Instant Pot Sausage And Peppers Recipe
When you think of a traditional Italian meal, what comes to mind? A huge bowl of spaghetti and meatballs? A lasagna? A feast of fishes? Pizza? Or sausage and peppers? All of those are fine choices, but there's an easy case to make that sausage and peppers may be the first among equals among those dishes, and for two reasons: It's delicious, and it's easy. And unlike most traditional Italian dishes, which can take the better part of the afternoon to prep and cook (and that's time well spent provided you have the time, mind you), you can cook up a batch of sausage and peppers in little time.
When you turn to your trusty Instant Pot, that time becomes even less still. In fact, from start to finish, you can probably go from grabbing ingredients to serving a freshly cooked plate of sausage and peppers in just a few minutes when you let that handy Instant Pot help you out. Chef, recipe developer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli calls this recipe so easy that "there is no way to mess this up." If that sounds like your kind of meal prep, then let's not waste one minute more and get on with this 15-minute take on a generations-old favorite.
Gather your ingredients for this Instant Pot sausage and peppers
For this decidedly easy take on this Italian classic, you'll need olive oil, smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced thin, plenty of red and yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips, yellow onion, sliced thin, minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, ground cumin, and chipotle powder. Want to make a vegetarian-friendly take on this meat lover's classic? That's an easy thing to do, really!
"I love the idea of using veggie sausage in this recipe," says Carli. "Field Roast is a great option, and I would also recommend Beyond Meat." Or of course, use whatever brand makes your favorite veggie sausage.
Start by sautéing the sausage
If you have not done so already, go ahead and slice the sausage into discs about a quarter of an inch thick each. Much thinner, and they'll crisp too much, but too thick, and they won't take on or impart enough flavor.
Now set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting, and then add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced sausage into the pot. Stir and cook sausage until the edges get golden and a bit crispy, then remove the cooked sausage from Instant Pot and set it aside for now.
Cook the onions and peppers, then add the sausage
With the Instant Pot still good and hot and on the sauté setting, add in the sliced onions, the sliced bell peppers, and the minced garlic, and stir everything well to combine. Sauté these veggies for about two minutes, stirring often and watching for the onion and pepper to just start to soften.
Next, add the cooked sausage back to the Instant Pot. Now add the can of diced tomatoes, the cumin, and the chipotle powder, and stir everything well to make sure it is all mixing and blending throughout evenly.
Pressure cook your sausage and peppers to perfection
With all the food well-stirred and combined, it's time to close the Instant Pot's lid and seal the valve. Now set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for five minutes. Yes, that's it, five minutes. Finally, quick release the steam valve and serve out portions of the easiest Italian meal you ever made.
And to make it a whole meal, Carli says: "I love pairing this with garlic bread or rice pilaf." On the off chance you have leftovers, she adds: "This stores in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days." But don't count on leftovers.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 14 ounces smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting, then add olive oil. Once hot, add sliced sausage.
- Stir and cook sausage until edges get golden and a bit crispy, then remove from Instant Pot.
- Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic to the Instant Pot and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add sausage back to the Instant Pot, then add diced tomatoes, cumin, and chipotle powder.
- Stir well, then close lid and seal valve and pressure cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, quick release steam valve.
- Serve and enjoy!
| Calories per Serving | 365 |
| Total Fat | 28.6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8.1 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 69.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 11.6 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.6 g |
| Sodium | 768.0 mg |
| Protein | 17.3 g |
