Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that can be used so many different ways!
Juicy Italian sausages are roasted with peppers and onions until the veggies are soft and caramelized – all in 30 minutes.
Eat as is with a salad, toss with your favorite pasta or stuff into a hoagie roll – there’s no wrong way to eat this.
Plus it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, low carb, Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
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Why this recipe works
This easy sheet pan dinner recipe needs just 30 minutes and a few ingredients but delivers a lot of flavor.
You can use any bell peppers you like. I prefer a combination of red, orange and yellow for the variety of colors and because of their different levels of sweetness:
- red: mildly sweet
- orange: a little sweeter
- yellow: the sweetest
I tend to skip green bell peppers as they’re more sour but if you want a sweet and sour contrast, by all means use a green pepper.
I use mild Italian sausage but you can also use the spicy kind.
The best part is the veggies soak up all the flavorful sausage juices while caramelize, almost as if the dish creates its own sauce.
Sprinkling with fresh herbs at the end isn’t necessary but does add a nice touch of freshness to balance out all the baked ingredients.
What you need for Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients:
- Italian sausages
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 red onion
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- fresh parsley or fresh thyme
Equipment:
- 1 baking sheet
- a cutting board
- a chef’s knife
- measuring spoons (these are my favorite because they fit into spice jars)
- cooking tongs
- instant read thermometer (optional)
You’ll notice I don’t list parchment paper to line the baking sheet. When I tested the recipe using parchment, it soaked up all the juices which I didn’t like. So I don’t bother lining the pan at all.
Luckily clean-up is still easy because nothing really sticks too much to the sheet pan. But you can line the sheet pan with foil if you like.
How to make sheet pan sausage and peppers in the oven
Step 1: Heat the oven to 425°.
Step 2: Cut the root ends off the red onion, cut the onion in half from root to root, and peel. Then cut each half into thin half-moons (approx. 1/4″ thick but don’t worry about it).
Step 3: Cut the peppers in half, discard the stems and seeds and cut the peppers into thin strips roughly the same size as the onion slices.
Step 4: Toss the veggies on the baking sheet with the oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer as much as possible – there’ll be some overlap and that’s okay.
Step 5: Place the sausages on top and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160°. You can use an instant read thermometer to make sure but I always find 25 minutes does the trick without over-cooking them. (And nope, no need to poke the sausages with a fork.)
Step 6: Optional step: broil the sheet pan for a few minutes to brown the sausages. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.
Step 7: Sprinkle on the fresh herbs, if using.
What to serve with sausage and peppers
There’s so many ways you can serve baked sausage and peppers:
- Just as is with a green salad on the side
- Piled on top of any kind of mashed veggies or veggie rice to soak up all the juices
- Tossed with your favorite pasta (slice the sausages after cooking before adding to pasta); heat up some marinara and add that as well if you like
- Stuffed into a hot dog bun or hoagie bun. You can also then top with cheese and broil or bake a few minutes to melt the cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can use any type of fresh (not pre-cooked) sausage: spicy Italian, bratwurst, chorizo, etc. Pork or turkey is best as they have more fat, making for juicier sausages. Chicken sausage would be fine but since it’s leaner, you won’t get as much juice.
Use any combination of colors of bell peppers you like.
You can also subtract 1-2 peppers and add a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. They’re small enough that they will cook in the same amount of time as the sausage and other veggies.
You can add red pepper flakes to the vegetable mixture for extra spice.
You can slice the veggies and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store the cooked sausage and veggies in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a medium oven for about 15-20 minutes.
You can set the cooked sausages on a parchment-lined baking sheet (make sure they’re not touching) and place in the freezer until the sausages are frozen, about 2-3 hours. Then transfer the sausages to a freezer-safe container or baggie and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a medium oven for about 15-20 minutes.
I do not recommend freezing the vegetables.
Other recipes you might like:
- Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Peas
- Sheet Pan Lemon Salmon with Pesto
- Sheet Pan Breakfast Hash with Salami
- Italian Stuffed Peppers
Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers (Paleo, Whole30, keto)
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 bell peppers, colors of your choice
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 Italian sausages, mild or spicy
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°.
- Cut the root ends off the red onion, cut the onion in half from root to root, and peel. Then cut each half into thin half-moons (approx. 1/4" thick but don't worry about it).
- Cut the peppers in half and discard the stem and seeds. Slice into strips about the same size as the onion slices.
- Toss the veggies on the baking sheet with the oil, salt and pepper. Just when you think everything is evenly coated, toss for another 15 seconds to make sure. Arrange in a single layer as much as possible. The veggies will be scrunched up together and overlap a bit – that's okay.
- Place the sausages on top of the veggies and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through (160° internal temperature).
- Optional step: broil the sheet pan for a few minutes to brown the sausages. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn.
- Sprinkle the fresh parsley or thyme on top and serve.
Notes
- A green salad on the side
- Piled on top of any kind of mashed veggies or veggie rice to soak up all the juices
- Tossed with your favorite pasta (slice the sausages after cooking before adding to pasta); heat up some marinara and add that as well if you like
- Stuffed into a hot dog bun or hoagie bun. You can also then top with cheese and broil or bake a few minutes to melt the cheese.
- You can use any type of fresh (not pre-cooked) sausage: spicy Italian, bratwurst, chorizo, etc. Pork or turkey is best as they have more fat, making for juicier sausages. Chicken sausage would be fine but since it’s leaner, you won’t get as much juice from them.
- Use any combination of colors of bell peppers you like.
- You can also subtract 1-2 peppers and add a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. They’re small enough that they will cook in the same amount of time as the sausage and other veggies.
- You can add red pepper flakes to the vegetable mixture for extra spice.
yang says
So yummy and easy to make.. supper can’t be easier on the busy days!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Exactly! Thanks.
Jennifer Fisher says
So, so easy to cook sausage like that! What a great recipe!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Exactly! So easy.
Stacey Crawford says
This was so simple to make and everyone loves it. Such a tasty sheet-pan meal!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Aw, yay! So glad to hear it. Thanks.
Jean Choi says
So flavorful and so easy. It’s a great weeknight meal!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks!
tina says
Love easy sheet pan meals like this – thank you!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
I hope you enjoy it!