Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers is the “I don’t want to cook dinner” route to feeding your family a nutritious meal with minimal prep work and cleanup time.
EASY Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
This is the meal for those days when I just cannot. I CANNOT. I don’t really want to cook dinner, but absolutely nothing sounds good for takeout, either. Does that ever happen to you?
This is the easiest meal to get into the oven and feed your family a nutritious weeknight dinner with a minimal amount of cleanup work at the end. That’s it. That’s all it’s designed to do, and it does its job well!
I’ve been making it for years, and it’s even become a family favorite, because the oven allows all of the flavors to meld together in such a way that they become so deeply flavorful that you wouldn’t ever know this is something of an emergency dinner.
Why You’ll Love Sausage and Peppers in the Oven
- One dish, but you can serve it so many ways – in sandwiches, over pasta, or with some sides. You decide!
- Hands-free cooking. Once you pop the pan into the oven, you’ll only need to stir it once, the entire time it cooks. You’re free to relax or prepare other parts of the meal.
- Minimal ingredients but maximum flavor!
What You Need For Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
- bell peppers – you’ll need 3 bell peppers, and they can be any color combination. I like a combo of green, red and yellow.
- onion – 1 large sweet yellow onion works well for this sausage and peppers recipe, but you can also use white or red onion if you prefer.
- olive oil – to prevent the veggies from sticking to the pan.
- garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper – the herbs and spices needed for seasoning the sausage and peppers in oven.
- sausage – you’ll want to use about 5 links of Italian sausage. I keep it family-friendly with the mild version, but you can also use hot sausage, or a combination of the two! I recommend pork sausage here because it stays more moist than chicken sausage or turkey sausage.
How to Make Sausage and Peppers in the Oven
1. SPICES. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
2. TOSS. Place the peppers and onions in a large bowl and toss with olive oil. Add the spice mixture to the bowl and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated in spices.
3. ARRANGE. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the sausage over the vegetables.
4. BAKE. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized, stirring once halfway through. If, when you are stirring at this point, there is a lot of extra liquid on the pan, carefully try to drain most of the excess liquid off. This will help the vegetables caramelize better.
Home Chef Tips
- The quality of the sausage makes a big difference in flavor. Choose the freshest, best sausage you can find for this sausage and peppers recipe!
- Be sure to slice the peppers and onions evenly so that they roast at the same rate.
- I highly recommend a drizzle of balsamic glaze when serving!
Sausage, Peppers and Onions Recipe Variations
- MEDITERRANEAN TWIST – Add a handful of Kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes to the sausage and peppers in the oven, and finish with crumbled feta cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired version.
- EXTRA VEGGIES – Add other quick-cooking vegetables like zucchini, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms for added variety and nutrition.
- SWEET AND SPICY – Drizzle with a bit of hot honey (or just a combo of honey and hot sauce) at the end for a flavorful twist.
What to Serve with Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers
Pair this dish with breads and sides to make it a full meal. Some ideas are:
- BREAD – Serve the sausage and peppers inside hoagie rolls, hot dog buns or flour tortillas, or alongside our homemade garlic bread recipe or easy yeast rolls.
- PASTA – Serve over pasta like orzo or penne for a hearty combination. Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for a finishing touch.
- STARCHY BASE – Serve the sausage with peppers and onions over a starchy base like rice, polenta or mashed potatoes with heavy cream.
- SALAD – Add a crisp side salad with homemade Italian dressing or feta dressing.
How to Store Sausage with Peppers and Onions
If you have leftover sheet pan sausage and peppers, transfer them to a storage container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
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Sausage, Peppers and Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 large sweet onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 Italian sausage links cut into 1-inch pieces
- Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In small bowl, stir garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper until well combined.
- Place bell peppers and onion in large bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss until well combined. Sprinkle with spice mixture and toss again until all vegetables are coated in spices.
- Spread vegetables in an even layer on large rimmed baking pan. Arrange sausage evenly over vegetables.
- Transfer to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized, stirring once halfway through. If, when you are stirring, there is a lot of extra liquid on the pan, carefully try to drain most of the excess liquid off before continuing cooking. This will help the vegetables caramelize better.
- Serve garnished with parsley, if desired.
