Easy Baked Italian Sausage Recipe with Onions and Peppers

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Italian sausage links are the perfect ingredient for an easy sheet pan dinner. This baked Italian sausage recipe is also a great way to stay on track with a low carb diet.

This easy comfort food is a dish your whole family will love since it has a ton of flavor. Sheet pan sausage and peppers is also a meal you’ll love to make since the prep work is minimal, and clean up is a breeze.

Keep reading to learn how Italian sausage recipes oven baked are the easiest dinner recipe you’ll want to make week after week.

Italian Sausage and Peppers Ingredients

When putting together baked sausage recipes, you can use the same ingredients you’d use with a sweet Italian sausage recipe made on the stovetop – like this delicious one pan sausage and peppers recipe. The only difference is the oil you choose, since various cooking oils have different smoke points.

For sausage cooked on the stovetop, coconut oil is a great choice since this oil works well for high heat. When it comes to Italian sausage recipes oven baked, you can get away with olive oil, which has a lower smoke point. This option works since it’s a good idea to bake sausage on low heat. That way, the end result is evenly baked links.

The main ingredients for this Italian sausage bake include Italian sausage links, olive oil, bell peppers, and a sweet onion.

Seasoning for the sausages is made up of dried basil flakes, oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. You can also add your desired amount of black pepper into the sausage seasoning mix.

Choose Your Sausage

There’s no right answer when it comes to the type of sausage you choose. Since this is an Italian sausage recipe, then that’s the general genre you’ll want to work with. However, you can go many different ways to make this easy dinner all your own.

If you’re looking for the best chicken sausage recipe, then chicken sausages are the way to go. When you make this choice, you end up with a meal that contains less fat that’s also higher in protein.

Turkey sausage is another way to keep fat low, while keeping protein high.

If you’re following a keto meal plan, then pork sausages are a great choice. The best foods on a keto plan help you keep protein moderate, while adding more fat to your meal.

As far as choosing mild sausage versus spicy Italian sausage, once again – that’s completely up to you and your taste buds.

Since I chose mild Italian sausage for this recipe, I added in a little crushed red pepper to give the meal a little kick. If you choose hot Italian sausage, then you may want to leave the crushed pepper out of the seasoning for sausages.

How to Make Baked Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Before you get started, pull the sausage links out of the fridge to allow them to warm up since meat cooks more evenly when you cook it at room temp. Sheet pan sausages are an easy meal to apply this rule to since they only have to sit out for 20-30 minutes. The best part is the sausages can warm up at the same time your oven warms up.

With that said – preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then start the meal prep for this recipe.

Start by rinsing the peppers and peeling the onion. Then chop the peppers and onion into 1 inch thick strips and set aside.

I typically use a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper, and a sweet onion. You can use whatever veggie combo you have on hand, such as using a few red peppers in place of green, or using red onions in place of a sweet onion.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

While some baked Italian sausage recipes direct you to line the baking sheet with aluminum foil, I tend to steer clear of using aluminum foil in the oven since it turns toxic when heated.

Seasoning for Sausages

Next, mix up the sausage seasoning.

While it takes less time to use a pre-made Italian seasoning, the seasoning mix from this delicious recipe is worth the extra step. With just a little bit of effort, you’ll have a flavorful all-in-one dish meal that’s perfect for easy weeknight dinners.

To prepare the seasoning, add the dried basil flakes, dried oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes into a small bowl. If you want to add black pepper, add it now. Garlic powder is another great addition if you want to test out a slightly different flavor combo.

Stir whichever spices you choose together until well combined, and set aside.

Prepare to Bake

After all of the meal prep work is complete, add the sliced veggies into a large mixing bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the seasoning on top. Toss the mixture together to coat the vegetables with the spices and oil.

Once coated, add the vegetables onto the parchment lined tray in a single layer. Then add the sausages on top of the onions and peppers. Be sure to space the sausages out to allow the air to circulate.

Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on top of the sausages. Finally, sprinkle the sausages with the rest of the seasoning.

Place sausages into the oven for 25 – 35 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for chicken sausages, or 160 degrees F for pork sausages.

