Slow Cooker Sausage Peppers And Onions (Italian Sausage In The Crock Pot)
*This post may contain affiliate links. See our affiliate policy here.
Flavorful crock pot Italian sausage, peppers and onions has all the flavor that will have you putting this recipe into your regular rotation. This homey meal is packed full of flavor, while being pretty hands off to make. Pile the sausage, peppers and onions on a fluffy roll or on top of pasta for an easy dinner.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Crock Pot Italian Sausage Peppers And Onions
- Easy Way To Cook Dinner– I love my slow cooker, and this dinner is a recipe that helps me get dinner on the table easier with only a little bit of planning.
- Cozy Dinner The Whole Family Loves – My whole family loves when we make this flavorful recipe, and it’s easy to throw it on a sandwich or throw it over pasta for a delicious dinner.
- Tastes Like Grandma Makes – I don’t know if you have an Italian grandma or not, but if you ever wanted one to make you dinner then slow cooked Italian sausage like this would be on the table. This sausage and peppers tastes just like my Grandma used to make for us any time the family would get together.
Ingredients For Crock Pot Italian Sausage Peppers And Onions
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- Italian sausage links – you can use sweet Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage or your favorite fresh link sausage
- marinara sauce – or your favorite jarred tomato based sauce. I would suggest using a sauce that doesn’t have meat in it as we’ll have a lot of meat already from the sausage
- oregano
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
- bell peppers – sliced between ¼ and a half inch strips use a mix of red, yellow and orange. You can also use green bell peppers if you prefer, my family just prefers the other colors.
- white onion– sliced between ¼ and a half inch strips, you can also use a yellow onion, purple onion or my family’s favorite, a sweet onion
Note that the sausage comes out really soft, but in a good way. The fat in the meat cooks and renders, leaving the sausage with an incredibly soft texture and a burst of flavor. This texture is a lot different from sauteeing sausage in a pan or grilling Italian sausage, where the outside of the sausage has a bit of a snap to it when you bite into it.
Depending on how flavorful the marinara sauce or red sauce I have is, I’ll sometimes throw in 1/2 a teaspoon if Italian seasoning also for a bit more flavor.
If your family likes things spicy and you have regular Italian sausage you can add a little cracked red pepper flakes. I usually start with 1/4 teaspoon of cracked red pepper flakes because my daughter prefers recipes not be super spicy. Then if we want it spicer, we each add more cracked red pepper flakes at the table to our own tastes.
How To Make Crock Pot Italian Sausage Peppers And Onions
- Spray a skillet with a little oil and place over medium-high heat. Brown the sausages for about 2-3 minutes on each side just until they begin to get a little color. The sausages won’t be cooked through.
- Spray the slow cooker with oil then add the marinara to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour ¼ cup of water to the tomato jar and shake it with the lid on to get all of the tomato into the slow cooker.
- Add oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the sauce. Mix the spices into the sauce with a spoon or spatula.
- Place the bell pepper slices and sliced onions on top of the tomato sauce. Add the sausages on top of the peppers and onions. Push the sausages down a little into the peppers and onions.
- Set the slow cooker to cook for 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. The sausages should be at least 160 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer. Flip to the warm setting until you are ready to serve, then enjoy on rolls.
Variation Idea Try With Italian Sausage Dish With Meatballs
My Italian grandma used to simmer homemade meatballs with the sausage and it gives everything a lot of flavor. We used to have a big platter of meatballs and sausages that we would pass around along with a big bowl of ziti pasta (her favorite). I recommend browning the meatballs in a pan first before tossing them in the slow cooker with the Italian sausage.
Or if you have extra ground pork, try these ground pork lettuce wraps as an appetizer or dinner!
Can I Prep This Italian Sausage And Peppers Recipe Ahead Of Time?
Yes you can totally prep this dish up to 24 hours in advance. I like to prep everything, pop it in the fridge, and then pour the sauce over the sausage and peppers right before I start the slow cooker.
The slow cooker can switch to warm with a timer and sit for a while if you’re not ready to eat when the recipe is finished cooking. My favorite slow cooker is programmable with a warm setting.
Will Slow Cooker Sausage And Peppers Freeze?
Yes, leftovers of this sausage peppers and onions recipe freeze beautifully! Store any leftovers in an airtight freezer container or freezer zip-top bag.
You can then add it to a little bit of red sauce and reheat on the stove until just cooked through. This reheats pretty quickly in about 15 minutes or so, and can then be made into sandwiches or added to pasta.
What Size Slow Cooker Is Needed For This Recipe?
I used a 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe. You could likely use a 4 quart slow cooker or an 8 quart slow cooker for this recipe also.
Can You Double Or Triple This Recipe?
You could double the sausage in this recipe, but I would eyeball the amount of pepper and onions a little bit if you are using a 6 quart slow cooker. It will depend on how big the pepper is, you may just have to either reduce the vegetables or use a larger slow cooker. The peppers and onions will cook down a lot, but fitting it all in the slow cooker when raw may get tricky when you double or triple the recipe.
If you need more peppers and onions extra could be sauteed in a pan on top of the stove to ensure you can put more of the meat in the crock pot.
What To Serve With Sausage And Peppers
I usually serve this crock pot sausage and peppers either as a sandwich or over pasta. You could also serve it over rice, or it’s great with potatoes like these crispy potato wedges.
If I am making a sandwich, I’ll usually start with a vegetable as a side dish like honey roasted baby carrots, parmesan garlic zucchini fries, or Buttery Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes
When serving this Italian sausage with pasta I’ll serve with a simple roasted broccoli, a salad like my favorite apple cranberry green salad, or I might make garlic knots or my easy cheater garlic pull apart bread with biscuit dough.
How Long Will Crock Pot Sausage And Peppers Last?
Expect that sausage, peppers and onions will last fro about three days. Store leftover sausage, peppers and onions in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Baked Beef Italian Meatballs
Creamy Sausage Pasta
One Pot Ground Turkey Spaghetti
Crock Pot Italian Sausage Peppers And Onions
Ingredients
- 6 large Italian sausage links fresh links with the casing, not smoked sausage
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 large bell peppers sliced between ¼ and a half inch strips. we use a mix of red, yellow and orange bell peppers
- 1 large white onion sliced between ¼ and a half inch strips
Instructions
- Spray a skillet with a little oil and place over medium high heat. Brown the sausages for about 2-3 minutes on each side just until they begin to get a little color. The sausages won’t be cooked through.
- Spray the slow cooker with oil then add the marinara to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour ¼ cup of water to the tomato jar and shake it with the lid on to get all of the tomato into the slow cooker.
- Add oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the sauce. Mix the spices into the sauce with a spoon or spatula.
- Place the bell pepper slices and sliced onions on top of the tomato sauce. Add the sausages on top of the peppers and onions. Push the sausages down a little into the peppers and onions.
- Set the slow cooker to cook for 5-6 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. The sausages should be at least 160 degrees when measured with a meat thermometer. Flip to the warm setting until you are ready to serve, then enjoy on rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Loved this dish! Super flavorful…yum!!!
So glad you enjoyed it Katheleen!