Quick & Flavorful Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers: Your Easiest Weeknight Meal
Imagine a delicious, hearty dinner that comes together with minimal effort and in record time. This Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers recipe is exactly that! Bursting with authentic Italian flavors, this dish transforms simple ingredients into a satisfying meal in under 10 minutes of active cooking. Forget long hours in the kitchen – with just a few basic ingredients and the magic of your air fryer, you’ll have a vibrant, flavorful dinner on the table faster than you can order takeout. It’s the perfect solution for busy weeknights when you crave something wholesome and incredibly tasty.
Why This Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe is a Game Changer
The air fryer has undoubtedly revolutionized home cooking, and it’s easy to see why air fryer recipes are dominating the culinary scene. This method offers unparalleled speed, convenience, and minimal cleanup – precisely what we all crave when preparing dinner after a long day. Unlike traditional pan-frying or oven baking, the air fryer circulates hot air around the food, cooking it evenly and creating a delightful crispy texture on both the sausages and the vegetables without excessive oil.
For Italian sausage and peppers, this means perfectly browned sausages with a juicy interior, and tender-crisp bell peppers and onions that are sweet and slightly caramelized. The intense heat of the air fryer cooks everything much faster than a conventional oven, ensuring that the vegetables retain their vibrant colors and distinct flavors. Plus, the contained cooking environment significantly reduces splatter, leading to an incredibly easy cleanup. It’s a win-win: a delicious, healthy-ish meal with hardly any mess. This efficiency makes it an ideal choice for a quick lunch, a satisfying family dinner, or even meal prepping for the week ahead.
RELATED – If you love quick and easy air fryer meals, you’ll definitely want to try our Air Fryer Bratwurst too!
Essential Ingredients for Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers
One of the best aspects of this recipe is its simplicity, requiring just a handful of fresh ingredients to create a remarkably flavorful dish. Here’s what you’ll need, along with a few tips for selection:
- Italian Sausages: Opt for good quality Italian sausages. You can choose sweet, mild, or hot varieties based on your preference. Sweet Italian sausage often contains fennel, which adds a lovely aromatic note. Hot Italian sausage will give you a pleasant kick, while mild is a great all-rounder. Ensure they are uncooked.
- Bell Peppers: A colorful mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers not only makes the dish visually appealing but also adds layers of sweet flavor. Green bell peppers can also be used, but they tend to be slightly more bitter.
- Onions: A large Vidalia or yellow onion will provide a sweet, savory base that caramelizes beautifully in the air fryer, complementing the peppers and sausage.
- Olive Oil: A good quality extra virgin olive oil is essential for tossing the vegetables, ensuring they cook evenly and achieve that desirable tender-crisp texture.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Simple seasonings are all you need. They enhance the natural flavors of the sausage and vegetables without overpowering them.
- Sub Rolls: To serve these as classic sandwiches, fresh, crusty sub rolls are a must. Hoagie rolls or even hot dog buns can work in a pinch.
- Parmesan Cheese (or Mozzarella): Shaved Parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese adds a final touch of creamy, salty goodness when melted over the hot sausages and peppers. This is optional but highly recommended for an extra layer of flavor and texture.
How to Make Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers: Step-by-Step Guide
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Prepare the Vegetables: Begin by slicing your colorful bell peppers and the onion into uniform ½-inch strips. Consistency in size is key for even cooking in the air fryer. Transfer the sliced vegetables into a large bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together thoroughly until the vegetables are well coated. This ensures every piece gets beautifully caramelized and seasoned.
- Arrange in Air Fryer: Transfer the seasoned onions and peppers to the basket of your air fryer. Spread them out in a single layer as much as possible to ensure maximum air circulation. This is crucial for achieving that desired tender-crisp texture.
- Add the Sausages: Place the Italian sausages directly into the air fryer basket, nestling them among the peppers and onions. Roll the sausages around slightly to ensure they pick up some of the olive oil and seasoning. This helps them brown evenly and infuses them with flavor from the vegetables.
- Air Fry to Perfection: Cook in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, carefully open the basket, flip the sausages, and give the vegetables a good shake to redistribute them. Continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) and the vegetables are tender with some delicious char. Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer model and sausage thickness.
- Rest the Sausages: Once cooked, remove the sausages from the air fryer and place them on a cutting board or plate. Cover them loosely with aluminum foil and let them rest for 3-4 minutes. This resting period is crucial as it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the sausage, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bite.
