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This 5-ingredient sausage and peppers skillet is an inexpensive meal with great leftovers. The juicy and crispy sausage, bell peppers, and lightly browned onions combo is so good!
Try this Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta or Sausage Stuffed Peppers next.
Why you’ll love it
This hassle-free one pan meal has plenty of sausage, peppers, and onions! It’s really simple to make on the stove after a busy day, and it’s filling and satisfying. Garlic, tender-crisp peppers, golden ribbons of onion… pan-frying them adds so much depth of flavor.
I’ve seen versions out there with Italian sausage, but the smoked sausage in my recipe adds a special quality that really complements the other ingredients! It’s also easy to slice since it’s already cooked, making it even faster to make this weeknight dinner.
What you’ll need
- Smoked sausage – Ukrainian, kielbasa, or andouille all work. They’re all varieties of cooked sausage.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion – my favorite onions to cook with are sweet (Vidalia) onions
- Bell peppers – I like to use assorted colors, but feel free to use all the same color or whatever you prefer!
- Garlic – for even more savory flavor
Pro tip
Since there are very few ingredients, this one is all about technique and getting a nice sear! I love lightly browning the onions and getting a little char on the bell peppers.
How to make sausage and peppers
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Add in the sausage pieces, and sear until the exterior is nice and crispy. Transfer to a plate. Add the onions to the skillet, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
To the skillet, add in the peppers, and cook until tender-crisp/lightly browned for maximum flavor. Stir in the garlic until fragrant. Return the sausage, and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here’s the cast iron skillet I use.
- I use a garlic press to easily mince garlic. It’s quick, and no peeling of the cloves is needed!
- Here’s the sturdy cutting board that’s my fave.
Substitutions and variations
- I love it as-is, but if you want to kick the heat up a bit, throw in some crushed red pepper flakes or even a bit of sriracha or hot sauce.
- If you’re planning on using whole Italian sausages instead, they’re not already cooked, so be aware that it’ll take longer to cook them. You may also have to drain some excess fat and would need to cut them up later on.
- Readers have added in shrimp as well (since they cook quickly) for a twist!
What to serve with sausage and peppers
- I like to serve it with egg noodles (my Quick and Easy Garlic Butter Noodles are a good option), but any kind of pasta, rice, or even potatoes would work. Try my Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream or a Baked Potato.
- You can eat it as-is if you want to keep the dish low carb, or try cauliflower rice. I’ve also seen it served in a hoagie roll (sandwich).
- For a lighter option, pair it with a salad and my zesty Homemade Italian Dressing or Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this sausage and peppers skillet in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.
- Leftovers are very tasty! Heat up in the microwave until warmed through or on a low heat over the stove.
- You could freeze leftovers, but keep in mind that they may soften up.
If you made this sausage and bell peppers recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I hope you enjoy it. Tag me on Instagram if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Sausage and Peppers Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked sausage sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 3 medium bell peppers (whatever colors you prefer) sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the sausage pieces until they're browned/crispy on all sides (about 8-10 minutes), then transfer to a plate.
- Add the onions to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes (add more oil to the pan if it seems too dry), and then add in the peppers and continue cooking until they're tender-crisp. I like to get a little char on mine!
- When everything is looking to be about done, stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute or so.
- Add the sausages back and give it a good stir. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- I used a Ukrainian smoked sausage coil for this recipe. Any smoked sausage will work. Try kielbasa or andouille sausage. I buy the kind that’s already fully cooked. If you use a sausage that’s raw (like Italian sausage links), you will have to cook it for longer and probably drain some of the fat depending on what kind of sausage you buy.
- This recipe is great served with anything from egg noodles/pasta to rice, mashed potatoes, or even in a bun or hoagie roll.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on May 11, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Can you put all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and then freeze and cook at a later date?
Hi! I haven’t tried that, but I suppose you could. I think it may end up a bit soggy, but I can’t say without testing. Let me know if you try!