Complete with smoked sausage, sweet yellow onions, and crisp bell peppers, our recipe for Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers with Onions is a must-try dish! It's easy, quick, and most importantly, delicious. Ready in just 20 minutes using simple ingredients following five easy steps.

Jump to:
- Sausage and Peppers in the Air Fryer
- Why air fry sausage and peppers?
- Watch the Video
- The Taste and Texture of Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
- Ingredients
- How to Easily Slice Bell Peppers
- How to Air Fry Sausage and Peppers
- Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer Instructions
- Recipe Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Instructions
- Reheating
- FAQ
- Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
- Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
- Feedback
Sausage and Peppers in the Air Fryer
Sausage and peppers has to be one of our personal favorite air fryer dinners. Not only is it one of the most inexpensive yet filling dishes you can make, there is so much you can do with this versatile recipe! Serve sausage and pepper sandwiches, serve it over rice, with sliced potatoes, or even as a part of breakfast. Let's get air frying!
Why air fry sausage and peppers?
- Air frying is faster than traditional oven cooking and even stovetop methods for cooking sausage, peppers, and onions. It's the perfect way to serve dinner on a busy weeknight!
- The air fryer evenly cooks food all of the way through. The sausage, peppers, and onions will all have a slight crisp to the outside while remaining tender and tasty on the inside.
- Air frying uses less oil than other methods. By air frying sausage and peppers, you're saving time on cleanup and don't have to worry about stovetop spattering!
Watch the Video
The Taste and Texture of Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
The taste and texture of air fryer sausage, peppers, and onions is incomparable to other cooking methods. Air frying gives each element of the dish a unique texture while maximizing flavor.
The high heat of the air fryer caramelizes the veggies and sausage, which intensifies their flavors by developing a crisp exterior with a slight crunch, and a tender interior. Learn more about how air frying works.

Ingredients
- Bell Peppers: Colorful and sweet, bell peppers add a burst of flavor and crunch to the dish. Look for fresh bell peppers in the produce aisle of your grocery store. We like to pick up a bag of stoplight peppers, which is 3 bell peppers in the colors of a stoplight - red, yellow, and green! However, if there is a special sale, we always go for that to keep this recipe as budget-friendly as possible. An orange bell pepper works too!
- Onion: We prefer yellow onions for this recipe for their sweet and mellow flavor when cooked. Additionally, yellow onions are usually the most economical, which helps to keep this recipe budget-friendly! You can also use white or red onions, but keep in mind the flavor will not be the same using these varieties.
- Oil: The oil helps the vegetables and sausage crisp up and prevents sticking. Use light light olive oil or avocado oil, whichever you prefer. Another neutral high smoke point vegetable oil can be used, but we recommend these two oils for best flavor. Learn more about Air Frying Oils.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: These simple seasonings enhance the flavors of the dish. For more flavor variation, feel free to add other seasonings, such as chili seasoning or a simple sprinkle of garlic powder.
- Smoked Sausage: Smoked sausage adds a rich and smoky taste that pairs perfectly with the peppers and onions. We're using beef sausage for this recipe, but you can use any kind, including chicken sausage or pork sausage. Use your favorite variety based on your flavor preferences. Ex. Andouille, Hot Italian Sausage, Mild Italian Sausage, Sweet Italian Sausage, Kielbasa, Sausage Links, etc.

How to Easily Slice Bell Peppers
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off both ends of the bell pepper.
- Stand the pepper up on the cutting board and make a vertical cut down the side of the bell pepper. Run the edge of the knife along the inside of the pepper removing the seeds and membrane as you go. Discard the seeds and membrane. Refer to our video to see how to remove the seeds.
- You should have a long strip of pepper at this point. With the skin side down, use a sharp knife to make vertical cuts along the short sides of the pepper to create slices of your desired thickness. You can adjust the width of the slices according to your recipe requirements.
- Continue slicing until you have cut the entire bell pepper into uniform slices. If you encounter any seeds or membrane, simply remove them as you go.
How to Air Fry Sausage and Peppers

Step 1 - Prep: Begin by preheating your air fryer to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine slices of bell peppers and onions with oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure to evenly coat the veggies with the oil and seasonings by tossing them in the bowl using your hands or tongs.

