Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers is so easy for a slow cooker one-dish meal, and if you like sausage and peppers you’ll want to make this often. And I think cooking these ingredients with marinara sauce in the slow cooker adds amazing flavor.
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Back when I was a full-time elementary school teacher struggling to keep up with this blog, I had a favorite dish I’d make for Weekend Food Prep by simply browning Italian Sausage links and throwing them in the slow cooker with a jar of low-sugar marinara sauce to cook for a couple of hours. Then I’d take one of the sausages to school to eat for lunch with some kind of side salad or zucchini noodles.
Recently the idea popped into my head to turn that super simple dish into more of an actual recipe! And this new recipe for Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers is still extra easy to make and only has five ingredients. And it’s also something that’s great to make on the weekend and eat leftovers during the week.
I found this easy combination so satisfying that after I tried it once I found myself making it several more times within a few weeks, and I loved it for a low-carb main dish with my favorite Italian flavors. And I experimented with it enough times to come up with a tip for an easier way to brown the sausage on all sides, which is essential for getting the best flavor.
I do think slow cookers are having a bit of a comeback in this era of rising food prices, and they can be a wonderful way to make simple inexpensive ingredients taste great! If you’re someone who still pulls out the slow cooker once in a while I hope you’ll give this a try!
What ingredients do you need?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Italian Sausage (see notes)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- Rao’s Pasta Sauce (affiliate link)
- red bell peppers
- green bell pepper
What Sausage did I use for Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers?
For many years I always used Jenni-O Turkey Italian Sausage when I cooked Italian Sausage, but then it disappeared from the stores near me, and I was mourning it for a long time! Now I’m a fan of Demark Foods All Natural Hot Italian Sausage, which comes in a pack of ten sausages at Kroger, and only has one net carb per sausage. I use half the package for this recipe and freeze the other half to make it again later. You can use any brand of pork, turkey, or chicken sausage that you prefer, and either hot or sweet Italian sausage will be good.
What pasta sauce did I use for Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers?
I’d love to use my own marinara sauce if I had some in the freezer, but most often I make this with the Rao’s Pasta Sauce (affiliate link) I’m so fond of. And all the Rao’s sauce varieties are super low in carbs! If you can’t find Rao’s where you shop, look at the nutritional information and pick the sauce with the lowest amount of sugar you can find!
How to Make Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Heat olive oil in frying pan, add sausages and cook until they’re browned, not cooked through.
- Remove to cutting board and cut sausages in half lengthwise.
- Put sausage back in pan and brown the cut side.
- Remove to cutting board. When it’s cool enough to handle, cut sausage into pieces and put into slow cooker
- Turn slow cooker to LOW.
- Add pasta sauce to frying pan and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced. Use the turner to scrape off any sausage bits in the pan.
- While sauce reduces, cut red and green peppers into pieces.
- Add peppers to slow cooker.
- When sauce has reduced by about 1/4 pour into the slow cooker and stir to combine with sausage and peppers.
- Put lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW about 1 1/2 hours for peppers, or longer if you prefer softer peppers.
- Serve hot, with grated Parmesan to add at the table if you like!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I’d enjoy the Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers just served in a bowl as an easy one-dish meal. If you want something more, this would be amazing served with Zucchini Noodles. Or serve with something like Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad or Spring Mix Salad for an easy dinner!
Want more Low-Carb Dinners with Italian Sausage?
Check out 40 Low-Carb and Keto Italian Sausage Recipes for lots more ideas using delicious Italian sausage!
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers is about as easy as it gets for a five ingredient slow cooker main dish, and this is delicious! I usually eat this as a one-dish meal with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, but add some zucchini noodles or pasta if you like.
Ingredients
- 5 links Italian Sausage (see notes)
- 2 T olive oil
- one 24 oz. jar Rao's Marinara Sauce (see notes)
- 2 large red bell peppers
- 1 large green bell pepper
Instructions
- Heat half the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add sausages, and cook until they're nicely browned on both sides. They won't be cooked through.
- Remove sausage to cutting board and cut each sausage in half lengthwise.
- Heat the rest of the olive oil, add sausage, and brown the cut side of the sausage.
- Put sausage on cutting board and cut into pieces when it's cool enough to handle. Put sausage pieces in slow cooker and turn to LOW.
- Add the pasta sauce to the frying pan and simmer about 10 minutes so sauce is slightly reduced. Use the turner to scrape any sausage bits off the bottom of the pan.
