Air Fryer Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Air Fryer Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Fresh Italian sausage links cook in the air fryer alongside bell peppers and onion, tossed together in olive oil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. The vegetables go into the basket first, with the sausages nestled on top, so everything finishes browning and caramelizing in one batch.
The peppers turn soft and lightly charred at the edges, the onion goes sweet, and the sausage browns on the outside while staying juicy inside — garlicky and a little peppery from the seasoning, without much heat unless you use hot sausage.
Sausage and peppers is an Italian-American dish that took shape in New York City, gaining popularity at the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy around 1926. It traces back to the bold, garlicky cooking of southern Italy, traditionally made on a griddle or in a skillet — the air fryer is a modern, hands-off way to get the same result.
Pile it onto a sub or hero roll for a sandwich, or serve it straight from the basket with crusty bread. It also works over rice for a lower-carb plate, with mustard on the side if you’re serving it as a sandwich.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 500 g fresh Italian sausage, sweet or hot (about 4-5 links)
- 3 bell peppers, mixed colors, cut into thick strips (about 500 g)
- 1 large onion, cut into thick strips (about 150 g)
- 15 ml olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning (or dried oregano)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
To serve (optional)
- 4 sub or hero rolls
- fresh parsley (or basil), to garnish
Directions
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C).
While it heats, toss the pepper and onion strips in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Spread the seasoned vegetables in an even layer in the air-fryer basket and nestle the whole sausage links on top.
Air-fry for 15 to 18 minutes, turning the sausages and stirring the vegetables every 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized at the edges and the sausages are browned all over.
Check the sausages with a thermometer at the thickest point: pork sausage is done at 160°F (71°C), chicken or turkey sausage at 165°F (74°C). Give it a few more minutes if it isn’t there yet.
Pile the sausage, peppers, and onion onto rolls for a sandwich, or serve it straight from the basket with bread, and scatter parsley or basil over the top.
Notes
- Sliced instead of whole: cook the seasoned vegetables alone at 400°F (204°C) for about 10 minutes, shaking halfway, then add the sausage cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) rounds and cook a further 10-12 minutes until done.
- Smaller batch: for 2-3 servings, 350°F (177°C) for 10-12 minutes, flipping the sausages and shaking the basket at the midpoint, also works and keeps the vegetables from charring before the sausage is through.
- Cut the vegetables thick. Thin strips shrink to nothing or burn before the sausage is cooked.
- Don’t crowd the basket. Cook in batches if scaling up, so the sausages brown instead of steam.
- Lighter swap: Italian chicken or turkey sausage works the same way — just cook it to 165°F (74°C).
- Serve over rice for a lower-carb option, or top the sandwich with Dijon or whole-grain mustard.
See Also
