory flavors. The juicy, perfectly seasoned sausage pairs beautifully with the sweet, caramelized peppers and onions, creating a hearty and satisfying meal. It’s a go-to dish for busy weeknights, but it’s also perfect for a laid-back weekend dinner or a game-day party.

Italian Sausage, Onions and Peppers in a cast iron skillet
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It’s not a secret to anyone that I’m a huge fan of one-pan meals or skillet recipes. I use my skillet to cook recipes almost every day of the week, which helps me make delicious and delicious foods in no time.

This Italian Sausage and Peppers recipe is one of my favourite one-pan meals because it is so hearty and and it’s great as leftovers. Inspired by this Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers, this is the sausage and peppers skillet version. The less dishes I have to do on a busy weeknight, the better!

Ingredients to make sausage and peppers Recipe

Italian Sausage – After making this recipe so many times, I’ve found that fresh Italian sausage is the best for this recipe because it adds the richest flavor and the perfect balance of spices. If you prefer, try homemade Italian sausage made with fennel seed, ground pork, or even ground beef too.

White and Red Onion: I’ve made this recipe several times using only white or only red onions, but I prefer a mix of both for their mild sweetness and added depth of flavor. If you don’t have them on hand, yellow onions make a great substitute.

Bell Peppers – To keep this dish colorful (which the kids love!), I use a mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. But if you prefer, you can stick to just one color. It’s all about the flavors and how vibrant you want the dish to look!

Seasoning – After many tests, I found that simple seasonings like salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat work best. I also love adding fresh herbs like parsley and basil, which really elevate the flavor and bring a fresh, aromatic touch to the dish.

How do you Make this italian sausage recipe?

  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the Italian sausage, and cook it for about 2-3 minutes until all the sides are brown. At this point, the sausage won’t be cooked through but we’ll be cooking it some more later.
  • Remove the Italian sausage from the skillet, and place on a cutting board to slice them. Set aside.
close up view of Italian sausage in a skillet.
  • Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the same skillet. If you need to, add more olive oil or even butter before cooking the onions and bell peppers. Add garlic, season with salt, black pepper and red flakes. Sauté the veggies for about 3 minutes.
  • Pour apple cider or red wine into the skillet with the peppers and onions, and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release all the brown bits. This is called deglazing. This part is very important because the brown bits add more flavour to this dish.
overhead view of bell pepper and onions in a cast iron skillet.
  • Put the slices of Italian sausage back into the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Then, uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 more minutes or just until the liquid is evaporated and the sausage is cooked completely. You can use a meat thermometer to check on the doneness of the meat.
  • Before serving, top with freshly chopped parsley and basil.
bell pepper and sausage in a cast iron skillet

Expect Tips

  • Sausage is cooked through at 160 degrees Fahrenheit/ 71 degrees Celsius. You can check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer.
  • Make sure to cut onions and bell peppers to similar sized pieces. This helps ensure they are cooked evenly.
  • You can also add some spaghetti sauce in the skillet to add more liquid and serve with pasta and parmesan cheese on top.
  • This Italian sausage recipe is also versatile because you can use any other veggie you have like mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.

What To Serve With

This Italian sausage recipe is super-versatile in terms of what to serve with it. Although delicious on its own, you can serve it over Cauliflower “Potato” Salad, Roasted Veggies and Potato Wedges. Coleslaw, Potato Salad, mashed potatoes, and on top of pasta (penne is a great option), pizza, and polenta.

Italian Sausage, Onions and Peppers Skillet in a close-up shot

Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe

3.56 from 750 votes
Author: Olivia Ribas
Servings4 people
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
This Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe is the ultimate comfort food, bursting with bold, savory flavors. The juicy, perfectly seasoned sausage pairs beautifully with the sweet, caramelized peppers and onions, creating a hearty and satisfying meal. It’s a go-to dish for busy weeknights, but it’s also perfect for a laid-back weekend dinner or a game-day party.

