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.
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!
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Other Italian sausage recipes to Try:
Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Video
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.
- 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.
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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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.
That’s so nice. Happy to hear that 😉
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.
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
Aww you’re so kind. Thanks!
Can you make it in the morning and then refrigerate it and serve later in the evening?
Yes you can!
Made this for my family and they loved it. Served it over white rice. Delicious. Yummy
Mm… yummy! We serve with white rice too and it’s always so good!
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.
That’s awesome!
OMG It was delicious! Followed the recipe other than more garlic, but hey, doesn’t everyone? Will make this again and again.
So happy you liked this recipe!
It was a very tasty meal. I would probably add more veggies next time like celery and mushroom
Good idea!
Dekucious!!!! Husband raved about it!
Awesome!
Easy to prepare, especially using the tips noted herein (peppers and onions prepped a few days ahead)! And, the taste…EXCELLENT!
Glad to hear that!