- While sauce reduces, cut red and green peppers into pieces a little bigger than one inch across.
- Add peppers to slow cooker.When sauce has reduced by about 1/4 pour over sausage and peppers in the slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Put lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW about 1 1/2 hours for peppers that are still slightly crisp, or a bit longer if you prefer softer peppers.
- That's it for this easy recipe; enjoy!
- This will keep on the fridge for at least a week. It can also be frozen, although the peppers will soften when they're frozen. And I bet you won't have any left to freeze anyway!
Notes
Use pork, turkey, or chicken sausage, whichever you prefer. Either sweet or hot Italian Sausage will be delicious prepared this way. I used Denmark Foods All Natural Italian Sausage (from Kroger) with only 1 net carb per sausage.
I always use Rao's Pasta Sauce (affiliate link) for this recipe, and that's the lowest-carb sauce I have found. If your store doesn't have Rao's look for a sauce that's low in sugar.
Nutritional information calculated using the products I used that are mentioned in the post.
This recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 407Total Fat 30.5gSaturated Fat 8.3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19.5gCholesterol 70mgSodium 1105mgCarbohydrates 12.6gFiber 2.8gSugar 7.7gProtein 19.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Sausage and Peppers is a great slow cooker dish that’s perfect for low-carb or Keto diet plans, and those diets might prefer pork Italian sausage. With turkey or chicken Italian sausage this recipe would be great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes for more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I first started cooking Italian Sausage in the slow cooker with low-sugar marinara sauce back in 2006, when I was a full-time teacher who needed easy recipes to take for lunch to school. In 2023 that recipe was updated into this version that combined it into Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers for a one-dish meal.
17 Comments on “Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers”
Glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes. Thanks for letting me know.
I just wanted to drop you a line. I'm new to south beach. I love to cook and your collection of recipes and beautiful pictures are keeping me cooking, healthy and happy. Thanks for everything!
That does sound good with the picante sauce! Glad you are enjoying the recipes.
I have this recipe bookmarked! I changed it up one day. I browned the sausage with olive and onion. Once they were brown, I poured a small jar of Pace pecante sauce over them and let them simmer slowly for about an hour. My husband LOVED it. I used mild sausage and medium pecante sauce (he's not much of a spicy person). But it turned out perfect.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Thank you for this recipe! We had it the other night and it was super delish!
Kalyn,
I have never been a fan of sausage, but your pic looks inviting. 🙂
Coffeepot, I think I actually prefer the turkey Italian Sausage to the pork ones! Welcome back.
Sher, they are one of my absolute staples.
Meeta, in the oven on low would be fine, or even simmer on the stove on low for an hour or so.
Kalyn, wow! We love sausages here and living in Germany we get so many different varieties. This is an amazing, simple and delicious sounding recipe. I do not have a crockpot but I assume I can do it in the oven at a low temp – right?
Oh boy, come to mama!!! Easy AND delicious. That’s perfect!
Hey Kalyn,
I just had some turkey italian sausage tonight before I read this.
I do like it lower fat and with great taste too.
I have been away too long already and missing all those great ideas of yours.
How fun to get so many nice comments on such a simple recipe. Sometimes simple food is the best. I like everyone’s ideas for variations too.
Brady, glad tohear you liked the Dreamfields pasta, and good luck with the new baby that’s coming.
Hey ya know, that reminds me of a recipe my uncle received from a neighbor years ago. I think it would fit in with these diets ya’ll are talking about too.
Saute slices or hunks of zucchini, hot quick, no completely cook. Add tomato sauce, plain or otherwise. Add crumbled bacon and simmer until done. Serve.
Thanks for the memories!
Yet another great reason to buy that crock pot I’ve been thinking about….
This looks great!
mmm..be great with some onions and peppers 😉
Kalyn-
This has nothing to do with today’s yummy post, but I just wanted to thank you. Last night I made a big pot of what our family calls goulash (ground beef, onions, garlic, stewed tomatoes, some italian seasoning, pasta and corn). Not goulash at all, but I think every family has some version of this. Any how I used the Dreamfield’s pasta for the first time because of your suggestions and we loved it. As you know, we are not South Beachers, but we try to eat healthy. Soon I will have copious amounts of baby weight to lose so I wanted to thank you for all of your wonderful and healthy recipes.
Happy Holidays-
Brady
Kalyn, the first photo looks deliciously incredible! We eat plenty of sausages so this really caught my eyes.
These would be great sliced up and eaten with penne pasta…