- Assemble and Serve: To serve these delectable sandwiches, slice open your sub rolls without cutting all the way through. Place a cooked Italian sausage into each bun, then generously top with the air-fried peppers and onions. Sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese or mozzarella. For an extra touch, you can broil the assembled rolls in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the buns are lightly toasted. Alternatively, pop them back into the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 1-3 minutes to achieve the same melty, toasty perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers
While some enjoy Italian sausage and peppers simply on their own, especially when served in a hearty bun, there are many delicious options for accompaniments. If you’re serving them as a main course without the bun, a crisp side salad with a tangy vinaigrette would be perfect to balance the richness. For something more substantial, consider a classic pasta dish, a simple rice pilaf, or a variety of potato sides. Our twice baked potatoes or sweet potato fries would make excellent complements, adding a comforting touch. Roasted potatoes are also a fantastic and easy choice. However, if you’re loading these flavorful sausages and peppers into toasted sub buns, you might find yourself too satisfied for additional sides!
Absolutely! While Italian sausage is traditional, feel free to experiment. Bratwurst, chicken sausage, or even a spicy chorizo would work wonderfully with the bell peppers and onions. Just be sure to adjust cooking times if the sausage type or thickness varies.
No air fryer? No problem! You can achieve similar delicious results using a conventional oven. Simply preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the seasoned vegetables and sausages on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping the sausages and stirring the vegetables halfway through, until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp. You can also pan-fry the sausages first, then cook the vegetables, and combine them.
Leftover Italian sausage and peppers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can use the air fryer again for 3-5 minutes at 350°F (175°C) to crisp everything up, or warm them gently in a microwave or on the stovetop. If reheating in buns, it’s best to add the cheese and toast the buns fresh.
These Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers are more than just a quick meal; they are a celebration of simple, robust flavors. Served on a warm, toasted bun, generously topped with sweet onions and a vibrant medley of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, then finished with a blanket of melted cheese, this dish offers pure comfort. It’s a remarkably easy-to-make dinner that feels indulgent and satisfying, proving that delicious home-cooked meals don’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. Whether you’re feeding a family or simply treating yourself, this recipe is guaranteed to become a cherished addition to your weekly rotation.
Explore More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
Once you discover the ease and efficiency of air frying, you’ll want to use it for everything! Here are a few more fantastic air fryer recipes to try:
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts: Juicy, tender chicken breasts cooked to perfection.
- Air Fryer Bagels: Homemade bagels with a perfect chewy texture.
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets: Crispy and healthier than store-bought.
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites: A fun and easy snack or appetizer.
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Air Fryer Italian Sausage and Peppers
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IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 large Vidalia or yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 Italian sausages
- 5 sub rolls
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese or Mozzarella (optional)
Things You’ll Need
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Air fryer
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Tongs
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Baking sheet
Before You Begin
- To serve, place sausages in buns and top with peppers, onions and Parmesan cheese. Broil in the oven for a few minutes to melt cheese and toast the buns. Alternatively, you can place the prepared sausage rolls back into the air fryer for 1-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and buns are toasted.
- As with any air fryer recipe, cooking times may vary depending on your specific model. It’s always a good idea to monitor your food and adjust the cooking time up or down by a few minutes as needed to ensure perfect results.
- Instead of Parmesan, you can use Mozzarella or any other melty cheese you prefer, such as provolone or a Monterey Jack blend.
- For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a teaspoon of minced garlic or Italian seasoning to the bell peppers and onions before tossing with olive oil.
Instructions
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Slice the bell peppers and onions into uniform 1/2-inch strips. In a large bowl, toss them with olive oil, salt, and black pepper until well coated.
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Spread the seasoned onions and peppers evenly in the air fryer basket, ensuring not to overcrowd it.
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Place the Italian sausages among the vegetables in the basket. Gently roll the sausages to coat them slightly with the oil and seasonings.
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Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 7 minutes. Flip the sausages and shake the vegetables, then continue to air fry for another 5-8 minutes, or until sausages are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F/71°C) and vegetables are tender-crisp.
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Remove the sausages and vegetables from the air fryer. Cover the sausages loosely with foil and let them rest for 3-4 minutes to retain their juices.
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To serve, place each sausage in a sub roll, top with the cooked peppers and onions, and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Broil in the oven for a few minutes or return to the air fryer for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the buns are lightly toasted.
Nutrition
Calories: 690cal |
Carbohydrates: 41g |
Protein: 22g |
Fat: 48g |
Saturated Fat: 14g |
Cholesterol: 85mg |
Sodium: 1580mg |
Potassium: 481mg |
Fiber: 3g |
Sugar: 8g |
Vitamin A: 1540IU |
Vitamin C: 109mg |
Calcium: 41mg |
Iron: 12mg
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.