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Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is an easy weeknight dinner requiring just 6 ingredients and less than 40 minutes from start to finish!
You guys, this is one of our favorites to make on busy weeknights! It’s a one-pot meal that’s filling and flavorful.
The savory and juicy sausage goes perfectly with the sweet bell peppers. We normally pile it on bread to make sandwiches, but it’s also delicious on its own, mixed with pasta or served with rice (like this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice).
You know how much I love cooking in the Instant Pot! It’s not only a time saver but most recipes require very little active time too (like this Instant Pot Bean Soup).
Once you brown the sausage, peppers and onion, you add some chicken stock and tomato sauce, seal the valve and pressure cook. That’s it. Dinner is ready!
You might also like these air fryer sausage links if you're looking a another quick and easy sausage based meal or these sous vide sausage links for an ultra juicy amazing result.
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Why this recipe works
- You only need 6 ingredients and they’re all relatively inexpensive so this is a budget friendly meal.
- The recipe requires just one pot so cleaning up is a breeze!
- Leftovers store well in the fridge or freezer, so it’s a great option for meal prep!
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities used can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll need 1 pound of fresh sausage for this recipe (about 4-5 sausages). You can use sweet or hot Italian sausage.
The recipe calls for 2 bell peppers. I used 1 red and 1 green, but you can use 2 of the same. You can also use yellow or orange bell peppers if you prefer.
To go with the peppers, you’ll need ½ an onion, sliced. I used yellow onion, but you can use red onion for a sweeter flavor.
The cooking liquid is just ½ cup of chicken stock. I like to use this homemade Instant Pot chicken bone broth, but you can also use store-bought chicken stock or broth.
For added flavor, ½ cup of tomato sauce is added to the Instant Pot as the sausages and peppers cook.
Step by step instructions
Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot insert and add the sausage. Brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes total) and set aside.
Add the onions and peppers to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and sausage and mix together.
Pour the tomato sauce over the top (don't mix it in) and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
Serve hot alone or place on bread to make a sandwich.
Expert tips
- I use a 6 quart Instant Pot. If you have a smaller one, be careful not to overfill it.
- While the cooking time is just 6 minutes on high in the Instant Pot, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release.
- Be sure to let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes as the sausages will continue to cook during this time.
- When you add the tomato sauce, just pour it on top of the sausages. If you mix it in, it may cause a burn error message on your Instant Pot.
- Instead of tomato sauce, you can substitute it with pasta sauce or marinara sauce.
- To prevent the sausages from splitting, you may want to pierce them with a fork before cooking them in the Instant Pot.
- Cook the sausages to a safe internal temperature of 160F degrees. If your sausages contain ground turkey or chicken, they should be cooked to 165F degrees.
- The recipe doesn’t include any seasonings as the sausages are flavorful on their own. If you prefer extra flavor, add a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning or some red pepper flakes.
Common questions
Fresh Italian sausage works best. You can use hot or sweet depending on your taste preference. Avoid using pre-cooked or smoked sausage as the cooking time is based on raw sausage and not ready-to-eat sausage.
If you’re in a rush, you can skip this step, but I don’t recommend it. Browning the sausages adds flavor and texture and speeds up the cooking process.
If your sausages are frozen, I recommend defrosting them first. You can cook frozen sausages in the Instant Pot but you’ll need to cook them for longer on high pressure and this may cause the peppers and onions to get too soft.
Enjoy this recipe on its own for a low carb meal. You can also add it to soft bread rolls for a delicious sandwich or pair it with a serving of Instant Pot basmati rice or Instant Pot wild rice.
Storage, freezing and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. To prevent the peppers and onions from getting too soft, I recommend reheating the sausages separately.
If the sausage and peppers are frozen, you’ll need to let them defrost in the fridge before reheating.
More Instant Pot recipes
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Recipe
Instant Pot Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh sausage
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion sliced
- 2 bell peppers red and/or green, sliced
- ½ cup tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot insert and add the sausage. Brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes total) and set aside.
- Add the onions and peppers to the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and sausage and mix together.
- Pour the tomato sauce over the top (don't mix it in) and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- Serve hot alone or place on a bread to make a sandwich.
Expert Tips:
- I use a 6 quart Instant Pot. If you have a smaller one, be careful not to overfill it.
- While the cooking time is just 6 minutes on high in the Instant Pot, you’ll also need to factor in time for pressure to build and release.
- Be sure to let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes as the sausages will continue to cook during this time.
- When you add the tomato sauce, just pour it on top of the sausages. If you mix it in, it may cause a burn error message on your Instant Pot.
- Instead of tomato sauce, you can substitute it with pasta sauce or marinara sauce.
- To prevent the sausages from splitting, you may want to pierce them with a fork before cooking them in the Instant Pot.
- Cook the sausages to a safe internal temperature of 160F degrees. If your sausages contain ground turkey or chicken, they should be cooked to 165F degrees.
- The recipe doesn’t include any seasonings as the sausages are flavorful on their own. If you prefer extra flavor, add a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning or some red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Faith says
This was delicious! My only complaint was there was more liquid in the pot than I would have liked. I wish it was a little thicker.
Danielle says
I'm sorry it had too much liquid! You can always try simmering after you release the pressure to let some of the liquid evaporate.
Hedi says
I can't believe how easy this was! It came out delicious and was such a perfect easy meal.
Danielle says
It's a great easy weeknight meal!