Roast these Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven and you'll never go back to making them on the stove! This is my go-to recipe that's always a hit. A fantastic, sheet-pan dinner ready in under an hour.
Are you still making Italian sausage and peppers on the stove? Because roasting them in the oven is where it’s at.
I’m talking juicy, browned sausage, caramelized onions and peppers and knock-your-socks-off flavor. With barely any effort. Ready in less than an hour.
Read on, if you want to become known as the sausage queen or king. (And don’t miss my Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers!)
These Easy Sausage and Peppers have been my go-to recipe for 20 years. I decided I had no patience for the stovetop method and began experimenting with roasting sausage and peppers in the oven.
I’ve now made this more than 120 times and get asked to bring it to parties.
I first shared this Easy Sausage and Peppers recipe in 2014, soon after I launched Cooking with Mamma C. That night, I heard from four friends who’d each made it for dinner.
They raved at the results. Their families were happy. This is a keeper, folks!
I always use my favorite trio of bell peppers — red, yellow and orange. They're more sweet than green peppers and look gorgeous. Yes, they’re more expensive, but look for them on sale.
How to make sausage and peppers in the oven
All you need to do is place your sausage in a baking pan. A dark roasting pan is ideal for caramelizing, but a half-sheet pan will do. (Those are Amazon affiliate links.)
Add sliced peppers and onions, drizzle everything with olive oil, and add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then you'll bake it uncovered, turning over the sausage and stirring around the vegetables just past the halfway point.
When I’m just cooking dinner for my family, I roast the sausage and peppers at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, which will get everything caramelized quickly. Even a few of the onions will start to blacken (we like that.)
For parties, I cut each sausage in half for smaller portions and then bake everything at 375 degrees for 90 minutes. To accommodate large quantities, I use foil roasting pans. They don’t brown everything as well, but transferring the cooked sausage and peppers to a chafing dish with a flame underneath takes care of that.
Whether you’re making this for a party or an easy weeknight meal, make sure you have fresh Italian bread on hand. (You’ve got to dip that bread in the oil!) Or serve the sausage and peppers on hoagies.
And, definitely make enough for leftovers. They won’t freeze well, but they’ll be gobbled up within a few days anyway.
Here are my favorite ways to use leftover sausage and peppers:
- Mixed into pasta (slice the meat into rounds), with Parmesan and olive oil
- Baked on pizza (cut up the cooked sausage and peppers first.) This Homemade Pizza Dough with Beer is the best!
- Made into a Sausage and Peppers Breakfast Casserole
And though I usually use sweet Italian sausage, we’ve also enjoyed substituting:
- Chicken sausage
- Kielbasa (raw or pre-cooked will work)
- Chorizo
Friends, you need to make these Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven. Whether you go fancy and serve this meal on dinner plates with forks and knives, or tucked into sandwiches on paper dishes (with olive oil dripping down your chins after each bite), enjoy!
Watch the video to learn how to make Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven!
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. I originally posted this recipe on June 8, 2014 and am republishing it with new photos, commentary and a video.)
Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
- 4-6 bell peppers (use red, yellow and orange, sliced)
- 1 large onion sliced
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees for a quicker dinner, or 375 degrees if you are cooking for a party.
- Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray. Prepare the peppers by rinsing and patting them dry with a paper towel. Cut a circle around the stems to remove them. Cut each pepper in half and remove the seeds and membranes. Cut the halves in half again. Then slice each one into strips about ½ inch wide.
- Prepare the onions by cutting off the ends, peeling off the skin, and cutting the onions in half. Then cut each half into vertical slices.
- If you are making the sausage for a party, cut each sausage in half horizontally to make smaller portions. Place the sausage in a single layer in the pan. Add the peppers, then onions.
- Drizzle olive oil on each row of sausage. Lightly sprinkle salt on each row. Then sprinkle on pepper and garlic powder, again being sure to season every row.
- Bake, uncovered. If using a 400-degree oven, bake it for 45-50 minutes total, turning over the sausage and stirring around the vegetables after 30 minutes. The sausage should be browned on the bottom before you turn it over. If using a 375-degree oven, bake for 90 minutes total, turning over the sausage and stirring the vegetables after about 50 minutes, again waiting for the sausage to brown on the bottom before turning it over.
