Go Back
–+ servings
overhead view of a slow cooker pot containing Italian Sausage and bell pepper
Print Recipe
3.42 from 164 votes

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers Recipe

Slow cooker sausage and peppers is one of those set-it-and-forget-it dinners that fills your whole kitchen with the kind of smell that makes everyone wander in asking what's for dinner. Juicy Italian sausage links, sweet bell peppers, tender onions, and hearty mushrooms slow-cook for hours in a rich tomato sauce until everything is deeply flavored and fall-apart tender. No canned soup, no shortcuts, just real ingredients doing exactly what they should. Pile it over pasta or stuff it into toasted hoagie rolls with melted provolone. Either way, dinner is handled.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Bell peppers, Homemade Tomato Sauce, Italian Sausage, onions, peppers, sausage and peppers, Slow Cooker
Servings: 6 People
Author: Olivia Ribas

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb fresh Italian sausage links - nitrate-free (or 6 medium Italian sausage links in their casing)
  • 1 medium onion cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 8 oz (227) white mushroom sliced
  • 2 red bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
  • 1 1/2 cup any tomato sauce
  • Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnishing
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Over medium-high, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sausage links, and cook for about 2 minutes each side, just until they get brown (but the sausage will not be cooked though).
    Four sausages are being cooked in a black skillet, with metal tongs turning one. The sizzling sausages are perfectly browned—a great start before making Crockpot Sausage and Peppers on your white stovetop.
  • Place them on a cutting board, slice them and place in the slow cooker.
    A hand uses a knife to slice cooked sausage into pieces on a wooden cutting board, preparing ingredients for Crockpot Sausage and Peppers.
  • Add onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly. Then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
    Sliced onions and minced garlic are being sautéed in a black skillet, the perfect base for Crockpot Sausage and Peppers, with tongs visible in the lower left corner.
  • In the same skillet add mushroom (if necessary pour more olive oil in the skillet) and cook for 2 minutes or until they get a nice golden color. Transfer to the slow cooker.
    Sliced mushrooms being sautéed in a black cast iron skillet with a white handle, set on a light-colored surface—perfect for adding to your favorite Crockpot Sausage and Peppers recipe.
  • Add bell pepper, tomato sauce, salt and black pepper to the slow cooker.
    A slow cooker filled with sliced red bell peppers, mushrooms, tomato sauce, sausage, and seasonings—perfect for making hearty Crockpot Sausage and Peppers.
  • Cover and cook for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high, or until sausages are cooked through and tender. Top with parsley. Enjoy!
    A Crockpot Sausage and Peppers dish with sausage, sliced red bell peppers, onions, and tomato sauce, all simmered together in a rich, red sauce.

Video

Notes

To make ahead: Do the skillet steps the night before and load everything into the slow cooker insert without the tomato sauce. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add the tomato sauce and start the cooker on low.
To store: Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Reheat on the stovetop or microwave in 60-second intervals, stirring in between. A splash of chicken broth helps if the sauce has thickened.
To freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Note that the peppers will be very soft after freezing.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g