Easy One-Skillet Sausage and Peppers with Rice

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Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions Skillet — 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! If you’re wondering what to make with Italian sausage tonight, make this!!

Italian Sausage and Peppers Skillet

One-Skillet Italian Sausage, Peppers & 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.

Italian Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Ingredients for Sausage, Peppers & Onions Skillet

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
  • Garlic 
  • Instant rice
  • Chicken broth 
  • 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.

Easy One-Skillet Sausage and Peppers with Rice - Juicy sausage, crisp peppers, onions, and rice all cook together in one skillet! Makes cleanup a breeze! Packed with flavor and ready in 30 minutes!!

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Add the peppers and garlic to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes.
  3. Stir in the instant rice and chicken broth. 
  4. Cook until the rice absorbs all the liquid, then stir in the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 

Recipe FAQs

Can I Use Regular Rice Instead of Instant? 

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.

Can I Use Another Type of Sausage? 

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. 

Can the skillet dinner be made in advance?

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. 

Can I pair the sausage, peppers and onions with pasta?

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.

what is the best skillet to use?

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

Tips for Making Italian Sausage and Peppers 

You’re welcome to use any color of bell pepper you have on hand for this sausage, peppers, and onions skillet. And if you only have one color of peppers, that works too! 

Make sure you’re using low-sodium chicken broth for this recipe, as Italian sausage often contains salt as well.

And definitely taste this dish before adding extra salt and pepper at the end since it’s naturally salty already! 

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4.48 from 545 votes

Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions Skillet

By Averie Sunshine
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!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 5
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Equipment

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)
  • cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
  • 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

Serving: 1, Calories: 537kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 848mg, Potassium: 525mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1069IU, Vitamin C: 73mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 4mg

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 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville Italian Sausage. The opinions and text are all mine.

Originally published November 16, 2015 and republished February 3, 2021 with updated text. 

4.48 from 545 votes (494 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I wanted to try a new one-pot recipe, so I googled one that uses ground italian sausage. This one caught my attention. I loved the ingredients ot called for & the cooking method. I love color in my food too. It was a hit with my family. I cooked it a Presto Big Kettle electric pot.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Maria, and I am glad you had everything on hand and that it was a hit with your family!

  2. 5 stars
    Have made this numerous time & recommended to friends. Lots of different variations I like to add some grated cheese on top of mine as it’s being served and also it works well with smoked sausage or kielbasa.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Jill, and for recommending the recipe to your friends! I am glad too that you’ve added some of your own touches and variations – like cheese!

  3. 5 stars
    Fast & easy recipe… I made it exactly like recipe & it turned out delicious… I used frozen peppers & onions too…. Simple & quick… Only need one pot…

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Kim, and I’m glad it was simple, fast, and it turned out delicious!

  4. 4 stars
    This is a second review as I made a mistake on the first one. I followed the directions but use regular rice not minute rice. Next time I’ll cook it separately from the main dish but overall it came out great. So please ignore my previous review

    1. Yes you do need to use minute rice as stated in the recipe for it to come together in the alloted time, or use another rice and cook it separately like you said. But I am glad it came out great overall!

  5. 5 stars
    I didn’t have minute rice so cooked Jasmine rice on the side and added soy sauce instead of salt so I’d have a broth. Tasted great! Good recipe!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Pam, and I’m glad you were able to make this work with what you had on hand and that it tasted great!

  6. 5 stars
    Made this dish last night. It was a great family dinner that I will be putting in my rotation. Everyone loved it. So good on a cold day. We had no leftovers. Thank you for this recipe. It will be one I will use over and over again.
    Kelly

  7. 5 stars
    Made this dish last night. It was a great family dinner that I will be putting in my rotation. Everyone loved it. So good on a cold day. We had no leftovers. Thank you for this recipe. It will be one I will use over and over again.
    Kelly

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that it was good enough that it’s going into your rotation and everyone loved it!

  8. 5 stars
    EASY ONE-SKILLET SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS WITH RICE I made this tonight with a little different take. I thought that I had instant brown rice, but I did not. I did have yellow rice and so I made the rice separate from the rest of the recipe because it was not minute rice. I made the sausage, peppers and onions with the garlic like the recipe called for. I just didn’t use the chicken broth and add the rice together with the sausage and peppers. We dished out our rice and put the sausage and peppers over the rice. It was absolutely AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. We will definitely be making this again.

  9. 5 stars
    EASY ONE-SKILLET SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS WITH RICE I made this tonight with a little different take. I thought that I had instant brown rice, but I did not. I did have yellow rice and so I made the rice separate from the rest of the recipe because it was not minute rice. I made the sausage, peppers and onions with the garlic like the recipe called for. I just didn’t use the chicken broth and add the rice together with the sausage and peppers. We dished out our rice and put the sausage and peppers over the rice. It was absolutely AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. We will definitely be making this again.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and it’s always great to read when someone improvises based on what they have on hand and make things work with what you have! Glad it was amazing!

  10. 5 stars
    This turned out great! Only addition was a few cherry tomatoes that needed used soon. This will be a go to for me!! Thanks

  11. 5 stars
    This turned out great! Only addition was a few cherry tomatoes that needed used soon. This will be a go to for me!! Thanks

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad it turned out great and you were able to use up your cherry tomatoes, too!

  12. 5 stars
    My teen son walked through the door and said” it smells that that really good dinner we like”. It’s a family favorite here. We likes things really spicy so I add red pepper flakes. Easy, tasty, and I love that it has veggies.

  13. 5 stars
    My teen son walked through the door and said” it smells that that really good dinner we like”. It’s a family favorite here. We likes things really spicy so I add red pepper flakes. Easy, tasty, and I love that it has veggies.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that this is a family favorite dinner! I love adding red pepper flakes too to so many dishes for some extra spiciness!

  14. I think I will try to use about half cooked regular rice. I may have to add a little less liquid, I’ll just wing it and let you know!!

  15. 5 stars
    Made this for my husband one night and needless to say itโ€™s on the menu again this week. Thank you, it was very easy and most of all delicious.

  16. 5 stars
    Made this for my husband one night and needless to say itโ€™s on the menu again this week. Thank you, it was very easy and most of all delicious.