This Crockpot sausage and peppers recipe is the best easy dinner. It’s so simple and takes hardly any prep time, but the results are incredibly delicious. Everyone in your family will love this meal!
Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
This Crockpot sausage and peppers recipe is absolutely delicious! If you’re looking for a family friendly recipe that’s super simple to prepare, this is it. Since it’s a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe, it’s incredibly easy to make.
The flavors of the Italian sausage pair perfectly with the sweetness of the bell peppers and the savory tomato sauce. You can eat it on top of rice or pasta, or use it to make the most incredible sandwich filling.
Ingredients
Italian Sausages: When you’re shopping for Italian pork sausage, you’ll see a few different options. I normally go with mild Italian sausage. It still has tons of flavor (normally from Italian seasoning and fennel), but the flavor isn’t overpowering. There are also normally sweet and spicy Italian sausage options if you prefer those.
Bell Peppers (Red, Green, Yellow): Bell peppers change color as they ripen, so I like using a variety of bell pepper colors in this dish because it adds new levels of flavor. You can definitely adjust it based on your preference though. If you want it to taste less sweet, use all green bell peppers. Alternatively, if you want it to taste the sweetest, use all red bell peppers.
Onion and Garlic: These aromatics add a bit of sweetness and depth of flavor.
Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes are great in this dish because they add lots of the hearty tomato texture and flavor. You can substitute this with marinara sauce if that’s all you have on hand.
Tomato Paste: We’re using tomato paste in addition to crushed tomatoes because it helps us add a deep and delicious tomato flavor without making the sauce too runny.
Oregano and Basil: Both of these herbs add a delicious savory flavor to this dish. You can also swap these for Italian seasoning.
Salt and Pepper: Salt enhances all of the other flavors in this dish, and pepper adds a little heat that helps cut through the rich flavor of the sausage.
Chicken Or Beef Broth: Either broth will work here – it’s totally up to you and your taste preference. This is the liquid that helps everything cook in the Crockpot, and using broth instead of water just gives us another chance to add more layers of flavor.
Alternative Ingredients
Meat: If you don’t like or don’t eat pork, you could swap the Italian sausage for turkey sausage or chicken sausage. Just keep an eye on cooking times because turkey sausage is commonly packaged as smaller breakfast sausages which don’t need as long to cook to an internal temperature of 165F. Always use a meat thermometer to accurately assess whether or not meat is cooked through.
For extra protein and flavor, you could add meatballs or chicken (chicken breasts or chicken thighs will work). Just add the raw meat at the same time as the raw sausage and cook it with the rest of the dish.
Vegetables: Even though I love this dish with just bell peppers and onions, it is a versatile dish. So, you can toss in your favorite veggies that you need to use up.
Seasoning: Try adding some Cajun seasoning for a big flavor impact. Just be careful to adjust the salt in the dish because many Cajun and Creole seasonings have salt already added.
Spice: Feel free to give this dish a spicy kick by adding in jalapeno peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, or using hot Italian sausages.
How To Make Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
Add Ingredients to a Crockpot: To your Crockpot, add the crushed tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix it all together. Next, add in the sliced peppers and onions, and mix again. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Add the Sausages: Nestle the sausages into the peppers and onions, then cover and cook.
Slice the Sausages: Halfway through the cooking time, remove the sausages from the slow cooker.
Slice the sausages into 1/2-1 inch thick pieces, then stir them back into the peppers to finish cooking.
Finish Cooking: Continue cooking until the sausages are cooked through to an internal temperature of 160F and the peppers are tender. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tip
The most important pro tip with this recipe is to make sure that you don’t slice the bell peppers too thin. They’ll be cooking for a long time in the slow cooker, so you need to slice them thick enough that they’ll hold up to the longer cook time. Very thinly sliced bell peppers will just disintegrate into the sauce and turn to mush. At the same time, don’t slice them so thick that they never get a chance to cook through and soften up. Around 1/4” thick slices should be perfect.
What Do You Eat With Sausage And Peppers?
This sausage and peppers recipe is best served with a simple carb that can soak up all of the delicious flavors. A slice of homemade air fryer garlic bread, some rice, some mashed potatoes, or some plain pasta all work perfectly. This dish also makes a delicious filling for quesadillas.
If you’re looking for a lower carb option, try serving it alongside cauliflower rice.
You could also leave the sausages whole and then use them to stuff hoagie rolls or hard rolls to make the most incredible sandwiches.
Storing, Freezing, And Reheating Leftovers
Let the leftovers cool, then transfer them to an airtight container. You can store this for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer. To reheat, use a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, you may need to add a splash of water to help loosen it up.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Crockpot Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other slow cooker recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Crockpot Chicken and Noodles
- Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Crockpot Beef Tips
- Crockpot Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
BEST Crockpot Sausage and Peppers (Italian Sausage in Crockpot Recipe)
Crockpot sausage and peppers is the best easy dinner. It’s simple and takes hardly any prep time, but the results are incredibly delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper (stem and seeds removed, sliced)
- 1 medium green bell pepper (stem and seeds removed, sliced)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (stem and seeds removed, sliced)
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 6 Italian sausages (mild or hot, depending on preference, about 1 1/2 pounds)
- Fresh parsley (optional, for topping)
- Grated Parmesan (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- To a 6 quart Crockpot, add the crushed tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix together. Add in the sliced peppers and onions, then mix through the sauce. Nestle the sausages into the peppers and onions.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Halfway through the cooking time, remove the sausages from the slow cooker, slice them into 1/2-1 inch thick pieces, then stir them back into the peppers to finish cooking. (See notes if you need to be away for the whole cooking time.*) Continue cooking until the sausages are cooked through to an internal temperature of 160F and the peppers are tender.
- Once finished cooking, serve the sausage and peppers with crusty soda bread, with some seasoned rice, or with mashed potatoes without milk for a satisfying meal. Garnish with fresh parsley or grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- *If you need to be away for the whole cooking time, you can let the sausages cook whole, then slice them just before serving, and stir them back into the peppers and onions. They will taste better if they’re sliced halfway through though (because they’ll have more time to soak up the flavors of the sauce). Alternatively, you can cut the raw sausage in half or into thirds (not much smaller or they’ll be too difficult to handle), and nestle the halved pieces into the peppers and onions. This way they’ll absorb more of the flavor as they cook. Either will work, it’s up to your preference.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 10.3gCarbohydrates: 13.4gFiber: 2.8gSugar: 7.2gProtein: 9.3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
The next time you’re looking for a super simple dinner to make, try this easy and delicious Crockpot sausage and peppers recipe!
