Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions
Whip up this easy, one pan recipe for Italian sausage, peppers, and onions when you want maximum flavor and minimal effort! Serve in sandwiches or over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta for a soul-warming 30 minute meal.
Prefer to throw everything in the oven? Try this equally easy recipe for sheet pan Italian sausage and veggies.
You can never have too many one pan recipes, especially those that pack in protein, a lot of veggies, and even more flavor. This easy skillet with Italian sausage, peppers, and onions does exactly that, and is simple enough to throw together on even busy nights.
Ingredients and shopping tips
Here’s what you’ll need to bring this one pan wonder to life. As always, follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions.
- Italian sausages – as many as you like. We prefer sweet Italian sausages, though mild or spicy would also be excellent, and usually make the full 20 ounce package because it’s no extra work and any leftovers reliably disappear.
- 1 large onion – yellow, red, or white. If shopping specifically for this recipe, buy a red onion because of its mellow flavor and bright color, but definitely just use white or yellow if you already have one.
- 2-3 large bell peppers – any color. It’s nice to have a mix for visual appeal!
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes.
- Chicken broth – ideally low-sodium. You’ll just use a splash and could sub water in a pinch, as the meal also has a lot of flavor from the other ingredients.
- Fresh parsley and/or basil – optional but a very nice garnish. A pop of green makes everything better!
- Garlic.
- Olive oil and butter.
- Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
How to make it
- Prep your veggies, being sure to slice the onions and peppers into long, fairly even strips.
- Brown the sausages. You don’t want them cooked through just yet, so remove them to a cutting board just after they get a nice brown crust on all sides.
- Melt a bit of butter in the same pan, then begin to sauté the veggies.
- Add broth, tomatoes, and seasonings, then bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Slice the sausages into pieces and nestle them in among the veggies. Cover the pan and let everything cook for roughly 5 minutes, then remove the lid and cook another 2-3 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
- Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
We recommend adding the full can of diced tomatoes to the pan, including the juices. This yields a good amount of delicious, tomato-based sauce, which is perfect for drizzling over any side dishes or mopping up with some crusty bread. If you prefer to reduce the amount of sauce for any reason, drain the tomatoes before adding them to the skillet.
How do you know when a sausage is cooked?
Since the sausages are already browned and sliced before they finish cooking in this recipe, it’s very easy to simply peek at the inside. It should be pale but no longer pink.
If you care to be more precise you can measure the internal temperature. (You know how we rave about an instant-read thermometer!) Sausages that contain exclusively pork or beef should reach 160 degrees F; those containing chicken or turkey should hit 165 degrees to be safe. (source)
What goes with Italian sausage and peppers?
Our absolute favorite way to serve this recipe is with mashed potatoes. If you have a few minutes, these garlic herb Instant Pot potatoes are next level!
Sausages and peppers are also excellent over any type of rice or pasta, or stuffed into crusty rolls to make hearty sandwiches. And if you’re looking for a low carb option, cauliflower rice is perfect!
How long will this last in the fridge?
This dish makes excellent leftovers, and will last at least 2-3 days tightly covered in the fridge. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.
Related Recipes
Love Italian sausage, but prefer a creamy pan sauce? This creamy Italian sausage pasta uses crumbled sausage to make a deliciously easy family dinner. Want to toss some pasta right in the skillet for a true one pot meal? Cheese tortellini with sausage and peppers is just the recipe you need.
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Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20 ounces Italian sausage sweet, hot, or mild
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large onion yellow, red, or white, sliced
- 2-3 bell peppers any colors, seeded and sliced into long strips
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes including juices
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6-8 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
- fresh parsley and basil optional, to garnish
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage links and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently. Remove when they are browned on the outside, but not yet cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly, then slice the links into 1-2” pieces.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter, then add sliced onions and peppers. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds more, just until fragrant. Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, scraping the bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits.
- Bring everything to a simmer, then return the sliced sausages to the pan. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, reducing the heat if needed – the bubbling shouldn’t be too vigorous. Uncover and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the liquid is slightly reduced and the sausage is cooked through. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and basil, if desired, and serve right away.
Notes
- As written, you’ll have some sauce in the pan along with the cooked sausages and veggies when the dish is finished. We love this for drizzling over any side dishes or mopping up with some crusty bread. If you prefer to reduce the amount of sauce for any reason, drain the tomatoes before adding them to the skillet.
I love Italian sausage. Thanks for this easy, yummy dish!