Can you air fry sausage and peppers? Heck yes, and I can show you how! This air fryer sausage and peppers recipe is a delicious meal that is low-carb and low-calorie. Add some marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese to your air fried Italian sausage, and you've got yourself a new family favorite.
Is Air Fryer Friday a thing yet? I think we should make it one!
Have I ever mentioned that I love air frying foods? Only probably a million times by now. Henceforth, Fridays will now be Air Fryer Fridays, at least in my household.
So, about this recipe. We're going to be air frying Italian sausage and peppers. I love me some easy weeknight dinner ideas, and this dish most definitely qualifies.
Here's all you need for the basic recipe:
- Italian sausage (hello, obvious)
- Bell peppers
- Onions (I used a mix of red onions and white onions)
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried herbs
- Marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Totally do-able, am I right? Most people don't eat sausage and peppers alone, so I'd also add hoagie rolls or your favorite whole grain pasta to this list. If you want a low-carb and low-calorie option, use cooked spaghetti squash instead.
Boom. Dinner is done.
Choosing a Sausage for Your Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
OK. I know some of you are going to want to use pre-cooked chicken sausage or turkey sausage in this recipe. Please don't do this.
First of all, you need raw, uncured sausage for this recipe to turn out well. The cooking time in this recipe is for raw Italian sausage links, not precooked sausages that only need browning.
Second, you want to choose a sausage that has sufficient fat in it to remain juicy. Your average supermarket poultry sausage is not going to cut it. Sweet Italian sausages made with pork are going to be the way to go.
But what if you'd rather use chicken sausages because they are lower in calories than pork sausages? My Fennel Sausage Recipe is a mix of chicken thighs and pork shoulder so that it's lighter but still provides enough fat. That is what I used here.
That said, I get that making homemade sausage links is not for everyone. You'll need a meat grinder, and you'll have to deal with hog casings, which tend to make people squeamish. In that case, just get some fresh pork sausage from the store and call it a day.
One of the wonderful things about air frying is that it automatically makes certain dishes lighter. If you are cooking meats (like sausages) that are high in fat, some fat drips off while it cooks. You'll see the fat in the drip pan at the bottom of the air fryer oven when cooking is complete.
So, get yourself some high-quality fresh Italian pork sausages for this recipe and indulge a little. If we're dishing up sausage and peppers in the air fryer, we might as well do it right!
And now for the disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to this post. Let's get cooking!
Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers (with Video!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. sweet Italian sausages, raw (NOT precooked sausage!) (4 links; I used my homemade fennel sausage, store-bought Italian pork sausage may also be used)
- 4 small green peppers, sliced into thick strips
- 1 large onion, sliced into thick strips (I used a mix of red and white onion)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cooking oil spray of choice
- 1 cup marinara sauce (choose one with no added sugar and low or no added oil)
- 4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- hoagie rolls, spaghetti squash, or pasta (not included in nutrition information)
- non-starchy vegetables and dressing (for side salads; not included in nutrition information)
Instructions
- Mist the trays of your air fryer oven with cooking spray. (Note: you may need to make this recipe in two batches if your oven has a smaller capacity.)
- Mix the herbs, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Stir the onion and pepper strips together. Drizzle with the olive oil mixture and stir again.
- Spread the peppers and onions in a single layer on your air fryer oven trays. Place the raw sausage links on top (2 per tray). Drizzle any olive oil mixture left in the bottom of the onion and pepper bowl on top of the sausages.
- Place trays in your air fryer oven. Air fry for 20 minutes at 400°F.
- Flip the sausages over and switch the position of the trays in your air fryer oven. Air fry for an additional 15-20 minutes at 400°F. (The exact cooking time in your oven may vary.)
- While the sausages cook, heat the marinara sauce and ready other parts of the meal. (Prepare side salads, cook pasta if using, etc.)
- To serve, top the sausage and peppers with the marinara sauce and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan. For more details on completing the meal, check out the recipe notes below!
Video
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). The energy (i.e., calories) you get with this meal will ultimately depend on your sides and the sausages you use. Serve it over roasted (low-oil) spaghetti squash for a lighter meal. Enjoy it in your favorite whole grain hoagie roll or over pasta to bump up the energy. I also recommend adding a big side salad filled with non-starchy veggies to help fill you up. I generally stick with 1-2 tablespoons of dressing on my salads. The calories in salad dressings add up fast, especially if they contain a lot of added oil or cream. Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe.
Nutrition
If you're seeking more air fryer meals, you have come to the right place! Make sure you check out the entire section on Air Fryer Recipes. My Air Fryer Calamari and the tutorial on Air Frying Frozen Broccoli are two of my most popular recipes.
How do you serve sausage and peppers in your household? Do you like them in a hoagie roll, over spaghetti, or over a low-carb alternative like spaghetti squash? Drop me a line and let me know!
And as always, I'd love to hear from you if you try this recipe for air fryer sausage and peppers. Rave reviews and ratings completely make my day!
The extraordinary thing, Summer, is that you create these beautiful dishes of such appeal, they'd melt eaters' resolve even if they were 5.000 calories.
That they aren't, and that they're healthy, proclaims (loudly) your talents.
Superb.
(Oh, I am - vicariously - a big fan of Air Fryer Fridays. If I can look forward each week to creations of this caliber...)
Thank you for always being so kind 🙂 I appreciate it!