Use your crockpot to make the best Sausage and Peppers! A hands-off dinner that the whole family will absolutely love. Gluten-Free and Low Carb. Serve atop mashed cauliflower, easy Instant Pot rice, or on fresh, crusty rolls for a killer sandwich!
One of my favorite dishes growing up was Sausage and Peppers. It’s really Sausage with Peppers and Onions but nobody ever really calls it that. I have so many good memories of eating this dish as sandwich, over rice, over pasta, straight out of the pot every single time I walked by (guilty as charged) and of course, alongside a nice big salad.
Traditionally, this is a dish I make on the stovetop, slowly cooking down the onions and peppers and then the sausage. I would make a homemade red sauce in another pot and serve everything together with the sauce spooned over-top, but today we are adapting this for the crockpot to save time.
It’s a flavorful comfort food dish, that couldn’t be easier to throw together. The kick from the spiced red sauce pairs perfectly the Italian sausage and soft vegetables for a dinner you’ll want on your table tonight.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
All of these ingredients are simple to find, and a lot of them are pantry staples you probably already have on hand. Gathering what you need for this recipe will be a breeze!
- Garlic cloves
- Yellow onions
- Green bell peppers
- Kosher salt
- Italian Seasoning
- Dried oregano
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Canned unsalted crushed tomatoes
- Bay leaf
- Italian Sausage Links, Mild or Spicy
- Italian parsley for serving (optional but recommended)
Do I Have To Use Pork Sausage?
Nope! You can use whatever sausage you prefer. You can also use chicken, turkey, or veggie sausage. Just make sure it’s sausage that comes in links, not ground sausage.
How to make Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
1. Finely chop garlic. I used my food processor with the chopping blade to save time.
2. If you are using a food processor, swap the chopping blade for the slicing disc. Peel onions and halve. Place the onion halves cut side down in the food processor and slice. Alternately, thinly slice by hand. Remove the chopped garlic and sliced onion and place into the slow cooker insert.
3. Slice bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the ribs and any seeds.
4. Proceed to thinly slice or use the food processor to slice exactly like the onions.
5. Add the sliced bell peppers to the slow cooker along with the salt, Italian Seasoning, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup cold water and can of crushed tomatoes. Toss until well coated and liquid is evenly distributed.
6. Remove about half of the peppers and onion mixture to a bowl. Bury the uncooked sausages in the middle and return the peppers and onions back to the slow cooker to cover the sausage. Add the bay leaf.
7. Cover, set to low and cook for 6 hours. The onions and peppers will give off a lot of water as they cook which will make the sauce liquid and spoon-able so don’t stress that there isn’t enough liquid.
8. Top with some chopped parsley, serve hot and Enjoy!
Recipe tips and tricks:
- If you use Spicy Sausage, you may want to cut back the crushed red pepper flakes just a bit and add more in at the end if you need to.
- I used all Green Bell Peppers but any combination of colors would work here!
- Note that if you leave the sausage in the slow cooker for too long, it can really lose its texture and become very soft. This doesn’t bother me for a dish like this, but if the texture is a thing for you, keep this in mind.
More Easy Crockpot Recipes
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Dip
Slow Cooker Chicken Meatballs with Spinach
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Use your crockpot to make the best Sausage and Peppers! A hands-off dinner that the whole family will absolutely love. Gluten-Free and Low Carb.
- 6 medium cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 large yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
- 4 medium green bell peppers halved from top to bottom, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 28 ounces canned unsalted crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pounds uncooked Italian Sausage Links (approx 6 to 8 sausages)) Mild or Spicy
- chopped Italian parsley for serving optional
-
Finely chop garlic. I used my food processor with the chopping blade to save time.
-
If you are using a food processor, swap the chopping blade for the slicing disc. Peel onions and halve. Place the onion halves cut side down in the food processor and slice. Alternately, thinly slice by hand. Remove the chopped garlic and sliced onion and place into the slow cooker insert.
-
Slice bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the ribs and any seeds.
-
Proceed to thinly slice or use the food processor to slice exactly like the onions.
-
Add the sliced bell peppers to the slow cooker along with the salt, Italian Seasoning, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup cold water and can of crushed tomatoes. Toss until well coated and liquid is evenly distributed.
-
Remove about half of the peppers and onion mixture to a bowl. Bury the uncooked sausages in the middle and return the peppers and onions back to the slow cooker to cover the sausage. Add the bay leaf.
-
Cover, set to low and cook for 6 hours. The onions and peppers will give off a lot of water as they cook which will make the sauce liquid and spoon-able so don't stress that there isn't enough liquid.
Top with some chopped parsley, serve hot and Enjoy!
Recipe Video
- You can easily substitute Chicken or Turkey (Italian) Sausage if you don't eat Pork.
- If you use Spicy Sausage, you may want to cut back the crushed red pepper flakes just a bit and add more in at the end if you need to.
- I used all Green Bell Peppers but any combination of colors would work here!
- Note that if you leave the sausage in the slow cooker for too long, it can really lose it's texture and become very soft. This doesn't bother me for a dish like this, but if texture is a thing for you, keep this in mind.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: This Crockpot Sausage and Peppers recipe was originally posted in February 2014 and was updated in January 2020 with step-by-step photos, better instructions, and answers to commonly asked questions.
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Alice // Hip Foodie Mom says
your slow cooker sausage and peppers looks so good!!! Darn, I wanted to participate in this! Will you guys host another one this year?
Aggie says
Sausage and peppers has always been a favorite of mine – and that eggplant and peppers you mentioned sounds amazing as well! Looks delicious!
EverydayMaven says
I think next time I make this, I will toss in a cubed and salted eggplant!
Christy says
Thank you for organizing such a fun event! It has been great to discover so many new blogs, and great cookbooks.
This version of Sausage and Peppers looks like a winner and I’ll have to give it a try.
EverydayMaven says
Thanks for helping to make it a success!
Carolyn says
This is so my kind of meal, Alyssa and I even had some homemade sausage in the freezer!
EverydayMaven says
So easy Carolyn and perfect for busy, cold weekdays!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I’m such a sausage and pepper fan. This looks delicious. I’ve made something similar with cubed potatoes involved .. be still my heart. 🙂 I love this idea of the swap. Wondering how I can get an invitation if you do it again. Great idea.
Carrie @ poet in the pantry says
Thanks for another great swap! I love how the cookbook you received inspired you to revamp an old family classic. It looks absolutely delicious!
EverydayMaven says
Thanks Carrie! I am heading over to check out everyone’s posts now – can’t wait to see what book you got!
Nigel says
Nothing like a slow slow roast – tender meats and flavoursome juices! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Joanne says
We ate so much sausage and peppers when I was young also! A classic for a reason. I love how you reworked it for the slow cooker!
EverydayMaven says
Right? I don’t think purists will love the slow cooker adaption but sometimes that is all you have time for!
Adriana says
I had no idea that the texture of sausages would change as much from cooking it in the slow cooker.
This swap was FUN. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
EverydayMaven says
They really can Adriana and some people are texture sensitive so I wanted to be sure to mention it!
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
I had so much fun co-hosting this event with you, Alyssa! Thank you so much for all the work you put in to make this a success. And I LOVE sausage and peppers! That was one of my mom’s favorite things to make when we were growing up, and it was definitely a family favorite! 🙂 xoxo
EverydayMaven says
So did I Faith – thank you so much!!! xoxoxo