This easy sausage and peppers recipe is flavorful, colorful, and ready in 20 minutes. A quick weeknight meal with big flavor and minimal cleanup.
This sausage and peppers recipe is my easy weeknight go-to. I use fully cooked andouille sausage to save time and add smoky flavor. The peppers and onions caramelize in the skillet, and a little smoked paprika brings it all together. It's a crowd pleaser and one of the recipes most often requested by my family.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
Sausage: I use fully cooked andouille sausage links. The photo below shows my favorite brand.
Veggies: Onions, bell peppers, and fresh minced garlic. It's fun to use different pepper colors, and since we cook them minimally, they retain their vibrant color. Sometimes, I add a cup of sliced mushrooms, as shown in the image below. They deepen the savoriness and make the dish a little "meatier." They will release some water, so you'll end up with a slightly juicier dish.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Brown the sausage slices and set them aside.
Sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a few seconds.
Add the sausage slices back to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until heated through, then serve.
Recipe Tips
- I've made this dish in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, a hard-anodized nonstick skillet, and an enameled cast-iron saucepan, as shown in the photos below. My favorite is the cast-iron. It browns the sausage beautifully, and as long as it's well-seasoned and maintained, it's nonstick, so much so that there's no need to deglaze the pan.
- Depending on how much fat the sausages release while cooking, you might be able to skip adding olive oil to the pan, especially when using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. The photo below shows the skillet with quite a bit of rendered sausage fat. I ended up not adding any oil.
Recipe FAQs
It's as spicy as the sausage links used. I don't add anything that would make it overly spicy, such as cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. So, if your sausages are spicy (like the ones I use, from North Country Smokehouse), the outcome will be spicy. If the sausages are mild, the finished dish will be mild.
Yes. Cook the sausage links first until browned and cooked through, slice them, and proceed with the recipe. The raw sausages will release fat into the skillet, and the flavor will be richer and closer to the Italian classic.
Absolutely. Kielbasa, chorizo, or chicken sausage all work well. Each brings a slightly different flavor, so pick what fits your taste or what you have on hand.
Instead of a saucy braise, it's more of a quick sauté, so the flavors are bright and the vegetables stay tender-crisp. I love quick stir-fries with big, bold flavors, so this version is more savory/spicy than sweet.
The classic dish gets its sweetness from peppers, cooked onions, and tomatoes. My take highlights the savory elements. I also use fully cooked andouille sausage instead of raw Italian sausage and add smoked paprika. The smoky flavor of andouille and smoked paprika adds depth and heat.
Add tomato sauce after adding the spices and before adding the sausage back. I sometimes add an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, but you can add a 15-ounce can for an even saucier dish. The photo below shows the saucy version. 
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally, this dish is served as a main course with crusty bread, over pasta, or with polenta. I like to serve it with mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice, as shown in the photo below. If I want to serve it with bread while keeping the meal relatively low-carb, I add this garlic bread (made with almond flour).
Sometimes, I simply split the whole thing between my husband and me and serve it without any sides, as shown in the image below.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months. I love transforming the leftovers into a hash-style breakfast the next day by adding a fried egg, as shown in the image below.
Recipe Card
Easy Sausage and Peppers
Video
Ingredients
- 4 Andouille sausage links - fully cooked, sliced into ½-inch slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - medium, sliced into ½-inch slices, 6 ounces
- 1 red bell pepper - medium, sliced into ½-inch slices, 6 ounces
- 1 green bell pepper - medium, sliced into ½-inch slices, 6 ounces
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage slices and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.4 Andouille sausage links
- Add the olive oil to the same skillet, then add the onion and bell pepper slices. Sprinkle them with salt.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. If the pan gets too dry, add a splash of water.
- Add the garlic, black pepper, dried oregano, and smoked paprika and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.1 tablespoon minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Add 2 tablespoons of water and deglaze the pan (loosen and dissolve the tasty browned bits stuck to the bottom). If you want a saucy dish, now is a good time to add tomato sauce - see the notes section below.
- Add the sausage slices back to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until heated through, for 1 more minute. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Adjust to taste.
- My version differs from the traditional Italian recipe. This is intentional. I enjoy quick stir-fried recipes with an intensely savory flavor profile.
- This recipe is as spicy as the sausage links used. I don't add anything that would make it overly spicy, such as cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. The links I use ARE spicy.
- Want it saucy? Add a 15-ounce can of plain tomato sauce after adding the garlic and spices and before adding the sausage back. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat to allow the flavors to meld.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave or uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
