Skillet Italian Sausage and Peppers

Quick and easy, this Italian Sausage and Peppers in a skillet is a MUST try! And cooking it all in one pan makes clean up a breeze!

One pan dinners are some of the best dinners!  Quick and effortless they will become some of your favorites recipes on busy nights like this Pork Chops, Sheet Pan Chicken and Amazing Scallops.

Amazing Italian Sausage and Peppers

This skillet Italian sausage and peppers is savory and a meal the whole family will love. It’s one of those dishes that’s appealing to both the nose with its incredible smell, and the eyes with all of its color.  When dinner looks amazing, you know it’s going to taste amazing too! The sausage and peppers gives it so much flavor and texture, it’s as fun to eat as it is to make.

Speaking of making, this recipe is perfect for busy weekdays or even lazy weekends. Italian sausage and peppers can be on your table ready to eat in 30 min or less. I love dinners like that. Serve it with a salad and breadsticks and you have a great dinner for any day of the week. Skillet Sausage and Peppers is a comfort dish, its homey, rich, and filling. It’s a dinner everyone will come rushing too and ask for again and again.

Along with this recipe try some of these winners the next time you need something delicious and easy.

Ingredients for Skillet Sausage and Peppers

I like to use a variety of pepper for this skillet recipe to give it color and flavor. Use what you have on hand or mix it up. You can use a sweet or regular onion for this recipe, whichever you prefer.

• Italian Sausage: 4-5 links sliced
• Olive Oil: For sautéing.
• Peppers: You’ll need 3 peppers
• Onion: Slice the onion for sautéing.
• Italian Seasoning: Combination powerhouse of flavor.
• Diced Tomatoes: One cannot drained.
• Tomato Sauce: Eight ounce can is all you need.
• Salt and Pepper: To taste.

How to Make Easy Sausage and Peppers

One and done! Dinner dishes are a breeze with this one skillet dish. You can use different kinds of sausages, I list a few down below. Make sure to cook link sausages to 160 degrees to ensure doneness. As long as they reach that temperature, even if they’re a bit pink in the middle, they’re done. Simmering it along with the vegetables will also cook the sausage a bit more if you’re not sure.

1. Cook Sausage: In a large skillet over medium high heat add the sausage. Cook for 4-5 minutes and remove and set aside on a plate.
2. Vegetables:  Add the olive oil to the skillet with the bell peppers and onion. Sauté until tender.
3. Combine:  Add sausage back to the skillet. Add in Italian seasoning, tomatoes, tomato sauce and salt and pepper.
4. Cook:  Let simmer until heated through.

How to Serve The Best Italian Sausage

This dish is divine on it’s own, but you can serve it in several different ways. It’s very customizable. Here are few ideas for serving this skillet sausage recipe.

• Serve over Rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa for a scrumptious main dish.
• Toss the Italian sausage and peppers with your choice of pasta. Penne, rotini and shell pastas are favorites in our household. Even ravioli or tortellini would go great here.
• Toast hoagie buns and fill them with the sausage and peppers. Top with your choice of cheese and broil to melt the cheese for an insanely delicious sandwich.
• Mix in roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted zucchini, butternut squash, or mushrooms for more vegetables, and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
• Serve alongside eggs for a tasty course.

Tips and More!

There are so many ways to make this skillet Italian sausage and peppers dish, that it’s very forgiving. There are just a few things to keep in mind to make sure your skillet dinner outstanding.

• Sausage:  You can use whatever kind of sausage you desire. Chicken sausage, turkey sausage, kielbasa and even ground sausage all work. Using precooked sausage speeds up the cooking process. You can slice the sausage before heating, allowing more of it to brown and crisp. If you use uncooked sausage be sure to cook it till the internal temperature registers 160 degrees. Let the sausage rest while you sauté the vegetables before slicing the sausage into bite sized pieces, and adding it back to the pan. This will allow the sausage to redistribute the moisture, keeping it nice and juicy.
• If you like it Spicy: If you like your dishes a bit on the spicy side use a spicy Italian sausage or you can also add red pepper flakes to the sauce, before it simmers.
• Peppers and Onions: Be sure to cut your onions and peppers into the same sized pieces for even cooking. Sauté until they just start to become tender. They will finish tenderizing while it simmers. This way the peppers and onions don’t become too soft, but maintain a crisp tender texture.
• The skillet to use: I love cooking in a cast iron skillet. It distributes the heat evenly throughout the bottom of the pan and up into the sides. It’s naturally non stick and super durable. But that being said, any large heavy skillet will work for sausage and peppers.
• Storing Leftovers: Leftovers are almost even better the next day, so I recommend if you can, to have some. Keep leftovers in a tightly sealed container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Sausage and peppers also freezes extremely well and will keep for up to 3-4 months. Let thaw in the fridge and microwave to reheat.

More Sausage Recipes to Savor

Sausage adds so much flavor and richness to dishes. I love using it. It can be spicy or not. It’s a great addition to breakfasts, or dinners. The flavors and textures are just so good! And you can even find healthy-ish sausage now, so no one has to miss out on these fan favorites.

• Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Cajun Shrimp, Sausage and Vegetable Skillet
• Slow Cooker Jambalaya
• The Best Lasagna Recipe EVER
• Incredible Homemade Calzone