Slow-Cooker Sausages, Peppers and Onions
Updated August 24, 2026
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.
- Total Time
- About 6 hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 4 to 6 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 bell peppers (any colors), sliced ¼-inch thick
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 Parmesan rind (optional)
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ to 2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage
One (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Torn basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
16 grams carbs; 94 milligrams cholesterol; 474 calories; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 36 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 928 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a 5- to 8-quart slow-cooker, add the peppers, onion, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper and Parmesan rind (if using). Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the slow-cooker.
- Step 3
With the heat off under the skillet, pour in the crushed tomatoes and scrape up any browned bits from the skillet. Scrape the tomatoes into the slow-cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, 4 to 6 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the basil, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
To adjust recipe to use an Instant Pot, assuming Instant Pot duo (other models will be similar) 1. Press the “Slow Cook” key 2. Set cook time to 4 hrs by pressing the "+" or "-" key 3. Select desired cooking mode with the “Adjust” key, pressing to set to “Normal”, which is similar to temp of conventional slow cooker set to low. After 4 hours, check if the sausage is cooked through (recipe time is 4 to 6 hours). If not cooked through, repeat steps 1-3, choosing amount of time to finish in step 2
Agree recipe can be made on stove top or even on low temp in oven, but : Stove top requires monitoring, oven heats up the kitchen (a problem in the summer). Crock pot requires little supervision and the kitchen stays cool. But..... whatever works.
Sausage and peppers is one of our favorite meals. I usually make it on the stove top because that’s the way I do it. But I love the idea of making it in a crockpot. Essential to brown the sausage first. Then it takes care of itself and fills the house with that spicy, tangy aroma. Will serve over linguine the first night then make subs with some mozz on them for another night.
This is a nice, easy dump-and-slow-cook meal to put on during workdays. I added a full 28 oz. can of kitchen-ready tomatoes because I wanted it to be more saucy. My GreenPan slow cooker seems to need more time to really make the peppers and onions soft, so I amped it up to high for about an hour at the end of 6 hrs on low. We ate it over penne and had a ton leftover.
I ended up with a ton of liquid left in the pot by the end of it all, anyone have suggestions for what I should do with it? I'd imagine a good bit of it is fats from the oil and sausages.
Doubled the garlic powder and Greek seasoning (vs oregano only). Used the high setting on the crockpot for 2.5 hours. Used 1 lb spicy and 1 lb mild sausages. 3 peppers - green, yellow, orange. Roasted mini quartered potatoes for 30-35ish min at 400°F in the last hour. 4 servings. Great dinner.