Baked Italian Sausage comes together with simple ingredients and minimal prep to deliver perfectly cooked Italian sausages that are slightly crispy and perfectly juicy! Serve with or without peppers and onions for a the ultimate quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Love sheet pan meals? Don’t miss Sheet Pan Salmon, Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs, and Baked Bratwurst.
The Easiest Way to Prepare Italian Sausage
Italian sausage links are easy to find, relatively affordable, and can be prepared in a million different ways. From braising in crockpot spaghetti sauce to pressure cooking them with peppers and onions, to grilling, to simply sautéing, Italian sausage is a guaranteed way to add flavor to dinner.
But the EASIEST way to prepare Italian sausage links is to bake them! Add in peppers and onions and this sheet pan dinner and dinner is done (and insanely delicious!)
Whether served over pasta, in a bun as an Italian sausage grinder, or as a low-carb dinner, Baked Italian Sausage is a no-mess, effortless dish you will find yourself making again and again.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Italian Sausage: Select sweet, mild or hot uncooked Italian sausage links. Beef, pork, chicken, or turkey sausage work equally well.
- Bell Peppers: Use any bell peppers you like or have on hand. Just as I do for my veggie fajitas, I personally love using a combination of green bell peppers and sweet yellow and red peppers for the best contrast in flavor and a beautiful presentation.
- Onions: Use a yellow or white onion for a slightly sharp flavor; use a Vidalia or sweet onion for mellow, slightly sweet flavor.
- Oil: Use olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil as they all are mild and hold up well to the heat of the oven.
- Seasonings: Adding salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pepper and onion mixture will help to compliment the flavor profile of the Italian sausage links. Feel free to adjust as needed.
How to Bake Italian Sausage
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season Peppers and Onions. Add thinly sliced peppers and onions to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and seasonings. Alternatively, mix the veggies with the seasonings right on the sheet pan to cut down on dishes.
- Arrange Sausage and Veggies on Sheet Pan. Place the Italian sausages on a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish that has been lightly greased with olive oil. Spread the peppers and onions out evenly around the sausages.
- Bake Sausage and Veggies. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the sausage and veggies (to ensure even cooking), and return to the oven and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Keep in mind beef and pork sausage will cook slightly quicker than chicken and turkey sausages.
Serving Suggestions
I grew up enjoying baked sausage and peppers stuffed into a hot dog bun and topped with deli mustard (my husband loves his with ranch dressing!) And it is STILL my personal favorite way to serve up this classic, especially when served with baked fries on the side. Yum!
However, this recipe is extremely versatile. Slice up the sausage and serve with the peppers and onions over mashed potatoes or cooked pasta for a cozy meal. Or add to a green salad topped with Italian dressing for a delicious and hearty salad.
Key Tips & Variations
- Don’t pierce the sausage links. When baking sausage, it is best to not pierce the sausage links, which ensures the fat stays inside the sausage links, keeping them juicy and flavorful.
- Use a thermometer: Italian sausage need to reach an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C for pork and beef sausage, and 165°F/74°C for chicken or turkey sausage. It is best to use a digital thermometer to ensure a safe temperature is reached.
- Omit the peppers and onions. Omit the seasonings, peppers, and onions and bake as directed.
- Add other veggies to the Mix. Feel free to add in vegetables with a similar cooking time as the peppers and onions such as yellow squash rounds or zucchini rounds.
- Use pre-cooked Italian sausage. Pre-cooked Italian sausage does not need to be cooked as long as raw sausage links. Decrease the baking time to 18-20 minutes, flipping the sausages after 10 minutes in the oven. The peppers and onions will be softened and delicious, just not as caramelized.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Let cool slightly, then transfer the Italian sausage (and peppers and onions) to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat at 350°F/177°C for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Favorite Sausage Recipes
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Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400˚F/205℃. Lightly brush a rimmed sheet pan or large baking dish with olive oil and set to the side.
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Cut 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 medium red bell pepper, and 1 medium yellow bell pepper in half, remove the core and seeds and then slice them each into long 1/2-inch slices. Peel and thinly slice 1 large sweet onion. Add the veggies to a large mixing bowl and add ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes toss to coat the veggies with the seasonings.
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Arrange 4-6 links uncooked Italian sausage in a single layer on the prepared baking dish, leaving at least 1-inch between each link. Spread the seasoned peppers and onions out around the sausages.
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Bake for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, flip the sausages and veggies. Return to the oven and continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until the sausage has reached an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C (for pork sausages) or 165°F/74°C (for turkey or chicken sausages).
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Serve as is, on buns, or over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Bell Peppers: Use any combination of bell peppers you like or have on hand.
Onion: Use a yellow or white onion for a slightly sharp flavor; use a Vidalia or sweet onion for mellow, slightly sweet flavor.
Storage: Store leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat at 350°F/177°C for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition is based on pork Italian sausage and varies per brand and variety of sausage used.
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 15gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 806mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 920IUVitamin C: 98mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
