Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers

Crockpot sausage and peppers is a timeless comfort dish made simple in the slow cooker. Tender Italian sausage simmers with sweet bell peppers, onions, garlic, and marinara sauce until everything is richly flavored and succulent. This easy recipe fills your kitchen with an inviting aroma and delivers satisfying, crowd-pleasing results every time.

A close-up view of a cooked sausage and peppers dish in a slow cooker, showing sliced sausage rounds, red, yellow, and green bell pepper strips, and onions coated in thick marinara sauce.

This dish works wonderfully served a variety of ways: spooned over creamy mashed potatoes, tossed with pasta, ladled onto rice, or piled into crusty rolls with melted provolone for classic sausage-and-pepper sandwiches. It makes a generous batch, so it’s also ideal for potlucks, game day, meal prep, or a cozy weekend dinner. Leftovers reheat beautifully and often taste even better the next day as the flavors meld.

Top-down view of sausage and peppers in sauce inside a slow cooker.

One of the strengths of this recipe is its flexibility. You can adjust the heat by choosing spicy or sweet Italian sausage, swap marinara for a different tomato sauce, or add extra vegetables to suit your preferences. The slow cooker handles the long, gentle cooking, so after a short sear and a few minutes of prep, you can let it simmer unattended until dinner.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Minimal prep and simple ingredients.
The slow cooker does the heavy lifting after a quick sear.
Customizable — make it mild or spicy and add vegetables as desired.
Versatile serving options: sandwiches, pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Feeds a crowd and reheats well for leftovers.

Ingredient Notes

Below are notes and substitution ideas to help you tailor this recipe. The full ingredient list and directions are included in the recipe card further down.

Ingredients for sausage and peppers laid out on a marble surface with labels: a pack of raw Italian sausages, yellow, green, red, and orange bell peppers, two yellow onions, garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, a jar of marinara sauce, a small dish of olive oil, and wooden spoons holding salt and pepper.

Italian sausage – Use spicy, sweet, or a combination. The sausage flavor is central, so choose a variety you enjoy.
Olive oil – For browning the sausages and building flavor.
Bell peppers and onions – A mix of colors looks beautiful and adds flavor contrast. Remove seeds and slice evenly for even cooking.
Marinara sauce – Any quality jarred or homemade marinara works; use a spicier sauce if you prefer heat.
Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is best for aroma and flavor; jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper – Simple seasonings that enhance the tomato and sausage flavors.

How to Make Sausage, Peppers, and Onion in a Crockpot

Follow these straightforward steps. The slow cooker produces tender vegetables and juicy sausage when cooked low and slow.

1. Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the links and sear them briefly on both sides, about 2 minutes per side, just to develop color and extra flavor — you do not need to cook them through.

2. Add sauce to the slow cooker: Pour marinara into the bottom of the crockpot. Stir in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to create a flavorful base.

Side-by-side images of browned sausages in a pan and marinara sauce in a slow cooker.

3. Add sausage, peppers, and onions: Place the browned sausages into the sauce, then layer sliced bell peppers and onions on top. Gently stir to combine so the vegetables are coated with sauce.

Left image shows a slow cooker with browned sausages, sliced onions, and multicolored bell peppers layered over marinara sauce. Right image shows the same contents after being stirred, with vegetables and sausages coated in sauce.

4. Cook: Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours for the best texture, or on high for 3–4 hours if you’re short on time. The sausages should reach a safe internal temperature and the vegetables should be tender but not mushy.

Pro tip

When time allows, use the low setting for 5–6 hours. Slow, gentle heat helps the sausages stay juicy and keeps the peppers and onions tender with a pleasant texture.

Two side-by-side images showing sausage and peppers in a slow cooker before and after slicing.

Optional: Remove the sausages and slice them into 1-inch pieces, then return them to the crockpot for an additional 10–15 minutes so the flavors combine. Alternatively, serve the sausages whole.

Serving Suggestions

This crockpot sausage and peppers recipe pairs well with many sides and serving styles. Try any of the following:

Over creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce
Mixed with pasta or served atop rice
Piled into toasted hoagie rolls with provolone or mozzarella for hearty sandwiches
Served alongside a simple green salad or roasted vegetables for a balanced meal

Three hoagie rolls filled with sausage, peppers, and onions.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How to reheat: Reheat in the microwave, gently warm in a skillet on the stove, or place the chilled leftovers back in the slow cooker on low until warmed through.

Recipe tips

Don’t skip the browning: Searing the sausages first adds depth of flavor and a pleasing color.
Slice vegetables uniformly: Even slices ensure peppers and onions cook at the same rate.
Low and slow: Cooking on low preserves the texture of the vegetables and keeps the meat juicy.
Scale it up: Double the recipe in a larger slow cooker to feed a crowd or for meal prep.

A wooden spoon holds sliced sausage, red and yellow bell pepper strips, and onion over a crockpot of sausage and peppers in marinara sauce.

Additions and variations

Swap the sausage: Use chicken or turkey sausage, or try bratwurst for a different flavor profile.
Add extra vegetables: Potatoes, mushrooms, or carrots bulk up the meal and add texture.
Make it spicy: Choose hot Italian sausage, add red pepper flakes, or use a spicy marinara.

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers Recipe

Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

Slow-cooked Italian sausage with peppers and onions simmered in marinara for a flavorful, crowd-pleasing dinner. Serve over pasta, rice, or in toasted rolls.

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 3–6 hrs (depending on setting)

Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs uncooked Italian sausage (sweet, spicy, or mixed)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 bell peppers, assorted colors, seeded and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausages on both sides for about 2 minutes per side to add color. They do not need to cook through.
Pour marinara into the bottom of the slow cooker. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Add the browned sausages to the sauce, then layer sliced bell peppers and onions on top. Stir once to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours (recommended) or on high for 3–4 hours, until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
If desired, remove the sausages, slice into 1-inch pieces, return to the slow cooker, and cook 10–15 more minutes to let flavors meld.
Serve warm on its own, in rolls, or over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the microwave, in a skillet, or in the slow cooker on low.

Nutrition

Overhead image showing sliced sausage, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, and onions simmered in red marinara sauce inside a crockpot.

Did you make this recipe?

If you tried this dish and enjoyed it, consider saving the recipe for future meals or sharing your own serving ideas with friends and family. This recipe is built for easy customization and is ideal for busy weeknights or entertaining.