Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

Name: Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 lb Italian sausage links, sweet or hot; 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, green), sliced into strips; 1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce; 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried basil; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 6 hoagie rolls, toasted; 1/2 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella

By Iren Pavlenko · Last updated: 10 Nov 2026

Sausage and peppers in the crockpot is Italian sausage simmered with sweet peppers, onions and a simple tomato sauce. It is easy to build in ten minutes and fills the kitchen with garlic and fennel.

My recipes

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Italian sausage links cook with sliced peppers, onions and marinara. Serve on toasted rolls or over pasta or rice.

Ingredients

2 lb Italian sausage links, sweet or hot
3 bell peppers (red, yellow, green), sliced into strips
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 hoagie rolls, toasted
1/2 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausages for 2 to 3 minutes per side. This is optional but adds flavor and renders fat.
Spread the sliced onion, peppers and garlic across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Place the browned sausages on top.
Pour the marinara and diced tomatoes over the sausages and sprinkle with oregano, basil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The sausage should reach 160°F and the peppers should be soft.
Stir gently to coat everything in sauce.
Taste the sauce and add salt or a pinch of sugar if it tastes sharp.
Toast the hoagie rolls with a little butter or under the broiler.
Place a sausage on each roll, spoon peppers and sauce on top, and finish with cheese.

Notes

Use sweet sausage for kids and hot for heat. Swap in chicken sausage for a lighter option. The dish also works over pasta, polenta or rice. Store leftovers in the fridge for 4 days. For a crockpot italian sausage and peppers freezer meal, freeze the raw ingredients in a bag, thaw overnight, and cook as above.

Why sausage and peppers belong in the crockpot

Sausage and peppers is a Friday-night-fair classic, but standing over a skillet for it is a chore. In the slow cooker, the sausage simmers gently in marinara until tender and juicy, while the peppers and onions melt into the sauce and turn sweet.

There is no pan-splatter and no timing problem. You can load everything in the morning, and by dinner the sausage has soaked up the oregano and garlic. It is a rustic, hearty meal that suits hoagie rolls or a bowl of pasta. The leftovers are even better, so make a full pot even for a small family.

Ingredient notes

Italian sausage: Choose raw links, sweet, mild or hot to taste. Pork and chicken sausage both work. Brown them first for color, or put them in raw if you are short on time.

Bell peppers: A mix of red, yellow and green gives color and sweetness. Slice them into wide strips so they hold some shape.

Yellow onion: Cut it into half moons. It softens and sweetens as it cooks and balances the acidity of the tomatoes.

Marinara sauce: Pick a jar with simple ingredients and no added sugar. It forms the sauce, so quality shows.

Hoagie rolls: Look for soft but sturdy rolls. Toast them with a little butter and garlic for the best sandwich. Taste one sausage before you buy a big pack. Brands vary in how much fennel and heat they carry, and that changes the whole pot.

Tips for the best sausage and peppers

Brown the sausage first: Five minutes in a hot skillet gives the casings color and renders some fat. It is optional, but it makes the sauce taste deeper.

Layer the vegetables on the bottom: Put the onions and peppers under the sausages so they steam and do not turn rubbery on top.

Check the temperature: The most common mistake is overcooking until the sausage gets tough and dry. Pork sausage must reach 160 degrees, which takes about four to five hours on LOW. Start checking at four hours, and switch to WARM when it is done. If the sauce looks thin at the end, take off the lid for the last thirty minutes on HIGH so some of the liquid cooks off and the sauce clings to the sausages.

Pin it

Swaps and variations

Use chicken sausage for a lighter dish, or add a pound of mushrooms for earthiness. A splash of red wine in the sauce adds depth. Skip the rolls and serve over polenta, pasta or rice. For heat, use hot Italian sausage and extra red pepper flakes.

Do not use fully cooked smoked sausages if you want a juicy result. They are already cooked, and long hours in sauce make them rubbery. A handful of fresh basil stirred in at the end brightens everything.

What to serve with it

Pile the sausage, peppers and sauce into toasted hoagie rolls and top with provolone. It is also good over spaghetti, creamy polenta or mashed potatoes. A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts the richness well. Thin slices of fresh basil on top add a bright finish that cuts the richness of the sausage and sauce.

Storing, freezing and reheating

Keep leftovers with their sauce in a covered container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave until hot throughout.

The dish freezes well for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened. Slice the leftover sausage and tuck it into an omelet or toss it with pasta for an easy next-day lunch.

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers at a glance

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 hours
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients: 14, led by Italian sausage links, bell peppers (red, yellow onion, garlic

Tips for Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers FAQ

How long does Crockpot Sausage and Peppers take?

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers takes 5 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.

How many people does Crockpot Sausage and Peppers serve?

This recipe makes 6 servings.

What do I need to make Crockpot Sausage and Peppers?

14 ingredients, led by Italian sausage links, bell peppers (red, yellow onion, garlic. Amounts are in the recipe card above.

Iren Pavlenko

Hi, I'm Iren Pavlenko. I read the top-ranked slow cooker recipes for a dish side by side and write down what they disagree on and what they all leave out — the cut, the pot size, and both the LOW and HIGH times. I write these guides so your weeknight dinner doesn't turn into a dry roast because a recipe never said which of those four things mattered.