Baked Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onion is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is sure to become a family favorite. Sausage, peppers, onion, and garlic are tossed in an easy herbed olive oil and tomato sauce and then baked until golden brown.
Everyone needs a good sheet pan meal to make weeknight cooking fast, easy and stress-free. Even better if it's one the whole family loves. This Italian sausage bake takes minimal effort but packs a ton of flavor and can be easily customized for your family's needs.
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What You'll Love!
- Easy 10-minute prep and hands-off cooking means dinner is a snap to make
- The olive oil and tomato paste sauce adds a ton of flavor with minimal effort
- This versatile easy dinner can be served several ways so you can switch it up without adding a ton of work
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Italian Sausage - Choose whichever sausage you like. I usually make it with hot Italian sausage, but mild and sweet work just as well. You can also use chicken sausage.
Bell Peppers - I like to use a mixture of red peppers, green peppers, and orange peppers but any combination will work.
Onion & Garlic - These aromatics add a lot of flavor. I used a sweet onion to balance out the spiciness of the hot sausage but a yellow or red onion will also work.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This is the base of the sauce that the vegetables will be tossed in and will provide the best taste.
Tomato Paste - Adds a ton of sweet and savory flavor that pairs well with the sausage and makes the veggies extra tasty.
Herbs - I use dried herbs for convenience but if you have fresh herbs feel free to use those. You can also use a premixed Italian seasoning in place of the basil and oregano.
Step By Step Instructions
Note: Full list of ingredients, their amounts, and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For the easiest cleanup, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. (Note: you can use a 9x13 baking dish instead)
Step 2:
In a bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Step 3:
Add the peppers, onion, and garlic to a large bowl. Pour in the tomato sauce and mix to combine.
Step 4:
Spread the peppers and onion out in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Add the sausage to the pan turning each one to coat them in the sauce.
Step 5:
Bake for 20 minutes, turn the sausage, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the veggies are browned around the edges and the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 160 degrees F.
Tips & Tricks
- Cut the vegetables up and mix up the sauce in the morning. Store them together in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, when it's time to prep dinner, simply spread the veggies out, add the sausage, and bake.
- Don't pierce the sausages before baking. They won't explode if you leave them unpierced and they'll retain more of their juices.
- If feeding people with different spice tolerance levels, choose a mild Italian sausage and serve with red pepper flakes on the side. That way those who like spice can easily add it and those who don't can still enjoy the meal.
Ideas for Serving Them
- In a hoagie bun with provolone or mozzarella cheese
- With fresh homemade crusty bread, or use storebought
- Over mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or polenta
- Add diced sweet potatoes to the peppers and onions
Storage & Reheating
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, either place the leftovers on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or place the leftovers on a microwaveable plate and heat in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken sausages, turkey sausage, veggie sausage, breakfast sausage... choose any kind you like! If you use a thinner sausage, like a breakfast style, you may need to bake them for less time to prevent overcooking.
No! This is often recommended to prevent the sausage from splitting open and juice spraying out. But, not only is it unnecessary to do, piercing the sausage before cooking will ensure the juices come out resulting in a drier sausage.
Sure is! Make the recipe as directed then divide the sausage and veggies into separate containers. To reheat, microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through.
Other Recipes You'll Love!
Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken
Burst Tomatoes and White Beans
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📖 Recipe
Baked Italian Sausages and Peppers
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausages (hot, mild, or sweet) typically sold as a pack of 5
- 3 large bell peppers colors of choice, cut into 1-inch squares
- 1 large sweet onion cut into 1-inch squares
- 5-6 garlic cloves quartered
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Optional: line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Pour in the tomato mixture and toss to coat.
- Spread the vegetables out on the baking sheet in an even layer. Add the sausages to the pan, turning them over to coat in the sauce.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then, turn the sausages over and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the veggies are golden brown and the sausages are cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don't pierce the sausages. It's unnecessary and can result in a drier sausage.
- Feel free to switch up the sausage for any kind you like. Chicken, turkey, veggie, and breakfast sausage all work well.
- I like to use a combination of red, green, and orange bell peppers but you can use any combo you like.
- Some suggestions for serving the sausages:
- With crusty bread to soak up the sauce
- On a hoagie roll with melted provolone or mozzarella cheese
- Over mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or polenta
- Add cubed sweet potatoes to the peppers and onions before tossing in the sauce
John
I’ve made sausage & peppers countless times over the years and I followed this recipe as written for my first sheet pan version. It was delicious. The olive oil, paste, herb combo brings tremendous flavor to the dish. I’m going to stick with this recipe. Delicious!
Alicia
Thank you, John! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Tina
So I tried this recipe not really expecting much but hoping nonetheless, and I am so glad I did. It turned out perfectly exactly as written! What attracted me to the recipe was convenience - it called for 5 sausages, a common amount as stated, dried herbs, which I have more often than fresh, tomato paste, also a common pantry item, plus a sheet pan recipe, which are super convenient. Most importantly, it was delicious and I look forward to more recipes from this site!
Alicia
Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you found the ingredients convenient and enjoyed the recipe!
B Mik
First you say tomato paste, then you say to add the “sauce”. Which is it?
Alicia
Once the tomato paste is whisked with the oil and herbs, I consider that a sauce. So, that tomato mixture is the sauce I have you tossing with the veggies. I understand, though, how that could be not very clear, and I have updated the recipe to more clearly explain. Thanks!