When the browned sausage settles into the slow cooker, the peppers and onion soften around it while crushed tomatoes turn everything into a rich, savory sauce. I like this method because the skillet does the quick work up front, then the slow cooker takes over without asking for much attention. Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers makes six servings, and the links stay whole as they cook so you can serve them intact or slice them at the table.
The sauce doesn’t need a complicated base or a long list of additions. Italian sausage brings its own seasoning, and the peppers, onion, garlic, and tomatoes build around it as they cook. I keep the vegetables in generous slices so they soften without vanishing into the sauce. By the time the sausage is cooked through, the tomatoes have picked up all those savory juices and the peppers are tender enough to eat with every bite.
Kitchen Note
The browning time is 6 to 8 minutes total, not that long on each side. Turn the links as they color so you get browned patches all around without leaving them in the skillet until they cook through.
Save Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers for an easy dinner with tender peppers and a tomato sauce that cooks right alongside the sausage.
Why Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers Doesn’t Need Broth
It’s easy to assume a slow cooker needs extra liquid to keep dinner from drying out, but this one starts with crushed tomatoes rather than broth. The tomatoes make a sturdy base, and the peppers and onion soften as they cook, adding their own moisture to the pot. Pouring in broth would dilute that tomato-and-sausage flavor and leave you with a thinner sauce.
Keeping the sauce simple also lets the Italian sausage do the seasoning work. Its savory juices mingle with the tomatoes and dried Italian seasoning, while garlic adds a warm background note. The result should be spoonable, not watery, with enough sauce to cling to the vegetables and coat a sausage link.
For that balance, stir the vegetables and seasonings around the sausages rather than burying the links under a separate layer of liquid. Everything cooks together in the covered slow cooker, and there’s no need to add water as it goes. If you’re used to adding broth to slow-cooker meals, this tomato base is a useful exception.
Why Crushed Tomatoes and Italian Sausage Shape the Dish
- Italian sausage links — These are the main source of savory flavor, so choose links you enjoy eating on their own. They need to be thawed before browning; raw links brown more evenly when the surface isn’t icy. For a spicier pot, choose hot Italian sausage in place of mild, keeping the same link format.
- Crushed tomatoes — Their fine texture gives the sauce body without blending or mashing anything after cooking. A good-quality can matters here because tomatoes make up the entire sauce base; there’s no broth or extra sauce to cover a flat-tasting tomato. If you use diced tomatoes instead, keep the same can size and expect a chunkier, less cohesive sauce.
- Bell peppers — Their sweetness softens into the tomato sauce, and the slices give the finished dish its recognizable pepper-and-sausage texture. Red, orange, yellow, or green peppers all work; choose whichever color you like, or mix them. Core them before slicing so the seeds and white ribs don’t end up in the cooker.
- Yellow onion and garlic — The onion becomes sweet and tender over the long cook, while minced garlic spreads through the tomato base. A firm onion and fresh garlic give the clearest flavor, but there’s no need to seek out specialty varieties. Slice the onion and mince the garlic before assembling so they distribute easily among the peppers.
- Dried Italian seasoning — This gives the sauce a familiar herb flavor without adding a separate cooking step. Dried herbs are a good fit for a long, covered cook because their flavor has time to mingle with the tomatoes. If your jar has been open for years, a fresher one will taste brighter.
How to Brown the Links Before the Slow Cooker Takes Over
Brown the Sausage Without Cooking It Through
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, then add the thawed sausage links. Work in batches if the skillet feels crowded; the links need contact with the pan to brown rather than steam against one another. Turn them so all sides pick up color, then transfer them to a 6-quart slow cooker. They don’t need to be fully cooked at this stage, since they’ll finish in the slow cooker.
Build the Tomato and Pepper Base Around the Links
Add the sliced bell peppers, sliced yellow onion, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, dried Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper to the cooker. Stir the vegetables and seasonings around the sausages so the garlic and seasoning aren’t left in one concentrated spot. Keep the links whole as you assemble the pot. The vegetables should sit among and around them, with tomato coating the mixture.
Let the Covered Cooker Finish the Sausage
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Start checking toward the shorter end of the range, especially if your slow cooker tends to run hot. The peppers should be tender, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a sausage should read 160°F. If the peppers are tender but a link hasn’t reached that temperature, keep cooking and check again rather than serving it early.
Three Small Changes That Give the Pot a Different Character
Use Hot Italian Sausage for More Heat
Swap in hot Italian sausage links for a spicier tomato sauce, keeping the same amount and cooking method. The peppers and tomatoes mellow the heat, but the finished dish will have a livelier bite than it does with mild links.
Choose Diced Tomatoes for a Chunkier Sauce
Replace the crushed tomatoes with one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes. The sauce will have distinct tomato pieces and a looser texture, rather than the more even, clingy body you get from crushed tomatoes.
Make It With One Pepper Color
Use three peppers of the same color instead of mixing colors. Red peppers give the pot a sweeter taste, while green peppers bring a slightly sharper, less sweet note; the slow-cooker method stays the same.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. The peppers will soften further as they sit in the sauce.
- Freezer: This freezes well. Pack the sausage and sauce together in airtight freezer containers, leaving a little room at the top, and use within 3 months for best quality.
- Reheating: Warm gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring the sauce now and then, or microwave in a covered dish until the center reaches 165°F. Avoid high heat for a long stretch; it can make the sausage tough before the sauce is evenly hot.
Questions That Come Up With Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Working in batches if needed, brown the sausages on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Transfer the sausages to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker, then stir the vegetables and seasonings around the sausages.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the peppers are tender and the sausages reach 160°F when checked with an instant-read thermometer.
