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Pan-fried sausage and potatoes is an easy one-pan meal made with only a handful of ingredients. Pesto adds a delicious herby parmesan flavor to this skillet!
You may also like my Chicken Pesto Pasta, Pesto Chicken Gnocchi Bake, or Creamy Pesto Dressing next.
This sausage and potatoes skillet is a simple and rustic comfort food meal. There’s nothing fancy about it, but sometimes you just want some fried potatoes and sausage.
This type of dish is right up my husband’s alley, and he loooved it. I packed it up for his work lunches, and he told me that he was trying to figure out what exactly I put in it to make it taste so good. I told him I used jarred pesto! So, the pesto flavor in here isn’t overwhelming. You can always add more, but I wanted to add just enough to give it an extra little something-something.
The key thing about this recipe is to boil the potatoes first. I didn’t want this step to be a total inconvenience, so I figured out a way that this can be done in the same skillet that’s used to fry everything up.
Recipe notes & tips:
- I recommend using a fairly large and deep skillet if you have one. My 10.25″ Le Creuset skillet was a bit cramped (I did 1.5 pounds of potatoes for the photos, but I think 1 pound will work better, so that’s what I have suggested for the recipe).
- I bought a Ukrainian smoked sausage for this recipe (the kind that comes in plastic packaging in a coil shape). I think most grocery stores sell them or something similar. It’s already cooked, and it slices easily (it doesn’t have to be Ukrainian). The sausage I bought wasn’t particularly fatty, but if yours happens to be, be sure to drain some of the fat from the skillet if there’s an excessive amount.
- I used potatoes from The Little Potato Company (their Boomer Gold yellow creamer potatoes). If you can’t find those where you live, try baby Yukon Gold potatoes. You can use regular potatoes too, you just may need to adjust cooking time a bit if you cut them into bigger/smaller pieces.
- I used DeLallo pesto. Full disclosure: I do work with them, and I had some leftover from a shipment they sent me. This post isn’t sponsored, however. I just really like their products including the pesto.
- I use cooking tongs to turn the potatoes quickly and easily.
- Frying can get a bit messy, so I recommend using a splatter guard to make clean-up faster.
- Feel free to throw in a few veggies if you want to. Bell peppers would work (I’ve seen similar recipes add them, and sausage and peppers go so well together in general).
Other sausage recipes to try:
- Simple Balsamic Smoked Sausage Pasta
- Sautéed Cabbage and Kielbasa
- Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup
- Sausage Pesto Pasta
- Simple Bratwurst Soup
Made this sausage and potatoes recipe? Questions? Talk to me in the comments below!
Sausage and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound little/baby potatoes cut into halves
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound smoked sausage sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons pesto or more, to taste
Instructions
- Prep your potatoes and then add them to a skillet along with the water over high heat. Boil the potatoes, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Give them a stir every so often. If the water starts to boil off (pan is going dry) before the 10 minutes is up, add a little more.
- Drain the potatoes and then add 3 tablespoons of the oil to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the potatoes back into the skillet and stir until they're coated. Let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring/flipping every few minutes so they get browned all around. If the pan starts to get too hot/smoke, turn the heat down (especially if using cast iron). If the pan goes dry, add a splash more oil.
- Meanwhile, cut up the sausage if you haven't already.
- Transfer the potatoes to a plate and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Cook the sausages, stirring every so often, for about 5 minutes or until they're browned to your liking.
- Add in the chicken broth and pesto, and then add the potatoes back in and stir until everything is well coated. There isn't meant to be much "sauce" (the pesto just adds a bit of flavor).
Notes
- I've made this recipe with up to 1.5 pound of potatoes. That will work fine, but the pan will be more crowded and it's harder to cook them as evenly.
- You can use normal size potatoes cut into smallish pieces, just adjust cooking time accordingly if the pieces are smaller than what's in my photos.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very tasty. My potatoes were crispy after frying but after sitting out for a bit and then being added back in they were soft. I don’t know how you can keep that crispiness. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi! Hmm… I’m not sure, actually. I think they will soften up a little bit as you experienced.
Great dinner. I added some red bell pepper to mine when I was sautéing the sausage. I also ended up having to use just a tad more oil and chicken broth as my stove cooks really fast and hot. But other wise very tasty and the perfect dinner for this cold night.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Kimberly!
Natasha, what could be used in place of Pesto. Nobody in my family is a huge fan, but I really would like to try it…
Hi Michelle! This is a really tough one because pesto is the star ingredient… nothing comes to mind, and I wouldn’t be able to guess without testing. 🙁 If you can think of another oil-based herby type sauce then that might work? Or maybe treat yourself to it and enjoy the leftovers?
My family’s new favorite!
That’s awesome to hear, Jenn! Thank you for your review! 🙂
This sounds so good!
I’m trying this with scrambled eggs and cheese.
Sounds good to me!! 🙂 Enjoy!
I’m definitely trying this!
What would you recommend to go with it? Garlic bread? Toast? Anything?
Thank you
Hi! I’d probably make a salad with it since it’s pretty filling. Hope you enjoy it!
Tried this for the first time and loved it. Can’t wait to try again with different sausages!
Yay!! So glad to hear it, Mike!
Loved it…potatoes were crazy. Thanks for sharing
You’re very welcome! 😀
So delicious and easy! I added bell peppers and onions, it was fresh and not heavy.
Fantastic! I’m so happy you liked it, Anna!
This was so tasty. I think this would be good over a pasta. I know that’s double starch with the potato, but I will probably add less potato and add onion, bell pepper, and another veggie. The pesto sauce is amazing. I swear I could drink the entire jar! Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re welcome!! 🙂
Wowzas! Amazing. This will be in our regular recipe rotation. Thank you!
Fantastic!! So happy to hear that, Chris!
This is a wonderful recipe – thank you!!! My Italian husband used to make this early in our marriage – the sausage/onion/potato in the cast iron pan with oil. It was never great – the potato undercooked, etc. We love the jarred pesto, so this was so great to make. I had to adjust the cooking time / flame heat / amount of oil. But oh my gosh, it was so good! Will definitely be making this again! Love the pesto / chicken broth kick to it!
You’re very welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Yeah, this was a tricky one to figure out how to word it for people since everything varies (I have an electric stove, for example). Thanks for commenting. 🙂