My sausage and peppers recipe is simple and delicious, just like the way it’s almost always made here in New York. Italian sausage, red and green bell peppers, sliced onions, oregano, and copious amounts of olive oil. Served by itself, or on a hero/sub roll, this is the real deal New York-style recipe for sausage and peppers.
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A Classic that should always be simple!
Sausage and peppers, though eaten all year long, is the quintessential Italian-American festival food. Found at street fairs across the New York metro area, this beloved dish is comprised of just a few ingredients.
Zeppole or sfinci, pizza, meatball parm heros, and cannoli are all great, but there is one street festival food that reigns supreme: sausage and peppers and the sausage and peppers hero.
And this my friends, is the best version.
I’ve made sausage and peppers hundreds of times in my life, and have eaten even more, and my recipe below is reflective of all that research.
This is the tried and true sausage and peppers recipe that rivals that of any street fair!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Italian sausage. This is the ingredient that will make or break your sausage and peppers. Most mass-produced brands of Italian sausage will taste nothing like the sausage at street festivals. They have less fat, are usually overmixed and more homogeneous, and just taste bland compared to sausage from an Italian pork store. That being said, buy the best quality sausage you can find. A good sweet fennel and hot (spicy) sausage will start you on the right path. I like to make a batch of each.
- Peppers and onions. Red and green bell peppers should be used along with plenty of yellow onion.
- Bread. Even if you don’t plan on making a sausage and peppers hero, you’ll still want some crusty Italian bread to mop up the oily sauce.
- Dried oregano. Use high quality Italian or Sicilian oregano. And please, skip that horrible Italian seasoning ingredient. Just use oregano.
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How to make authentic sausage and peppers
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Place sausage links in a baking dish. Poke a couple of holes in each link and roast in the oven at 400°F until mostly cooked through (about 20 minutes).
- Heat a large stainless steel pan to medium-low heat for 3 minutes. While the pan is heating up, pat dry the sausages of any excess moisture. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan and place the sausages into the pan. Cook the sausage links on all sides until well browned (about 10-15 minutes total).
- Remove the sausage links and set aside. You can lightly tent the sausage links with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil to the pan and all the peppers and onions. Mix the peppers and onions around so that they are coated with the sausage fat and olive oil.
- After a couple of minutes of cooking add 3 ounces of water to the pan. Cover the pan so that the peppers and onions can cook quicker. I don’t have a lid for my 14″ fry pan so foil works great in a pinch.
- After 10 minutes remove the cover and the peppers and onions will be much softer. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano. Continue cooking for a few more minutes to allow any excess water to evaporate.
- Once most of the water has evaporated and the peppers and onions are very soft, return the sausage links back to the pan and mix together. You should have plenty of oil, but if you need a bit more, add it now. Sausage and peppers should have plenty of oil! Serve as is with Italian bread to mop up the oil and peppers and onions. Or, make a sausage and peppers hero which is never a bad idea!
Top tips
- Oil and more oil. Sausage and peppers should be oily and a bit messy. The fat from the sausage and the olive oil combine to make one of the best sauces for bread dipping. Don’t skimp on the olive oil!
- Buy high quality sausage. This is the defining ingredient for whether your sausage and peppers will be amazing or mediocre.
- Make it your own. You can add cherry peppers or calabrian chili paste to a hot sausage and peppers. Or roast some thin sliced potatoes and add the sausage and peppers on top for a full meal. But perhaps my favorite addition is adding melted mozzarella to a sausage and peppers hero. So darn good!
- Make ahead and reheating. This is the perfect dish for making ahead. Simply reheat in a 350°F oven covered with foil until hot or on a stovetop with the lid cracked.
More great recipes with Italian sausage
If you like Italian sausage as much as I do, you’ll want to try these other recipes.
- Sausage and peppers rigatoni
- Italian sausage and potatoes
- Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe
- Chicken Scarpariello
- Sausage cherry tomato pasta
- Sausage bread
- Italian sausage pasta
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Sausage and Peppers (Simple and Authentic)
Ingredients
- 8 large mild Italian sausage links about 2 pounds
- 3/4 cup (180ml) olive oil
- 3 large bell peppers sliced, red and green
- 3 large onions sliced
- 3 ounces (90ml) water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the sausage links in a baking dish and poke a few holes into each link. Roast until mostly cooked through (about 20 minutes) then remove from the oven.
- Dry off the sausage links to remove any moisture. Heat a stainless steel pan to medium to medium-low and once hot add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until the links are well browned on all sides (about 10-15 minutes total).
- Remove the sausage from pan and set aside tented with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil and peppers and onions to the pan. Cook for a few minutes coating well with the olive oil and sausage drippings. Add the water to the pan and cover.
- Remove the lid after about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Continue cooking to evaporate any excess water. When the water evaporates and the peppers and onions are soft, add in the sausage links.
- Cook for a few more minutes and taste test. Make any final adjustments to salt, pepper, oregano, and olive oil if required. Serve the sausage and peppers with Italian bread or on top of a hero/sub roll. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sodium. Salt levels really need to be adjusted based on the sausage brand used. Make sure to taste test and adjust before serving.
- Sausage. The sausage quality makes all the difference. Use the absolute best sausage you can find!
- Oil levels. Sausage and peppers should be very oily from both the sausage fat and the added olive oil. Don’t be shy with olive oil!
- Leftovers. Sausage and pepeprs can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So good! I did the version without the tomato sauce but I plan to try the other version next. I can’t wait for your cookbook.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Christine!