Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions Skillet — 💛💚❤️ Wondering what to make with hot Italian sausage? This EASY one skillet recipe combines Italian sausage and peppers with sweet Vidalia onions and rice to make a QUICK dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!
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One-Skillet Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions
I’m all about easy, one-skillet dinners that are ready in 30 minutes. My family is all about flavor and just cares about how something tastes. We were all happy with this dish and the big flavors.
Juicy sausage, sweet Vidalia onions, a hint of garlic, crisp-tender bell peppers, and tender rice.
Rather than yet another chicken and rice dish, I swapped out the chicken and instead used Johnsonville Fresh Italian Hot Sausage Links.
I used hot sausage because I wanted something to stand up and pop against the rice and it wasn’t too hot, but use mild sausage if you prefer.
Ingredients for Skillet Sausage, Peppers and Onions
So many Italian sausage recipes include pasta, but I wanted to pair this flavorful protein without something different. If you’ve been looking Italian sausage recipe without pasta, you’re going to love this skillet!
To make the Italian sausage with peppers and onions and rice, gather the following:
- Olive oil
- Johnsonville Fresh Italian Hot Sausage Links
- Vidalia onions
- Bell peppers – use any color(s) you like
- Garlic
- Instant rice
- Chicken broth – use reduced sodium since Italian sausage often contains salt as well
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
What Type of Italian Sausage Should I Use?
Although I used sausage links for this recipe, Johnsonville also offers Italian sausage in a ground version, which is so convenient if you don’t want to de-case sausage links. Johnsonville’s links and ground Italian sausage — as well as their meatballs and breakfast sausage — come in a variety of flavors and spices, giving you more flavor and saving you time in the kitchen.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sausage, Peppers & Onions
This Italian sausage meal comes together in about 30 minutes and requires minimal prep. Here’s a rough overview of how the recipe comes together:
- Cook the sausage (removed from its casings) and diced onion in a little olive oil until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are golden.
- Add the peppers and garlic to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Stir in the instant rice and chicken broth.
- Cook until the rice absorbs all the liquid, then stir in the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Recipe FAQs
I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure. You probably can, but you’ll have to play around with the amount of liquid you add to the skillet as well as the cook time.
Or, simply add pre-cooked or leftover rice to the skillet.
Of course! If you don’t have Italian sausage on hand, feel free to substitute another type. Just keep in mind that the sausage I used is fresh, not pre-cooked, which is why I browned it together with the onions.
This sausage and rice recipe reheats well and will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating this dish in a skillet with a tablespoon or two of water or broth, just to keep the rice from drying out.
Of course! I specifically wanted to make this Italian sausage recipe without pasta, but you may omit the rice and boil pasta on the side if desired.
I am a huge fan of All-Clad skillets, specifically this All-Clad 3-quart stainless steel skillet with a lid. It’s been a trusty workhorse in my kitchen for 10+ years!
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions Skillet
Equipment
- 1 large skillet (4 quart) OR
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Johnsonville Fresh Italian Hot Sausage Links, de-cased (Johnsonville Fresh Italian Hot Ground Sausage or mild sausage may be substituted)
- 2 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 1 large onion)
- ⅔ cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
- ⅔ cup yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced small
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 2 cups dry/uncooked minute or instant rice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ to ½ cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely minced (stems discarded)
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, sausage, onion, and sauté for about 8 minutes over medium-high heat, or until sausage is cooked through and onions are lightly golden browned. Stir and flip intermittently.
- Add the peppers, garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the rice, chicken broth, and cook covered for about 5 to 10 minutes or until rice is tender, done, and all liquid has been absorbed.
- Turn off the heat, add the parsley, and stir to combine.
- Taste dish and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. Dish will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 days. Reheat gently as necessary.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Post is brought to you by Johnsonville. The recipe, images, text, and opionions expressed are my own. #SausageSunday #JohnsonvilleSausageSwap
Made this for my husband one night and needless to say it’s on the menu again this week. Thank you, it was very easy and most of all delicious.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been so busy lately and I realized the only meat I had for dinner tonight is Italian sausage that I had planned to use in a pasta dish but I had no ingredients for a pasta sauce!
