Italian Sausage snd Peppers Recipe is a super-flavourful comfort food. It’s an awesome meal for a busy weeknight dinner, weekend, or game-day party. This recipe is also low-carb and whole30.
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 healthy foods in no time.
This Italian Sausage and Peppers is one of my favourite one-pan meals because it is so hearty and filling while still being low carb and and it’s great as leftovers. Inspired by this Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers (Web Story), this is the sausage and peppers skillet version. The less dishes I have to do on a busy weeknight, the better!
For more Italian sausage recipes, check these ones too: Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers, Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce, Cabbage and Sausage and Sausage and Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash.
Ingredients to make sausage and peppers
- Olive oil
- Italian sausage — try to get sugar and preservatives-free sausages. They’re a much healthier option and if you have homemade Italian sausage made with fennel seed, ground pork, ground beef or even ground turkey. But you can also use turkey sausage.
- White and red onion — if you can’t find red or white onion, yellow will work as well. Alternatively, you can use two reds or two whites.
- Bell peppers — to keep this a colourful dish (kids love colour!), I use red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. You can stick to just one colour if you prefer.
- Garlic cloves — I prefer fresh garlic
- Seasoning — I went with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Chicken broth — you can use red wine as well if you are not on low-carb and whole30 diets
- Fresh herbs — I went with chopped parsley and basil. If you prefer, you can also top it with parmesan cheese.
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.
- Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the same skillet. If you need to, add more olive oil or even butter or ghee before cooking the onions and bell peppers. Add garlic and season with salt and black pepper and red flakes or other spices of your preference. 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.
Why We love this italian sausage recipe?
- This sausage and peppers has a very delicious taste with a garlicky flavor that takes this dish to another level.
- This comforting sausage and peppers recipe tastes like Grandma’s cooking.
- 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 mashed cauliflower, regular mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, and on top of pasta (penne is a great option), pizza, cauliflower rice, and polenta. You can also chop it and add inside of your lasagna. I even put it in soups. You decide. This Italian sausage recipe is also versatile because you can use any other veggie you have like mushrooms and spinach.
- It’s also low-carb, gluten-free, paleo, and whole30.
Is italian sausage precooked?
Unlike smoked sausages, Italian sausage does need to be cooked to 160°F as it is made with raw ground pork or ground beef. To know if the sausage is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can slice the sausage in the middle to see if it is underdone.
Should you boil Italian sausage before cooking?
For this sausage and peppers recipe you don’t need to boil it. But if you prefer to do it, you can.
What goes good with Italian sausage?
We love to serve sausage with Mashed Potatoes, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Cauliflower “Potato” Salad, Roasted Veggies and Potato Wedges.
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Italian Sausage Recipe Meal Prep Tips
- If meal prepping, you can 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.
- If you want, you can cut the onions and red peppers ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This cuts down on prep time the day of cooking. You can also cook the sausages ahead of time and store them in the fridge as well. Then just add them into the pan at the end.
More 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.
- Want to serve this with a side? Try my cauliflower rice!
Why do I love cast iron skillets?
There are so many reasons, and I could talk about how awesome cast iron skillets are for hours. But here are my 6 top reasons why:
- They are perfect for searing, sautéing, baking, broiling, braising, and frying.
- These skillets are super durable.
- They have a natural non-stick surface.
- Use them in the oven, on the stove, on the grill, or over the campfire.
- Cast iron skillets evenly distribute heat from the bottom through the sidewalls.
- They also add a source of nutritional iron to your food.
This Italian Sausage recipe is the perfect example of a healthy meal that I love making with my cast iron. It’s super simple and quick to make and a great meal choice when you crave comfort foods. You can cook any protein in them, like this Sweet Potato, Kale and Shrimp Skillet, and it’ll come out perfect.
Other Italian sausage recipes to Try:
- One-Pan Italian Sausage Meal-Prep Bowls
- Italian Sausage Cauliflower Rice Skillet
- Italian Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
- One-Pan Sausage with Sweet Potato and Asparagus
- Cabbage and Italian Sausage Stew
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Italian Sausage Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound fresh Italian sausage links
- 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!
Tips
- Looking for more one-pan meals? Click here to visit an awesome list of one-pan meals that are great for busy weeknight dinners.
- Click HERE to watch the web story.
- Feel free to swap for your favourite sausage.
- You can use an instant read thermometer to check if the sausage is cooked through at 160F.
- Feel free to use only one type of bell pepper if you prefer. I like red bell peppers.
- To store: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat this sausage, onions, and bell peppers recipe in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- To freeze: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Watch the Watch Story HERE.
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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.
Olivia says
That’s so nice. Happy to hear that 😉
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.
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
Olivia says
Aww you’re so kind. Thanks!
Mar n says
Can you make it in the morning and then refrigerate it and serve later in the evening?
Olivia says
Yes you can!
Cindy West says
Made this for my family and they loved it. Served it over white rice. Delicious. Yummy
Olivia says
Mm… yummy! We serve with white rice too and it’s always so good!
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.
Olivia says
That’s awesome!
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.
Olivia says
So happy you liked this recipe!
Sylvie says
It was a very tasty meal. I would probably add more veggies next time like celery and mushroom
Olivia says
Good idea!
Lisa Willows says
Dekucious!!!! Husband raved about it!
Olivia says
Awesome!
Vanessa says
Easy to prepare, especially using the tips noted herein (peppers and onions prepped a few days ahead)! And, the taste…EXCELLENT!
Olivia says
Glad to hear that!