Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is a simple, flavor-packed meal made with Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, onions, and rich tomato sauce.

One of my family's all-time favorite meals is Italian sausage with peppers. Whether served over a bed of pasta with a side of garlic toast or on a bun served with a side of Crispy Baked Oven Fries or Air Fryer Zucchini Fries, this simple meal delivers flavor.

Ingredients Needed

• Italian Sausage: To impart the most flavor into the sausage and to create the most flavorful sauce, be sure to use uncooked Italian sausage links. Turkey, pork, or chicken Italian-flavored sausage all work well in this recipe. Select mild, spicy, or sweet Italian Sausage links depending on your family's preferences.
• Bell Peppers: You can use any color of bell pepper, or a variety of bell peppers if you like.
• Onion: Yellow or sweet onions work best in this recipe.
• Garlic: What's an Italian dish without extra garlic added? Use either minced jarred or freshly minced garlic.
• Broth: For the thin liquid needed, use either vegetable broth or chicken stock.
• Spaghetti Sauce: A shortcut to adding so much flavor to Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is to use a prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce. Use your favorite jarred sauce, Instant Pot spaghetti sauce, or homemade spaghetti sauce.

How to make Sausage and Peppers in the Instant Pot

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step One: Sear Italian Sausage. Using the saute function, sear the sausage links until browned on each side. Be sure to pierce each sausage with a fork 3-4 times on each side before searing, this will ensure the sausage cooks evenly and does not burst open while pressure cooking.

Step Two: Saute Peppers and Onions. Remove the sausages from the inner pot and place them onto a plate. With the Instant Pot still on the saute setting, add in a bit more oil and the sliced onions and peppers. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Step Three: Deglaze Inner Pot. Any time you use the saute function, it is crucial to add in a thin liquid and scrape up and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will help to prevent a burn notice from happening.

Step Four: Layer Ingredients. Nestle the sausage back into the inner pot add in the minced garlic and top the sausage with the tomato sauce.

Step Five: Pressure Cook. Place the lid on the pressure cooker, being sure the vent knob is sealed, and set to cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Once cook time has been reached, allow pressure to release naturally on its own for at least 10 minutes. It does not matter if your unit is on keep warm or not.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve the sausage on hoagie buns with peppers and onions. Add a side of baked sweet potato fries or Air Fryer french fries to complete the meal.
• Serve the sausage, along with the peppers, onions, and sauce over pasta or rice with a tossed Greek Salad on the side.
• Serve as a stand-alone dish with Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Garlic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus on the side, for a lower-carb meal.

Storing Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Leftover cooled Instant Pot Sauage and Peppers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Freeze: Allow the sausage and peppers to fully cool. Freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
• Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator if needed. Reheat in a microwave-safe dish covered with a paper towel to prevent splatter in 1-minute intervals until warmed through.

Recipe FAQs

More Italian-Inspired Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
• Instant Pot Lasagna
• Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli
• Instant Pot Creamy Italian Pasta
• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

If you enjoyed this easy recipe for Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is a simple, flavor-packed meal made with Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, onions, and rich tomato sauce.

5 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes minutes

Pressure Build-Up and Release: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 36 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 teaspoons oil divided
• ▢ 4-6 links Italian sausage uncooked
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 bell peppers thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1 cup chicken stock
• ▢ 1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute and let heat until it reads HOT, or for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in 1 teaspoon of the oil. Pierce each sausage several times with a fork and then place the sausage into the oil and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Once browned, remove the sausage from the inner pot and place them onto a clean plate.
• With the pressure cooker still on the saute setting, add in an additional teaspoon of oil, along with the sliced peppers and onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have begun to soften. Turn the Instant Pot off.
• Add in the stock, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
• Add the sausage back to the inner pot. Add in the garlic and then spoon the tomato sauce over the sausage.
• Set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally on its own for at least 10 minutes.
• Serve on buns, over pasta or rice, or as a stand-alone meal.

Equipment Needed

• Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

Notes for using an 8-quart model: 1 cup of stock is still enough liquid for this recipe, as the onions and peppers will give off more liquid as they cook.

Feel free to omit the peppers, onions, garlic, and/or tomato sauce if desired. For the sausage, use any brand or variety you like of uncooked Italian sausage. Hot, sweet, mild, or turkey, pork, or chicken.

Feel free to skip sauteeing the sausages, onions, and peppers and instead just layer the ingredients in the inner pot and cook for 7 minutes on high pressure.

In place of the fresh onions and peppers, you can use a 10-ounce bag of frozen peppers and onions. After sauteing the sausage, remove them to a plate, turn the instant pot off, deglaze the pan with stock then add in the frozen peppers and onions, along with the garlic, and tomato sauce and cook for 6 minutes on high pressure.

You can double this recipe, or even just opt to throw in a couple of extra sausages with no change to the cooking time. Just keep in mind you may need to brown your sausages in batches.

Storage: Leftover Instant Pot Sauage and Peppers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave-safe dish covered with a paper towel to prevent splatter in 1-minute intervals until warmed through. You can also opt to freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat as desired. Use within 3 days of defrosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 819mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3060IU | Vitamin C: 123mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 3mg

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

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