This recipe was wonderful. Some changes I made based on the ingredients I had on hand:
-Added a couple roma tomatoes because I only had a few baby bell peppers
-Used basmati rice
-Used water instead of stock because we’re really sensitive to salt and I didn’t want to risk it turning out salty. As the meat cooked, I could smell that it was going to be really flavorful without the addition of the stock.
For cooking the rice: I browned the meat in a pan, and then in a separate pan I sautéed all the veggies, then added 1 cup basmati rice to “toast” it, then added the meat (drained) and 2.5 cups of water and simmered on low for 20 mins.
So tasty and easy!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been so busy lately and I realized the only meat I had for dinner tonight is Italian sausage that I had planned to use in a pasta dish but I had no ingredients for a pasta sauce!
This recipe was wonderful. Some changes I made based on the ingredients I had on hand:
-Added a couple roma tomatoes because I only had a few baby bell peppers
-Used basmati rice
-Used water instead of stock because we’re really sensitive to salt and I didn’t want to risk it turning out salty. As the meat cooked, I could smell that it was going to be really flavorful without the addition of the stock.
For cooking the rice: I browned the meat in a pan, and then in a separate pan I sautéed all the veggies, then added 1 cup basmati rice to “toast” it, then added the meat (drained) and 2.5 cups of water and simmered on low for 20 mins.
So tasty and easy!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this turned out tasty and was easy for you!
I halved the recipe because I didn’t need as large of a portion and it turned out amazing. I don’t know if it was the type of rice that I got, but the chicken broth didn’t fully reduce after 10 minutes, so I just uncovered it and kept an eye on it until it reduced completely. Super creamy and really flavorful. Highly recommend this for a quick and easy dinner.
I halved the recipe because I didn’t need as large of a portion and it turned out amazing. I don’t know if it was the type of rice that I got, but the chicken broth didn’t fully reduce after 10 minutes, so I just uncovered it and kept an eye on it until it reduced completely. Super creamy and really flavorful. Highly recommend this for a quick and easy dinner.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that this came out great for you! And way to think on your feet with the broth/rice situation and letting it simmer uncovered.
It very likely was the rice, they vary in how much they will absorb. Better to have a bit extra liquid and it could simmer off than not enough which would mean that you had crunchy rice unless you added more (many people wouldn’t know how to resolve this).
Really yummy! I made it tonight for my husband and I definitely plenty for dinner plus leftovers. Perfect!
Really yummy! I made it tonight for my husband and I definitely plenty for dinner plus leftovers. Perfect!
Glad that it was yummy and that you have leftovers now, which is handy always for me at least!
great
This was a delicious meal. I added some Better Than Bouillon (Chicken) at the very end, for better flavor, when everything was done). It was a real hit!
This was a delicious meal. I added some Better Than Bouillon (Chicken) at the very end, for better flavor, when everything was done). It was a real hit!
Thanks and glad that this was delicious and a real hit!
These turned out absolutely stunning! I love them and I’ll bet these were completely delicious!
great
Made this for dinner last night and it turned our really well. I used a little less rice because I didn’t have the full 2 cups uncooked. I also didn’t have instant rice so I pre-cooked the rice (but left it on the dry side), then added it in with just a cup of broth at the end for a couple minutes and it turned out great.
Made this for dinner last night and it turned our really well. I used a little less rice because I didn’t have the full 2 cups uncooked. I also didn’t have instant rice so I pre-cooked the rice (but left it on the dry side), then added it in with just a cup of broth at the end for a couple minutes and it turned out great.
Made this for dinner last night and it turned our really well. I used a little less rice because I didn’t have the full 2 cups uncooked. I also didn’t have instant rice so I pre-cooked the rice (but left it on the dry side), then added it in with just a cup of broth at the end for a couple minutes and it turned out great.
Glad it turned out well and that you were able to make this work with the regular rice you had by precooking it.
Just finished making the delicious meal. I loved how easy it is to make and how all the flavors come together. My rice wasn’t as tinder as I like but I probably cooked it on too high of a heat or not long enough. I look forward to cooking this again and again as it becomes a part of my recipe rotation.