Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

There is a reason sausage and peppers shows up at every street fair and family gathering in America: it is loud, generous food that asks almost nothing of the cook. This slow cooker version keeps all of that and removes the standing-at-the-stove part. The sausages get a proper brown first — that step is not optional, and it is what separates a rich, savoury pan of sausage and peppers from a grey, steamed one — then they go into the cooker with sliced sweet peppers, onions and garlic and cook low and slow until the peppers collapse into sweet, glossy ribbons and the sausages are completely tender.

The photograph tells you exactly what you are aiming for: browned sausages nestled among red and green peppers and soft onions, parsley scattered over the top, and crusty rolls waiting in the background. That is how I serve it most often, piled into toasted rolls with the peppers and onions spooned over, though it is just as good over rice or with crusty bread for mopping up the juices. Note what the photograph does not show: no tomato sauce. This version keeps the sauce light on purpose — the peppers and onions release their own juices as they cook, and a splash of broth is all they need.

This belongs in our Slow Cooker & Casseroles collection alongside our slow cooker pork carnitas, and if you want the fast stovetop version instead, our sheet pan sausage and peppers gets the same dinner on the table in under an hour. The slow cooker version wins on busy days, though: fifteen minutes of prep in the morning, and dinner is waiting when you walk back in.

Brown the sausages, even on a busy morning

It is tempting to skip the browning and tip raw sausages straight into the cooker, but that is the one shortcut that costs you flavour. Browning builds the savoury crust that seasons the whole dish, and the browned bits left in the skillet deglaze into the cooking liquid. Five minutes in a hot skillet, turning the sausages until they are browned on most sides, is all it takes — they do not need to be cooked through, because the slow cooker finishes the job. If your morning truly will not allow it, the dish will still be good, just paler and milder.

Cut the peppers thick, and do not lift the lid

Slice the peppers into strips about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) wide, not thin slivers: thin peppers dissolve into mush over four hours, while thick strips stay sweet and distinct, exactly like the peppers in the photograph. The same goes for the onions — thick slices, not diced. And once the lid is on, leave it alone. Every lift drops the temperature and adds cooking time, which is how slow cooker peppers turn to soup. Four hours on low is the sweet spot; on high, check at 2 hours, because peppers go soft fast once they pass it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Italian sausage links (900 g), sweet or hot
• 2 red bell peppers (about 400 g), sliced into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips
• 2 green bell peppers (about 400 g), sliced into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips
• 2 yellow onions (about 300 g), halved and sliced thick
• 4 cloves garlic (about 12 g), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (120 ml)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (0.5 g), optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (8 g), to finish
• 6 crusty rolls, to serve (optional)

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Brown the sausages. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, turning often, until browned on most sides. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer them to the slow cooker, leaving the fat and browned bits in the skillet.
2. Soften the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced onions to the same skillet, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Tip the onions and garlic over the sausages in the cooker.
3. Load the cooker. Add the red and green pepper strips, the chicken broth, oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Stir gently so the peppers sit around and over the sausages. The liquid will look scant — that is correct, because the peppers and onions release plenty of juice as they cook.
4. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 hours, until the sausages are cooked through and the peppers are completely tender but still holding their shape as strips. Do not lift the lid during cooking; every lift drops the temperature and stretches the time.
5. Rest and finish. Lift the lid and let the dish rest for 10 minutes so the juices settle and thicken slightly. Taste the peppers and adjust the salt — sausages vary a lot in saltiness, so this is the moment to correct it. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top, exactly as in the photograph.
6. Serve in rolls or over rice. Pile the sausages and peppers into toasted crusty rolls with a spoonful of the peppers and juices over the top, or serve over cooked rice with the peppers spooned alongside. Either way, put the rolls or bread on the table — the juices are too good to leave behind.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Covered in the refrigerator, the sausages and peppers keep for up to 4 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, adding a splash of water if the pan looks dry. They freeze well for up to 2 months in a sealed container — thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the same way. Leftover peppers and onions, chopped, make an excellent pizza or pasta topping the next day. Nutrition figures are estimates per serving without a roll and vary with the sausage used; estimates vary.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 30 October 2026

Browned sausage, sweet peppers, slow and tender.

Yield: 6 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep15 minutes

Cook4 hours

Total4 hours 15 minutes

Servings6 servings

Calories420 kcal

Save on PinterestCook Mode

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Italian sausage links (900 g), sweet or hot
• 2 red bell peppers (about 400 g), sliced into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips
• 2 green bell peppers (about 400 g), sliced into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips
• 2 yellow onions (about 300 g), halved and sliced thick
• 4 cloves garlic (about 12 g), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (120 ml)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (2 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (0.5 g), optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (8 g), to finish
• 6 crusty rolls, to serve (optional)

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Brown the sausages. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, turning often, until browned on most sides. They do not need to be cooked through. Transfer them to the slow cooker, leaving the fat and browned bits in the skillet.
2. Soften the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced onions to the same skillet, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until just softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Tip the onions and garlic over the sausages in the cooker.
3. Load the cooker. Add the red and green pepper strips, the chicken broth, oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Stir gently so the peppers sit around and over the sausages. The liquid will look scant — that is correct, because the peppers and onions release plenty of juice as they cook.
4. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 hours, until the sausages are cooked through and the peppers are completely tender but still holding their shape as strips. Do not lift the lid during cooking; every lift drops the temperature and stretches the time.
5. Rest and finish. Lift the lid and let the dish rest for 10 minutes so the juices settle and thicken slightly. Taste the peppers and adjust the salt — sausages vary a lot in saltiness, so this is the moment to correct it. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top, exactly as in the photograph.
6. Serve in rolls or over rice. Pile the sausages and peppers into toasted crusty rolls with a spoonful of the peppers and juices over the top, or serve over cooked rice with the peppers spooned alongside. Either way, put the rolls or bread on the table — the juices are too good to leave behind.

Calories: 420 kcalProtein: 19 gCarbohydrates: 11 gFat: 33 gSaturated fat: 12 gSodium: 890 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 6 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

Frequently asked questions