Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

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Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers are a hearty and flavorful one-pot meal that’s perfect for a crowd. Made with mild Italian sausages, colorful peppers, and tomato sauce. 

A white serving dish filled with Instant Pot sausage and peppers with tongs for serving, placed next to a gray napkin.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This sausage and peppers recipe uses just four ingredients to produce a super flavorful and satisfying meal the entire family loves. It comes together in no time, thanks to your Instant Pot / pressure cooker. 

Instead of simmering for 4 hours, this easy pressure cooker version of sausage and peppers takes only a 25-minute High Pressure cook time. But it doesn’t skimp on flavor, thanks to Italian sausages, dried seasonings, and tomato sauce. 

We love this one-pot Instant Pot meal! It’s delicious served over pasta, rice, or polenta, but it’s just as tasty with a nice crusty bread to sop up all the broth.

Pressure cooker sausage and peppers in a white bowl over a gray napkin, and placed in front of an Instant Pot.

This recipe was originally created by Teri, a long-time Pressure Cooking Today reader. She adapted her family-favorite recipe to the pressure cooker and graciously let me share it with all of you.

We often make this recipe for dinner, so I’ve updated the post with new photos and tips to help you make the best family dinner tonight!

Ingredients for Instant Pot sausage and peppers, including sausage, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, spices, and bell peppers.

INGREDIENTS

You only need a few simple ingredients for Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers for dinner tonight:

  • Italian sausages: We like mild sausages, but if you prefer more spice, feel free to use a hotter version. 
  • Peppers: You can use any color, or a mix, of bell peppers you like. 
  • Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce: Choose no-salt-added to better control the seasoning in your dinner. 
  • Seasonings: The tomato sauce gets flavor from dried basil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 

How to Make Sausage and Peppers in an Instant Pot

This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

First, prep the bell peppers

Your bell peppers need to be cored, seeded, and thinly sliced.

(Lately, I’ve been using this awesome method for slicing bell peppers. It might leave a little bit of pepper behind, but it’s SO much quicker.)

You can use any color or size of bell pepper that you like. (My family swears that green peppers taste different from yellow, orange, or red, and each of my kids has a favorite color they prefer. So we prepare a mix of colors and freeze the extras.

Add ingredients to the pot in order

As long as you add it in the order listed, this is a simple toss-it-in-the-pot recipe.

You need to add the water, spices, and tomatoes to the pot in the order listed in the recipe.

Next, add the whole sausages, then the peppers.

⚠️ We make this with 1 cup of water. However, if you prefer a thicker sauce, you can use just 1/3 cup of water.

With this small amount of water it is essential you follow the order listed in the recipe notes. Without enough water to thin the tomatoes, you can get the Instant Pot burn notice.)

Pressure cook, then serve

Next, cook at High Pressure for 25 minutes. If you’re serving the sausages and peppers over rice or pasta, you can start preparing those now.

When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release. Your meal is hot, ready, and delicious! 

You can transfer it to a serving dish or scoop it right from the pot.

Since I’m serving kids, I usually use tongs to remove the sausages from the cooking pot. Then I’ll slice them into smaller pieces and divide them up into the different bowls. However, that’s totally optional.

Frequently Asked Questions about Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers

Can I make a thicker sauce

Yes, for a thicker tomato sauce, simply use 1/3 cup of water. Pour the tomatoes and tomato sauce on top of the peppers, and don’t stir before pressure cooking. 

What to serve with sausage and peppers

To round out your meal with some starch, serve it with pasta, toasted bread, polenta or rice. 

How to store leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat servings in the microwave.

Can I brown the sausage first?

Certainly! It’s an extra step, but if you want to brown your sausage, use the Saute function before adding the remaining ingredients to the pressure cooking pot. 

Overhead shot of a bowl of pressure cooker sausage and peppers in a white bowl, in futon of an Instant Pot and next to a white serving bowl.

More Instant Pot Sausage Recipes

Try these other hearty sausage recipes next:


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Close up picture of a bowl of Instant Pot sausage and peppers diced and ready to eat.

Teri’s Pressure Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Yield: 5 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers recipe comes together in about 45 minutes and is packed with flavor from tomato sauce and bell peppers.

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (19-ounces each) Johnsonville Italian Sausage (10 sausages)
  • 4 large bell peppers, seeded, cored and cut into 1/2 inch strips*
  • 1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water**
  • 1 tablespoon basil
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder (or 4 minced cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • Optional: prepared rice or pasta for serving

Instructions

  1. In the pressure cooking pot, combine water, basil, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Add the diced tomatoes with the tomato sauce on top, then layer on the sausages.
  2. Place the peppers on top of the sausage, and DO NOT STIR.
  3. Lock the lid in place and select High Pressure. Set the cook time for 25 minutes.
  4. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and use a quick pressure release to release the pressure. When valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
  5. If you like, transfer to a serving dish and serve hot. (If company's not over, we serve it right out of the cooking pot.)

Notes

*If you like, you can substitute a 32 ounce package of colorful mini sweet peppers with the stems removed.

**If you want a thicker sauce, only use 1/3 cup water and pour the tomatoes and tomato sauce on top of the peppers and don't stir.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 570Total Fat: 59gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 45gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 1140mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 44g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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