Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is an easy, flavor-packed meal. Made with Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, and onions simmered in a rich tomato sauce, this recipe shows how minimal effort and simple ingredients can create amazing flavor.
A Classic Made Faster AND Better
If you love sausage and peppers, try this Instant Pot version—it’s fast, simple, and deeply flavorful. The pressure cooking concentrates flavors: the sausages soak up the aromatics from onions, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes while the sauce becomes rich and silky.
This method speeds up the classic without sacrificing taste. Searing the sausages before pressure cooking adds texture and depth, and the finished dish is perfect for weeknights or casual gatherings.
Happy cooking! xo Kristen
Recipe Highlights
- Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers Recipe
- Notes on Ingredients
- Step-by-step Walkthrough
- Speed it Up
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Modifications
- Storage Instructions
Ingredients Needed
The full ingredient list with quantities appears in the recipe card below. Here’s a quick overview and tips for choosing ingredients.
- Italian sausage: Use raw Italian sausage links—pork, chicken, or turkey. Choose mild, sweet, or spicy based on preference.
- Bell peppers: A mix of sweet peppers (red, orange, yellow) plus a green pepper gives color and balanced flavor.
- Onion: A yellow onion provides the best flavor but white or sweet onions also work.
- Broth/stock: One cup of broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef) supplies the thin liquid the Instant Pot needs to build pressure and adds savory depth.
- Spaghetti sauce: Prepared marinara or spaghetti sauce adds well-developed tomato flavor and keeps the finished sauce rich.
How to Make Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
If you’re new to pressure cooking, consult your Instant Pot manual for best practices. The full recipe card below includes exact measurements and cooking times.
- Pierce the sausage links. Pierce each link 3–4 times per side so they cook evenly and absorb sauce flavors without bursting.
- Sear the sausages. Use the sauté function with a little olive oil to brown the sausages for about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate while you cook the vegetables.
- Sauté peppers and onions. Add a touch more oil if needed, then sauté the sliced peppers and onions for 3–4 minutes until they start to soften.
- Deglaze the pot. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom thoroughly to release any browned bits—this prevents burn warnings and builds flavor.
- Layer ingredients. Nestle the seared sausages back into the pot, add minced garlic, and spoon the prepared spaghetti sauce over the sausages.
- Pressure cook. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
- Natural release. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes to keep the sausages tender.
Time-saving tip
Speed it Up
If you’re short on time, skip searing and sautéing: simply layer all ingredients in the pot and increase the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes on high. The sausages won’t be as crisp on the outside, but you can quickly broil them after cooking to add color.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers is versatile—serve it any of these ways:
- Sausage and peppers grinder: Pile the sausage, peppers, and onions into a toasted hoagie roll, spoon on sauce, and add provolone if you like.
- Over pasta or rice: Serve the mixture and sauce atop cooked pasta or rice with garlic toast to soak up the sauce.
- Low-carb option: Use no-added-sugar sauce and serve over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower with a side of roasted vegetables.
Recipe Modifications
- Use frozen peppers and onions: A 10-ounce bag of frozen peppers and onions saves prep time. After browning sausages, deglaze, add the frozen vegetables, garlic, and sauce, then cook 6 minutes on high pressure.
- Gluten-free: Check labels for sausage and stock, as ingredients vary by brand.
- Low-carb: Choose sauce and sausage with no added sugars.
- Picky eaters: Omit peppers and onions and keep the same cooking time for plain Italian sausages in sauce.
- Tomato-free: Omit the tomato sauce and keep everything else the same.
- No Instant Pot: Bake sausage and peppers in the oven using a sheet pan method.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Cool completely and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
- Reheat: Thaw in the fridge if frozen. Reheat covered in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated through.
More Instant Pot Recipes with Sausage
- Instant Pot Rigatoni with Sausage
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
Did you make this recipe?
If you tried it, please leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, + 1 teaspoon more if needed
- 4-8 links raw Italian sausage links
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 2 large sweet bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup broth or stock, chicken, vegetable, or beef
- 1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
Instructions
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Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, add 2 teaspoons olive oil, and heat for about a minute.
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Pierce each sausage several times with a fork. Add sausages to the oil and brown about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
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If the pot is dry, add an extra teaspoon of oil, then sauté the sliced peppers and onions 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften. Turn the Instant Pot off.
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Pour in 1 cup broth or stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
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Return sausages to the pot, add 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and spoon 1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce over the sausages.
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Set to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the time ends, allow a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.
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Serve on buns, over pasta or rice, or enjoy as a stand-alone meal.
Equipment
- Electric pressure cooker (6 or 8 quart)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2021 and updated in 2025.