Crockpot Sausage & Peppers
This easy Crockpot Sausage And Peppers slow cooking recipe allows the sausages to stay moist and juicy while soaking up the sweetness of the peppers and releasing their own rich, savory flavors. Perfect for potlucks, game day food or no-fuss delicious dinner ideas.
For more delicious sausage recipes try my sausage and potatoes skillet recipe, little smokies in crockpot and my popular air fryer Johnsonville brats.
Slow Cooker Sausage And Peppers
Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooking makes dinner effortless, blending the sweet and savory flavors of peppers and sausages into a melt-in-your-mouth meal everyone will love!
Add a little marinara or tomato sauce that’s been simmered with the peppers and onions in the crockpot for hours, and you create hearty meal options that are irresistible!
Serve them on your favorite roll, for a quick and filling sandwich that needs no sides. Or slice the sausage into bite-size pieces and serve over rice or pasta.
For low-carb options, serve over cauliflower rice or nothing at all.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) (5 links) hot, sweet or mild Italian sausage
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper (optional)
- 1 large onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 15-ounce (425 g) can tomato sauce
- red pepper flakes – (optional)
Substitutions & Variations: This recipe works perfectly with any type of dinner sausage, sweet, hot, chicken or even brats and kielbasa. Want to kick your sausage and peppers up a notch? Add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeños to the sauce.
How To Make Crockpot Sausage And Peppers
Step One – Coat the bottom and sides of the crockpot with non-stick spray.
Step Two -Cut peppers and onions in half and slice length-wise, no less than ¾ inch wide so they do not completely disintegrate while cooking. Dump into the crockpot.
Step Three – Sprinkle the pepper, salt, basil and oregano over the peppers and onions and lightly toss with tongs to mix.
Step Four – Pour the tomato sauce over the peppers and onions.
Step Five – Turn the crockpot on Low.
Step Six – In a medium skillet, heat the oil to a medium-high temperature and then add the sausage links. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes on each side, trying to brown as much as possible. (This step is optional.)
Step Seven – Once the links are well browned, add them to the crockpot on top of the peppers and onions. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours, or until the peppers and onions are soft, according to preference.
Step Eight – Turn the crockpot down to warm and serve on a quality steak roll or over a scoop of rice. Enjoy!
Sandra’s Tips
- Browning the sausages in a skillet adds a deep, caramelized, savory flavor and seals in moisture before slow cooking. It’s an extra step, but it’s worth it for the best flavor, which slow cooking alone can’t achieve!
- If you skip the browning step, just be sure to check that the sausage is cooked completely through before serving.
- If you need to make this recipe in less time, crank up the crockpot to high for 1 & ½ to 2 hours, keep an eye on the peppers and onions so they do not overcook and start to disintegrate.
- Most store-bought sausage links tend to shrink while cooking making it difficult to find the right size roll. Steak rolls are sometimes a little smaller than sub rolls and are a better choice so that your sausage doesn’t get lost in the bread. One option is to slice the sausage into ½ inch pieces and fill your roll with as much as you can.
- For game day parties or tailgating you can cook them at home in your crockpot and warm them up in a pan on the BBQ or take your crockpot with you!
Storage And Reheating Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan over medium heat on the stove with a splash of broth or sauce flipping once until warmed through (around 5 to 7 minutes). Or on a microwave-safe dish in the microwave using 30 second intervals until heated through.
Print
Crockpot Sausage And Peppers
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 servings
Description
This easy Crockpot Sausage And Peppers slow cooking recipe allows the sausages to stay moist and juicy while soaking up the sweetness of the peppers and releasing their own rich, savory flavors. Perfect for potlucks, game day parties or no-fuss delicious dinner ideas.
Ingredients
1 pound (454 g) (5 links) hot, sweet or mild Italian sausage
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange or yellow bell pepper (optional)
1 large onion
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce (425 g) can tomato sauce
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Coat the bottom and sides of the crockpot with non-stick spray.
- Cut peppers and onions in half and slice length-wise, no less than ¾ inch wide so they do not completely disintegrate while cooking. Dump into the crockpot.
- Sprinkle the pepper, salt, basil and oregano over the peppers and onions and lightly toss with tongs to mix.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the peppers and onions.
- Turn the crockpot on Low.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil to a medium-high temperature and then add the sausage links. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes on each side, trying to brown as much as possible. (This step is optional.)
- Once the links are well browned, add them to the crockpot on top of the peppers and onions. Cover and cook on Low for 3-4 hours, or until the peppers and onions are soft, according to preference.
- Turn the crockpot down to Warm and serve on a quality steak roll or over a scoop of rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Storage and reheating instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan over medium heat on the stove with a splash of broth or sauce flipping once until warmed through (around 5 to 7 minutes). Or on a microwave-safe dish in the microwave using 30 second intervals until heated through.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: American
