Saucy Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Whip up this easy, one pan recipe for Italian sausage, peppers, and onions in a light tomato sauce when you want maximum flavor and minimal effort! Serve over pasta, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, or stuffed into hoagie rolls. Either way, it’s a soul-warming 30 minute meal.

You can never have too many one pan recipes, especially those that pack in protein, veggies, and even more flavor. This easy skillet with Italian sausage, peppers, and onions does exactly that, and is simple to throw together on even busy nights.

I love that this recipe envelopes the sausage and veggies in a quick, light tomato sauce, so you have a little something extra for drizzling or mopping up with a hunk of crusty bread.

Serve this skillet with some quick roasted broccoli or broccolini, and egg noodles, orzo, or other pasta for an easy base. Prefer to throw everything in the oven? Try this equally easy recipe for sheet pan Italian sausage and veggies.

Ingredient Notes

How to Make Skillet Sausage and Peppers

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Brown the sausages. They do not need to be fully cooked through just yet, so remove them to a cutting board after they get a nice brown crust on all sides.

Prep and sauté the veggies. Slice the onions and peppers into long, fairly even strips, then cook for 1-2 minutes in a mixture of the sausage renderings and an extra pat of butter. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds, just until the aroma is noticeable.

Add broth, tomatoes, and seasonings, then bring the liquid to a simmer. Scrape the pan at this point to release any browned bits from the bottom, so they can add flavor to the sauce.

Adding the full can of diced tomatoes to the pan, including the juices, 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. To reduce the amount of sauce for any reason, drain the tomatoes before adding them to the skillet.

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! Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Fresh herbs go a long way for visual appearance.

Serving Suggestions

My kids love this recipe — and virtually everything — served over extra wide egg noodles. We also enjoy it with mashed potatoes, either made with garlic and herbs in the Instant Pot or ahead of time in the slow cooker.

Sausages and peppers are also excellent over any type of rice or pasta, or stuffed into crusty rolls to make hearty sandwiches. If you’re looking for a low carb option, cauliflower rice is a nice swap for traditional grains, or just add some extra roasted veggies. Crisp Parmesan-roasted broccoli is a favorite.

Ready to make it?

Grab that skillet and let’s make a cozy Italian-inspired dinner to gather around!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Saucy Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Make this easy Italian sausage, peppers, and onions recipe for maximum flavor and minimal effort! Serve in sandwiches or over potatoes or pasta for a soul-warming 30 minute meal.

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Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 18-20 ounces Italian sausage links sweet, hot, or mild
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion sliced into strips
• 2-3 bell peppers seeded and sliced into strips
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6-8 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• fresh parsley and basil optional garnish

Instructions

• Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. (Choose a skillet with a lid if you have one.) Add the sausage links, whole, and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently. Remove when they are browned on the outside; they don't need to be quite fully cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly, then slice into pieces 1 to 2 inches in length.
  1 Tablespoon olive oil, 18-20 ounces Italian sausage links
• In the same skillet, melt the butter, then add sliced onions and peppers. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  1 Tablespoon butter, 1 large onion, 2-3 bell peppers
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds more, just until fragrant.
  4 cloves garlic
• Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with all juices from the can, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits, then let the sauce come to a simmer.
  1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 6-8 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
• Once the liquid is bubbling, return sliced sausages to the pan, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if needed; ideally the simmer stays gentle, not too vigorous.
• Uncover and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the sauce is slightly reduced and the sausage is cooked through. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs, if desired, and serve right away over pasta, mashed potatoes, veggies, with bread, etc.
  fresh parsley and basil

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Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 355 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Protein: 13 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g, Trans Fat: 0.1 g, Cholesterol: 70 mg, Sodium: 836 mg, Potassium: 347 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 1307 IU, Vitamin C: 54 mg, Calcium: 32 mg, Iron: 1 mg

Author: Monica

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, American-Italian

Keyword: italian sausage and peppers, italian sausage peppers and onions

This post was originally published on March 5, 2020, and has been updated in July 2025 with new photos, clearer instructions, and a streamlined post format.

Storage Information

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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