Ground Pork Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Cooked ground pork sausage and peppers in a skillet.

Ground Pork Sausage and Peppers Skillet

One of my favorite ways to make this classic weeknight dinner taste even better is to skip the store-bought sausage and make my own. That's exactly what I did with this sausage and peppers skillet, and I don't think I'll ever go back! Bell peppers, onions, and diced tomatoes round out the meal, and you can make the entire dinner in just 30 minutes!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Servings:

Author: Katie Youngs

Ingredients

For the sausage

1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the peppers and onions

2 tablespoons olive oil optional
4 large bell peppers sliced into thin strips
1 large white or yellow onion sliced into thin strips
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes with juices

Instructions

Cook the ground pork. Add the ground pork to a large skillet over medium heat and cook for about 7-10 minutes, breaking it up into crumbles as it browns. About halfway through cooking the pork, add the sausage seasonings (fennel, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper). The pork should only take about 10 minutes to cook through, but continue cooking it if needed, until no pink remains. Once the pork is fully cooked, remove it to a clean plate and set it aside.
Cook the peppers and onions. If needed, add up to two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet before adding the peppers and onions. Alternatively, if the pork left behind a lot of excess oil, drain some off first, then cook the peppers and onions in the leftover pork fat. Use your best judgment here. Cook the peppers and onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender.
Season the vegetables. Sprinkle the peppers and onions with additional ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
Add the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and stir the balsamic vinegar and undrained canned tomatoes into the vegetables.
Add the ground pork sausage. Return the cooked pork sausage to the skillet. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
Serve and enjoy! Serve the sausage and peppers over rice or quinoa, or enjoy it on its own!

Notes

I tested this recipe in my cast iron braiser, but since the entire recipe is cooked on the stovetop, you have some flexibility in the pan you use. Just make sure it's large enough to hold everything comfortably. I recommend a pan that holds at least three quarts.
Use plain ground pork since you'll be adding the seasonings yourself. If you prefer pre-seasoned ground pork or sausage, simply skip the added sausage seasonings called for in the recipe.
Ground pork produces plenty of fat as it cooks, so you don't need to add oil to the skillet during this step.
You can cover your skillet while the vegetables cook to help them soften up faster. Alternatively, if you have more time and prefer a deeper caramelization, you can cook the vegetables for longer, stirring occasionally until they're more deeply browned.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.

Nutrition

Find it online at sugarandsnappeas.com!