Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Name: Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage ((or chicken sausage, kielbasa or chorizo)); 4-6 bell peppers ((use red, yellow and orange, sliced)); 1 large onion (sliced); 3 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 pinch salt; 1 pinch black pepper; 1 dash garlic powder

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Bake Sausage, Peppers and Onions in the oven and you'll never go back to making them on the stove! Ready in less than an hour, this is the best sausage and peppers recipe! It's a fantastic, sheet-pan dinner.

Are you still making Italian sausage and peppers on the stove? Because baking 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 Italian Peppers in Oil!)

overhead view of sausages, peppers, onions on white plate with fork, knife

I've been baking sausage, peppers and onions for more than 25 years. I decided I had no patience for the stovetop method and needed something easier.

I’ve now made this hundreds of 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 the best sausage and peppers recipe, folks!

Recipe ingredients

raw Italian sausage, peppers, onion, seasonings, oil

Sausage: I usually use sweet Italian sausage, but you could use hot Italian sausage if you know people won't mind. We've also enjoyed substituting:

Chicken sausage
Kielbasa (raw or pre-cooked will work)
Chorizo

Peppers: I always use my favorite trio of bell peppers — red, yellow and orange. They're sweeter than green peppers and look gorgeous.

Onions: You can use red, white or yellow onions here. Red onions will add a little sweetness, which I love.

How to bake sausage, peppers and onions

See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.

raw sausage links, sliced onions, peppers on sheet pan

All you need to do is place the sausage in a greased baking pan. A dark roasting pan (affiliate link) is ideal for caramelizing, but a half-sheet pan (affiliate link) will do.

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.

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.)

overhead view of cooked sausages, peppers, onions on sheet pan, white and red striped cloth

Recipe tips

Turn over the sausage when the first side is browned. You want to brown both sides for the best flavor.
Stir the peppers and onions around when you flip the sausage, so they won't stick and will cook more evenly.

Making sausage and peppers for a crowd

Plan on buying one Italian sausage link per person at a minimum. Go with 1 ½ links per person if you want leftovers.
To make baked sausage and peppers for a crowd, cut each sausage link in half for smaller portions.
Bake at 400 degrees F as directed in the recipe card. (I used to bake it longer at 375 degrees F, but now prefer the quicker baking time at higher heat.)
To accommodate large quantities, you can use foil roasting pans (affiliate link). They won’t brown everything as well as a metal pan, but transferring the cooked sausage and peppers to a chafing dish (affiliate link) with a flame underneath takes care of that.
If there won't be a chafing dish with a flame, you can bake the Italian sausage, peppers and onions in dark roasting pans or sheet pans so they brown nicely, then transfer the cooked food to large foil pans. The sausage and peppers can stay out for up to two hours without being heated.

What to serve with it

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.

I also like to serve this with The Best Italian Green Salad and these Oven-Roasted Potatoes.

And, definitely make enough sausage and peppers for leftovers. They won’t freeze well, but they’ll be gobbled up within a few days anyway.

How to use leftovers

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 an Italian Sausage and Egg Casserole

Friends, you need to make these Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions. 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!

Frequently asked questions

How long is cooked sausage good for in the fridge?

The leftovers are good for up to four days. Refrigerate them in a sealed container and reheat portions in the microwave.

Can you freeze sausage and peppers?

I don't recommend freezing cooked sausage and peppers. I've tried it, and the taste and texture aren't the same.

How long should you bake sausage in the oven at 375?

It will take 90 minutes to cook Italian sausage and peppers in the oven at 375 degrees F. Bake them uncovered.

What is the safe internal temperature for sausage?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Italian sausage needs to be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Sausage made from turkey or chicken needs to cook longer, until it reaches 165 degrees F.

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