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Ingredients 
 

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 cup white onion sliced
  • 1 cup red onion sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
  • 1 orange bell pepper sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves sliced
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup chicken broth (you can use red wine as well if you are not on low-carb and whole30 diets)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the sausage links, and cook for about 2 minutes each side, just until they turn brown. The sausage will not be cooked through.
  • Place them on a cutting board, slice them, and set aside.
    cutting sausage in a wooden cutting board
  • Add the onions, and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Then, add the bell peppers, garlic, salt and black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
    sautéed veggies in a cast iron skillet
  • Add the chicken broth to the skillet with the peppers and onions, and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release all the brown bits.
  • Return the sausage back to the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Then, uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 more minutes, just until the liquid is evaporated and the sausage is cooked through. Top with parsley and basil. Enjoy!

Notes

  • To store: I recommend you portion out this recipe into air tight containers once it has cooled. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave.
  • To freeze: Freeze leftovers in a use airtight containers or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. 
  • To reheat: Thaw the frozen Sausage Peppers and Onions in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until thoroughly warmed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4, Calories: 337kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 1189mg, Potassium: 619mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Olivia Ribas

Welcome

Hi, I'm Olivia


Happy to have you here! I’ve been creating and sharing tasty, easy-to-make recipes on Primavera Kitchen for over 10 years now! I’m all about simple, delicious recipes made with fresh, seasonal, and wholesome ingredients that your whole family will love.

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3.56 from 750 votes (709 ratings without comment)

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153 Comments

  1. Penny Tremblay says:

    I loved trying this. It was so fast and easy. I didn’t have Italian sausage but used chicken sausage and added mushrooms and a couple other spices and it’s a big hit for my catering jobs. Thank you so much for making it easier on me.

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      That’s so nice. Happy to hear that 😉

  2. Gigi says:

    This was incredible!!! I was looking for something new to make and this really looked interesting especially when I thought about serving it over mashed cauliflower. Such a simple recipe yet so flavorful. I can’t thank you enough Olivia. To anyone reading the comments I would say it’s great to use both the chicken stock ( I prefer stock to broth) AND the sweeter red wine.
     The sausage  took me a little longer to brown than 2 minutes per side. And the liquid took a bit longer to evaporate at the end . I would say use a little less liquid overall so that it evaporates a little quicker but even with the longer cooking time everything was perfect. One other thing I would say is DO NOT SKIMP on the basil and parsley. Adds a very good note to the dish. For the cauliflower , try the recipe I found on line for mashed garlic cauliflower. That roasted garlic and Dijon mustard were so good to add. My husband thought he was eating mashed potatoes with a little cauliflower thrown in. 

  3. John Svagna says:

    Sometimes you wonder if a basic meal like sausage,peppers and onions and be made better, but this recipe  definitely makes this meal even better.Thank You

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Aww you’re so kind. Thanks!

  4. Mar n says:

    Can you make it in the morning and then refrigerate it and serve later in the evening?

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Yes you can!

  5. Cindy West says:

    Made this for my family and they loved it.   Served it over white rice.   Delicious.   Yummy 

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Mm… yummy! We serve with white rice too and it’s always so good!

  6. Leslie says:

    This was an amazing dish. I would recomend this recipe to everyone. My husband is a picky eater and for him to have seconds says a lot. I will be making this dish again.

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      That’s awesome!

  7. Katherine Harris says:

    OMG It was delicious! Followed the recipe other than more garlic, but hey, doesn’t everyone? Will make this again and again.

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      So happy you liked this recipe!

  8. Sylvie says:

    It was a very tasty meal. I would probably add more veggies next time like celery and mushroom

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Good idea!

  9. Lisa Willows says:

    Dekucious!!!! Husband raved about it!

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Awesome!

  10. Vanessa says:

    Easy to prepare, especially using the tips noted herein (peppers and onions prepped a few days ahead)! And, the taste…EXCELLENT!

    1. Olivia Ribas says:

      Glad to hear that!