- Since ovens vary, be sure to check on the sausage and peppers a couple of times during baking to see if you need to stir them around. Test for doneness by cutting a sausage in half. It should no longer be pink inside.
- Serve with fresh Italian bread or on hoagies.
Notes
- Mixed into pasta (slice the meat into rounds), with Parmesan and olive oil
- Baked on pizza (cut up the cooked sausage and peppers first.) This Homemade Pizza Dough with Beer is the best!
- Made into a Sausage and Peppers Breakfast Casserole
- Chicken sausage
- Kielbasa (raw or pre-cooked will work)
- Chorizo
Walt Lewandowski
I have a health issue and my doctor told me to cut out salt, sugar and fat (cheese) from my diet. He also told me to consume at least 100 grams of protein a day. I can use substitutes for the salt and sugar and trim the fat off of meats and that's fine, however, I love sausage and (I don't know if it's true or not) I've convinced myself that sausage fat melts out leaving a healthy semi-fat protein. I love your recipes but need conversions that maintain the flavors and aromas of your dishes. What's an old man to do?
Mamma C
Hi Walt - I'm sorry you're having a health issue. I'm not a dietician, so I'm not qualified to advise you on this. I will say that sausage has lots of sodium, so it's probably something to avoid. If you're able to visit a nutritionist, you could print out a few of my recipes that you want to modify and see if he/she could give you advice.
Doris
Thank you for this easy recipe. I see you have substituted different types of sausages for this dish. I’m wondering if I can substitute sweet Italian lean turkey sausage and/or hot Italian lean turkey sausage.
Mamma C
Hi Doris - That should work if the sausage is raw when you buy it. Turkey sausage is done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees. You might want to check on it 15 minutes earlier than the cooking time in the recipe to see if it's done. It might cook faster since it's lean. The peppers would need the full amount of baking time.
GIA
A couple of Questions...what kind of sausage do you buy brand wise? I'm on the West coast now...WA state, and have found a lack luster supply for good Italian sweet sausage. Can you recommend any? The last time I attempted to eat any kind of sausage was at a chain restaurant that starts with an O and ends with a G. Except for their soup and salad (and bread sticks) I can't stand going there but the people I was with wanted to, so I went with it and ordered pasta with sausages. GAG, literally, gagged on the taste and flavor of the sausage and couldn't take another bite. Bad memory, but moving on, With this recipe, my aunt would add a small amount of paste mixed with water just to give it a tiny bit of sauciness, then we'd eat it on crusty Italian bread. Amazing. One more question..some recent health problems have me having to pay attention to what I eat. I'm doing mostly dairy free, gluten free, and limiting my meat intake as well. I've had to give up a lot (sigh) but was wondering, are there ANY decent dairy free substitutes for Ricotta cheese out there that you know of??? I so love Ricotta! Thank you.
Mamma C
HI Gia - I usually buy the brand of Italian sausage that my local grocery store makes. I haven't experimented with national brands but it might be worth a try. As for dairy-free ricotta, usually vegan ricotta is made with nuts such as cashews. I have made "cashew cream" in the past using soaked cashews, and it was really delicious. If you google "cashew ricotta," you'll find some recipes.
Cass
I’m in WA state too. I found a local Italian deli by my office that makes their own sausages, marinara, etc that’s probably as good as some of the stuff I’ve had in my home state (NJ). So I’d definitely recommend looking around for mom and pop delis for sausages!
Pete Burris
My wife ,100% Italian , died5yrs ago & I have been wanting To make this dish , today I’m making it as I write , I will have sandwiches later , thank you , just like my wife
Mamma C
Hi Pete - I'm honored this reminds you of your wife. Thank you for letting me know. I hope you enjoyed the sausage and peppers!
Jonne
When I first made this, I served this over polenta as my family is Italian. It was delicious and there was not anything left!
Mamma C
Hi Jonne - That sounds like a great combination!