It’s important to use a meat thermometer for two reasons:

Cooking sausages fully is important to avoid undercooked sausages, which can result in foodborne illness.
While you want the sausages fully cooked in the center with no pink spots remaining, cutting into the sausages to check the color releases the juices. Don’t pierce the skin in order to keep the sausages flavorful.

Baked Italian Sausage FAQ:

Do you need to pierce the skin?

No. In fact, you should not pierce the skin, as this will cause the juices to escape. The entire point of encased meat is to help keep the juices in.

How long should I bake sausages in the oven?

Cook sausages until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 165 degrees F. for poultry sausages, or 160 degrees F. for pork sausages. Use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature. Do not cut into the meat, since this will allow the juices to escape.

What is the recommended temperature and cook time for sausages?

It’s recommended you bake sausage at a low temperature so it cooks evenly, and so that the casings don’t explode. The general recommendation is to cook sausage at 350 degrees F. However, if you have another recipe in the oven, you can use the following guide to adjust your baking time accordingly:

350 degrees: 25 – 35 minutes
375 degrees: 25 – 30 minutes
400 degrees: 20 – 25 minutes
425 degrees: 15 – 20 minutes

Can I bake sausages that are frozen?

You can cook sausages frozen in a pinch. Just rinse and separate frozen sausages. Bump the cooking time up another 10-15 minutes. Keep in mind, it’s best to cook sausage at room temp for best results.

Is baked sausage healthy?

As long as you choose high quality meat, baked sausage is a delicious dinner that’s also healthy. While a crusty bread tastes amazing with baked sausages, skip the bread for a low carb meal that will satisfy your tastebuds, as well as your appetite.

Is sausage keto?

Yes, baked Italian sausage recipes are keto as long as you do not add bread or sugary sauces.

What are the best side dishes for cooked sausage?

With the inclusion of bell peppers and onions, the great thing about this recipe is it’s filling enough to be an all-in-one low carb meal. However, there are some easy low carb sides you can make with this meal, like garlic butter cauliflower rice or creamy garlic green beans.

If you’re looking to add a fat burning carb up day to your plan, slice up sweet potatoes and add to the sliced onions and peppers prior to baking.

The Oven Baked Italian Sausage Recipe Wrap Up

This baked Italian sausage dish makes a quick and easy meal any day of the week. Whether you follow a low carb lifestyle, or you’re on the lookout for tasty new dinner recipes, this all-in-one baked sausage sheet pan meal does not disappoint.

Be sure to save the original recipe to Pinterest for next time. Please share the healthy fat love with your friends on social media too.

Keep scrolling for the recipe card and nutritional information.

Eat Delicious Meals + Burn Fat Too!

If you’re not familiar with a low carb lifestyle, or you’re looking for tips to get even better results, check out my low carb plan. This is the same plan I used to lose my first 70 pounds with a low carb lifestyle.

While I had success on keto for a long time, you don’t have to give up all of your favorite carbs in order to lose weight. My free low carb plan will show you exactly how to have your carbs and lose weight too!

Baked Italian Sausage Recipe

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Baked Italian Sausage and Peppers

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

One of the best Italian sausage recipes that’s oven baked. This recipe has simple meal prep and is easy to clean up. Have a complete low carb meal on your table in under 45 minutes.

Author: Nissa
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Keto Dinner Recipe
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Keto / Low Carb
Diet: Diabetic

Ingredients

Scale

2 lbs Italian Sausage (Chicken or Pork)
Red bell pepper
Green bell pepper
Sweet onion
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp dried basil flakes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Start by placing sausage links on counter for 20-30 minutes prior to baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
While oven heats up, slice the peppers and onions into thin strips and set aside.
Mix the spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once everything is heated up, add the sliced vegetables into a large mixing bowl. Pour half of the olive oil and half of the seasoning on top. Stir well to combine.
Then add the vegetables onto the lined baking sheet. Place sausages on top. Be sure to leave space in between the sausages for the air to circulate.
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees for chicken or 160 degrees for pork. This should take approximately 25-35 minutes.
Serve baked Italian sausage and peppers immediately by itself, or on top of a bed of cauliflower rice.

Notes

Do not pierce the sausage casings since this allows the juices to escape.
Space the sausages apart to allow air to circulate while baking.
For a crispy skin, heat in the broiler for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Use a thermometer to check readiness of sausage. Cutting into the sausage allows the juices to escape.