An easy weeknight Oven Baked Italian Sausage recipe, with less cleanup! This tasty baked sausage with peppers and onions is great as-is, or served on rolls or with pasta!
JUMP TO RECIPEThis quick and easy hands-off method for cooking Italian sausage is a great way to get juicy, well-browned Italian sausage on the table fast, without sacrificing flavor.
Roast for 25 minutes in a 400 degree oven to get perfectly browned sausages, and crisp-tender veggies with charred edges.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Notes & Tools
- Hot vs Sweet Italian Sausage
- Step by Step Visual Guide
- Variations
- Storing and Reheating
- Serving Suggestions
- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- More great sausage recipes
Ingredient Notes & Tools
Italian Sausage. This recipe calls for one pound of Italian sausage in casings. This is typically 5-6 sausage links. You can use hot or sweet Italian pork sausage, whatever your preference. For best results, choose individual sausage links, rather than rope style sausage.
Bell Peppers and red onion. You'll remove the core and seeds from the bell peppers, and slice into thin strips, about ½" thick. Don't discard the tops- they bake up great, too! For the onions, cut them in half, then in half again, to create wedges. Leaving the onions more intact keeps them from overcooking and torching as they bake. If using a large onion, use only 1, and cut into 6-8 wedges so they cook evenly.
Italian seasoning. In addition to a little salt, pepper, and olive oil, this recipe calls for a bit of Italian seasoning to give the roasted peppers and onions a little flavor boost.
Sheet pan and parchment paper or foil. You can use 1 large sheet pan (baking sheet), or 2 half sheet pans for this recipe. I love to use parchment paper pop up sheets or a sheet of aluminum foil to line the sheet pans for easy cleanup.
Hot vs Sweet Italian Sausage
Depending on your personal tastes, you may opt for either sweet or hot Italian sausage for this recipe. Hot Italian sausage includes red pepper flakes for heat, while sweet Italian sausage has a milder, fennel and basil flavor. Both are delicious, and work great for this recipe.
Step by Step Visual Guide
Below is a step-by-step visual guide to making the perfect oven baked Italian sausage, every time!
Variations
| Sausage variations | Do a mix of sweet and hot Italian sausage, or use chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or bratwurst. |
| Swap the veggies | Swap the peppers and onions for other vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms, or asparagus, or use white or yellow onion in place of the red onion. |
Oven Baked Italian Sausage Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large sheet pan, or 2 half sheet pans
- parchment paper or aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage links, (about 4-6 links)
- 2 small red onions, (or 1 large)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees f. 2. Remove core, seeds, stems, and ribs from the bell peppers, and slice into ½” thick strips. Be sure to use the tops, too! 3. Remove the skin from the onions, and cut each into 4 equal wedges. If using a larger onion, cut into 6-8 wedges to help them cook faster and more evenly. 4. Add onions and peppers to a mixing bowl, and toss gently with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, being gentle to avoid breaking up the onion wedges. 5. Line a sheet pan (or 2 half sheet pans) with parchment paper or foil. 6. Arrange sausage links, peppers, and onion wedges in a single layer. 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes on lower middle rack of oven, flipping sausages over halfway through, until internal temperature of the sausage reaches 160 degrees f.
Notes
Nutrition
Storing and Reheating
Storing. To store, place cooled sausage and veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, place in a freezer safe bag or container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating. To reheat, bake at 350 degrees until sausages are warmed through and veggies are re-crisped, or microwave until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator prior to reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Baked Italian Sausage makes a great sausage and pepper sandwich on a hoagie roll with the roasted onions and peppers and a bit of marinara sauce, served alongside a simple side salad or some fries!
The baked sausage and peppers leftovers are also great when sliced and added to pasta, like Lasagna or Spaghetti Arrabbiata, or chopped and added to soups!
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How do you know the sausages are cooked through?
To be sure your sausages are fully cooked, insert a instant read thermometer in the center. When the sausages reach 160 degrees f, they are fully cooked.
Can this method be used for other types of sausage?
Yes! You can use this sheet pan method for other types of sausages, such as bratwurst or Italian chicken sausages. For chicken sausage, check them closer to the 20 minute mark to avoid overcooking.
Can you bake Italian Sausage from frozen?
Yes, you can! If the frozen sausage is stuck together, place in a bowl of water for 5-10 minutes to separate them, then pat dry and bake. Baking the sausages from frozen will take a bit more time, about 10-15 additional minutes. Be sure to chekc their temperature is at 160 degrees f before serving.
More great sausage recipes
If you love this Oven Baked Italian Sausage recipe, you'll love my easy sweet and savory Baked Bourbon Sausage and Peppers or Oven Baked Brats with tangy roasted onions.
© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
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