Sausage and peppers are incredibly versatile. You can serve them with pasta or rice, add them to a sandwich, or as a one pot meal with a side of bread. These Instant Pot sausage and peppers are incredibly quick and easy to make, and taste absolutely fantastic.
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Sausage and pepper is comfort food at it's finest, and this recipe can be made in only 25 minutes, with 5 minutes of work. It's perfect for quick and easy meals, and loved by the whole family.
I love a good sausage stew, and this is a great version packed with flavors. You can serve and eat it on it's own, but I highly recommend serving it with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.
Why you'll love it
- Easy to make
- Super versatile
- Perfect for sandwiches, pasta and more
- A healthier sausage recipe
- Easy to customize to suit your preferences
- A great way to use up a surplus of bell peppers
Ingredients
Canned diced tomatoes: Adds texture to the sauce. You can also use canned plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or fire roasted tomatoes.
Tomato sauce (UK: tomato passata): Adds a great tomato base sauce.
Onion: Use red, yellow or white onion.
Sausages: Pork sausages, chicken sausages and certain vegetarian sausages all work perfectly fine. Italian sausages and bratwurst are also great options.
Bell peppers: Use any color peppers you like. I like to use a combination of green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and red bell pepper.
Garlic: Use fresh cloves, or garlic paste if you prefer.
Seasoning: Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning add flavor to the dish.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Brown sausages in the Instant Pot on the saute setting. Remove them from the pot when they are brown on all sides.
Two: Add sliced onion and finely diced garlic to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water to remove any bits that get stuck to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Three: Add water to the onions. Place the sausages on top of the onions, and sliced peppers over the sausages. Don't stir.
Four: Add the seasoning, canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the peppers. Don't stir. Seal the lid on top of the pot, and cook on the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting for 5 minutes. Quick release the pressure, and serve.
💡 TIP! Make sure that the tomato sauce is layered over the other ingredients. If these get to the bottom of the Instant Pot, they might easily burn, and your pressure cooker might not be able to finish cooking the meal.
Top tips
- Make sure to deglaze and scrape the pot thoroughly before you add the ingredients and start pressure cooking. Any stuck pieces of onion or sausage should be loosened, or the Instant Pot might not be able to pressurize.
- Carefully layer the ingredients, and avoid stirring or mixing them together.
- Browning the sausages and onions is optional, but adds a lot of flavor.
- Be careful when you release the pressure from the Instant Pot. The steam will be very hot. I like to turn the pressure valve with a spatula or wooden spoon to keep a safe distance.
Serving suggestions
Sausage and peppers are perfect to serve in a sandwich, or as an entree paired with some fantastic side dishes.
Here are some of my favorite sides to enjoy with it:
- Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Garlic Basil Pasta
- Nando's Spicy Rice (Copycat)
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Sweet Potato Flatbread
- Mediterranean Roast Vegetables
Variations
Added vegetables: Add diced tomatoes, zucchini spirals or diced eggplant to the dish. These vegetables should be layered between the sliced peppers and tomato sauce.
Different sausages: Try using different sausages to change the flavor. Pork sausages, Italian sausages, smoked sausages and chicken sausages will taste quite different, but they all work well.
Vegetarian: Use vegetarian or vegan sausages to make the dish suitable to your dietary requirements.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need an Instant Pot, or any electric pressure cooker. Make sure that your pressure cooker has a sauté setting, as you will have to brown the sausages and onions before you pressure cook them.
Additionally, I like to use tongs or a spatula to stir the ingredients, and a ladle to scoop up the sauce after the dish cooks.
Storage
You can store leftover Instant Pot Italian sausage and peppers in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Alternatively, you can also freeze the dish for up to 6 months. Thaw and defrost it in a refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the dish in a pot on the stove top, in a frying pan or skillet, or in a microwave for a few minutes, and serve it warm.
This is a fantastic meal prep recipe, as sausage and peppers store really well, and you can easily double or triple the recipe depending on the size of your Instant Pot.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If you prefer to cook sliced sausages, you can either buy pre-cooked sausages or smoked sausages, which can be sliced directly, or you can slice the sausages after browning them.
Sausage and peppers go well with rice, roasted vegetables, pasta and salad. You can also serve it in a sandwich.
When you add onions to your sausage and peppers, you can choose to slice them or dice them. Slicing the onions gives the dish a better texture, as their size and shape will be similar to the peppers.
You might also like these recipes
- Oven Baked Bratwurst
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Sausage and Rice Casserole
- Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pork sausages
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce (UK: tomato passata)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot, and turn on the SAUTE setting. Add the sausages, and cook them until they are brown on all sides. The sausages don't have to be cooked through at this point. When they have browned, remove them from the pot.
- Add sliced onion and finely diced garlic to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any bits that get stuck. Turn off the pressure cooker.
- Add water to the onions in the bottom of the pot. Place the sausages on top of the onions, and sliced peppers over the sausages. Don't stir.
- Add the seasoning, canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the peppers. Don't stir.
- Seal the lid on top of the pot, and cook on the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting for 5 minutes. The pressure cooker will take approximately 10 minutes to get to pressure before it starts counting down.
- Carefully perform a quick release according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Stir to combine the ingredients. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Optionally, remove the sausages from the pot and slice them before you serve the dish.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat the dish before serving.
- For a lighter version, you can use chicken sausages or vegetarian sausages.
- If you prefer to slice the sausages, you can do this after browning them, or after pressure cooking them.
Nutrition
Food safety advice
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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