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!)
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
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.
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.)
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
The leftovers are good for up to four days. Refrigerate them in a sealed container and reheat portions in the microwave.
I don't recommend freezing cooked sausage and peppers. I've tried it, and the taste and texture aren't the same.
It will take 90 minutes to cook Italian sausage and peppers in the oven at 375 degrees F. Bake them uncovered.
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.
More recipes like this
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
- One-Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
- Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary and Garlic
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions
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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a dark roasting pan (preferred) or a sheet 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.
- 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 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 to dip in the oil or serve it in hoagies for sandwiches. Store leftover sausage and peppers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Video
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 Egg Casserole
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Originally published on June 8, 2014, updated in 2017 with new photos and a video, and updated now with additional information.)
Fortune C Vilcko says
The sausage was done to perfection and delicious but the peppers and onions started burning. What did I do wrong!
Mamma C says
Hi Fortune - It's important to stir the peppers and onions around as needed (as mentioned in the recipe). I'm also wondering which rack you used in your oven. The center rack would be best. Keep in mind, the onions and peppers might start to char on the edges with the high heat, and that's not a bad thing.
Cele says
I want to try this in the oven with 4 pounds of sausage, peppers and onions. Once it's done, I would like to transfer everything to the crockpot. My question is if I do that, do I keep it on warm or low? If low, for how long? I don't want it it dry out, so what can I do. I don't want to use sauce.
Mamma C says
Hi Cele - You can keep the sausage and peppers in the Crockpot on warm for up to four hours. If you're concerned about it getting dry, you could add some heated beef stock if you don't want to use sauce. (I'm thinking of a few inches of liquid at the bottom but haven't tried this method so can't give you specifics.)
Anna Bucciarlli says
I find this to be a bit too greasy - I prefer oven roasting the sausang seperate from the peppers and onions. Just my opinion based on previous exp0erience.
Mamma C says
Hi Anna - It's not greasy if you don't use too much oil. Have you tried my exact recipe or are you referring to another time that you tried roasting them together?
Mary says
Excellent!!
Mamma C says
Hi Mary - I'm glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for letting me know.
Becky says
Hello, I was wanting to make this in a greater quantity and wondered if I made it just like the recipe could I keep it warm in a crockpot? Also, is there something that would add a bit of liquid to scoop up and put in hoagie rolls?
Mamma C says
Hi Becky - You should be able to keep the food warm in the Crockpot. As for extra liquid, olive oil would be my first choice. You can add extra olive oil before roasting everything, then transfer it to the Crockpot. Some people like to add marinara sauce. Another idea is to heat up some beef broth to add to the Crockpot.
Walt Lewandowski says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Hi Jonne - That sounds like a great combination!
Rose says
Can I make sausage the day before and then make peppers and onions the day of. It's for Christmas.thanks.
Mamma C says
Hi Rose - This dish works so well because the sausage, peppers and onions are roasted together for the best flavor. I don't think you'd end up with as tasty of a result if you cooked them separately.