Step 2 - Arrange in Basket: Load the air fryer basket with the seasoned peppers and onions arranged in a single layer. Shake the basket to evenly distribute the peppers and onions, but to ensure even cooking, do not overcrowd the air fryer basket.

Step 3 - Air Fry: Adjust the time of your preheated air fryer to 15 minutes.

Step 4 - Add Sausage: Halfway through the air-frying process, add the smoked sausage pieces to the basket and give it a shake. Place the basket back in the air fryer and continue cooking for the remaining time.

Step 5 - Serve and Enjoy: Once all ingredients are crisp and tender to your liking, carefully remove them from the air fryer basket using tongs, and place on a serving plate. Serve, and enjoy!
Toaster Oven Style Air Fryer Instructions
The following instructions are for toaster oven style air fryer models with a tray, such as the Breville Smart Oven Air.
- Preheat air fryer toaster oven to 400°F.
- Place sliced peppers and onions into a large mixing bowl and add olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix to coat all the peppers and onions.
- Add seasoned peppers and onions to the air fryer tray and spread out to distribute evenly. Avoid overcrowding to ensure even cooking. TIP: Place a foil lined baking sheet on the bottom of the oven rack for easy clean up.
- Air fry 10 minutes, stirring the peppers and onions halfway through air frying to ensure even cooking.
- After 10 minutes add the smoked sausage pieces. Continue air frying another 8-10 minutes or until the peppers and onions are tender crisp to your liking.
- Once the sausage, peppers and onions are done to your liking, carefully remove from the air fryer oven and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- To ensure even cooking, be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket.
- Stir halfway through air frying to ensure even cooking.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer model.
- Recipe time and temperature is based on a preheated air fryer. If cooking additional batches, they may cook more quickly.
Want to make just sausages, without the peppers and onions? See our guide to cooking Air Fryer Smoked Sausage!

Serving Suggestions
- Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers can be enjoyed on their own with a dipping sauce, such as spicy mustard.
- If you want to serve sausage and peppers with another protein, how about some Cajun-seasoned Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos?
- Serve over cooked rice, cauliflower rice, sliced potatoes, smashed potatoes, or pasta for a hearty meal.
- Pile them up on a crusty sandwich roll with your favorite sauce. Even better with a side of Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries!
- For breakfast, with Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes and Air Fryer Scrambled Eggs!
Storage Instructions
- If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- You can also freeze leftover sausage and peppers. Allow it to cool first, then add it to an airtight freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months labeled with the freezing date.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 350°F for several minutes until heated through. Alternatively, you can also add them to a foil-lined sheet pan and reheat in the oven, or reheat in the microwave if you're in a hurry.

FAQ
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different sausage flavors like Italian, chorizo, or chicken sausage.
While fresh is always best, you can use frozen peppers and onions in a pinch. Just be aware that frozen vegetables may release more moisture during cooking and they won’t be as crisp.
This dish pairs well with rice, pasta, or as a filling for sandwiches. You can also enjoy it as a side dish with grilled chicken or steak.
Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
- Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Thin Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Frozen Pork Chops
- ALDI Red Bag Chicken in Air Fryer
- Try all of our Air Fryer Dinners!
Leave a comment and review for us below if you enjoyed this recipe, or if you have questions about any of our air fryer recipes!

Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 3 medium bell peppers washed, seeded, and sliced into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12-16 ounce smoked sausage sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Place sliced peppers and onions into a large mixing bowl and add olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix to coat all the peppers and onions.3 medium bell peppers, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add seasoned peppers and onions to the air fryer basket and shake to distribute evenly. Avoid overcrowding to ensure even cooking.
- Air fry for 15 minutes. Halfway through air frying, add the smoked sausage pieces and shake the basket. Put the basket back into the air fryer and finish cooking.12-16 ounce smoked sausage
- Once the sausage, peppers and onions are done to your liking, carefully remove from the air fryer basket and serve.
Notes
- Don’t crowd the air fryer basket.
- Stir halfway through air frying to ensure even cooking.
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer to maintain the crispy texture.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific air fryer.
- Recipe time and temperature is based on a preheated air fryer.
- If using a toaster oven style air fryer with a tray and not a basket, air fry for 10 minutes, then stir and add the sausage. Continue air frying another 8-10 minutes.
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