This Sausage and Peppers Recipe is an easy Italian dinner with juicy sausage, sweet peppers, and onions. Perfect for grilling or cooking indoors.
Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Sausage and peppers is a dinner I never get tired of. It’s been a family favorite for years because it’s quick, everyone loves it, and it couldn’t be easier to make. I use Italian chicken sausage, which has all the flavor of traditional pork sausage but with less fat, and I’ve found a few brands my family prefers. During the colder months, I cook it indoors, but once grilling season starts, everything, including the peppers and onions, goes on the grill. It’s a staple at our backyard gatherings, served with plenty of crusty bread. More variations try my Sheet Pan Roasted Potatoes, Sausage, and Peppers, which is great in the winter, and this Cheesy Sausage and Peppers in foil packets, which is perfect for grilling while camping.
Why You’ll Love Italian Sausage and Peppers
Sausage and peppers is one of my go-to meals when I need a simple dinner year-round. It’s perfect for entertaining in the summer and easy enough for weeknight dinners.
- Versatile: If you don’t have a grill, I provide instructions for three different cooking methods.
- Quick and Easy: Just a few ingredients, ready in about 30 minutes.
- Family-friendly: Even if your kids don’t love the peppers and onions, you can serve the sausage with bread.
Ingredients
Sausage and peppers are the main ingredients here. Just add some bread and a few other kitchen staples for a fast and easy dinner. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Olive oil for sauteing the vegetables
- Vegetables: Red and yellow bell peppers, onion
- Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning
- Italian chicken sausage: My favorites are Premio and Al Fresco. Whole Foods also carries a great option. Use sweet or hot Italian sausage, depending on your spice preference.
- Italian bread: I like serving sausage and peppers with crusty Italian bread, or French bread.
How to Make Sausage and Peppers
During the summer, I cook everything on the grill, but I included stovetop instructions for the vegetables in case you don’t have a cast-iron skillet. If you’d like to grill the peppers and onions, place them in a cast-iron skillet on the grill over low heat. Close the grill lid and let the vegetables cook until tender. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the peppers and onions to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and cook until they soften.
- Grill the sausage over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep turning it so it doesn’t burn.
- How to serve: Once the sausage is cooked through, slice it in half and serve it on a platter with the peppers, onions, and bread.
No grill? No problem!
Here are three more ways to cook the sausage if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
- Skillet: Brown the sausage over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through.
- Oven: Broil on a rack 6 inches from the top for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.
- Air Fryer: Air fry at 400°F for 10 to 23 minutes, flipping halfway through.
How do I know when the sausage is fully cooked?
If you’re not sure the sausage is fully cooked, check one link with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165°F. If you’re using fully cooked sausage, heat it until it’s warm in the center. You might need to reduce the cooking time.
What to Serve with Sausage and Peppers
Make it a meal by serving Italian sausage and peppers with a green side salad or another vegetable.
Add a Side
Variations
- Sausage: Substitute Italian turkey or pork sausage. Use vegan sausage to make it plant based.
- Bell peppers: Use whatever color peppers you prefer. I like using 2 different colors, but you could use all red or add an orange or green pepper.
- Bread: Swap Italian bread for sourdough, baguette, ciabatta, or focaccia.
Storage
- Refrigerate the grilled sausage and peppers for 4 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then, thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat in the microwave, air fryer (at 350°F), or stove (over medium-low heat) until warm.
More Sausage Recipes You’ll Love
- Homemade Italian Turkey Sausage or Chicken Sausage
- Escarole Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
- Summer Vegetables with Sausage and Potatoes Skillet (One Pot)
- Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Sausage with Tomatoes and Broccolini
- Crock Pot Pasta Sauce with Sausage
Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch thin strips
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch thin strips
- 1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 14 ounces Italian chicken sausage, uncooked, sweet or hot, such as Premio or Al Fresco
- 8 ounces Italian bread, cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the grill or broiler.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, when hot add the olive oil, peppers and onions, tossing to coat well. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste; cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
- Meanwhile, grill the sausage over medium heat, turning until golden and cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes, careful not to burn until it’s cooked through. Set aside on a cutting board and slice sausage in half lengthwise. Place the cooked peppers and onions on a platter alongside the sausage. Serve with crusty bread.
- Note: To make this entirely on the grill, use a cast iron skillet and cook the onions and peppers over low heat with the grill covered until the onions and peppers are soft, stirring often, then set them aside and grill the sausage.
Last Step:
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- Skillet: Brown over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Oven: Broil on a rack 6 inches from the heating element for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Air Fryer: Air fry at 400°F, 10 to 23 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through.