30-Minute Sausage and Veggie Skillet — 🙌🏻💛🧡 An EASY, 30-minute, one-skillet recipe that’s made with smoked sausage, potatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and more! It’s a FLEXIBLE recipe that works with your favorite type of sausage. It’s the PERFECT way to enjoy whatever fresh veggies are in season or clean out your produce drawer and for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry!
This quick sausage and veggie skillet gets a gold star because it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and is made in a single skillet.
It’s a flexible recipe that works with nearly any combination of vegetables you have on hand. So if you’ve got extra veggies hanging out in your produce drawer, throw them into this smoked sausage skillet.
Pre-cooked sausage such as chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or kielbasa shortens the cook time and keeps the recipe fast and simple.
Everything is seasoned to perfection with Italian seasoning, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a bit of lemon juice. You don’t need much to make a great tasting dinner and I’m always a fan of recipes that call for spices I always have on hand in my pantry.
This smoked sausage and vegetable skillet is one of those fantastic meals that’s on the leaner side, but doesn’t taste like it!
All of those colors, textures, and great flavors make this a one-skillet dinner recipe you’ll look forward to eating over and over again! It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry.
Ingredients in This Recipe
You’re welcome to mix and match the veggies to use up whatever’s in your fridge, but here are the exact ingredients that I used:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Baby potatoes – use waxy potatoes such as baby red, yellow, or Yukon gold potatoes; do NOT use Russet because their starchiness isn’t great here
- Smoked sausage – I used chicken sausage but any pre-cooked, smoked sausage works; see FAQs for substitution ideas
- Red onion
- Bell peppers – I used one orange and one yellow
- Cherry tomatoes – can also use grape tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Chicken broth – I use reduced sodium
- Lemon juice
- Fresh parsley – optional, for garnishing
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sausage and Veggies Skillet
This is a simple recipe that comes together in no time!
Follow these basic instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halved potatoes and cook for about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the smoked sausages and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the sausage is lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the potatoes and sausage to a plate.
- Add the onions to the now-empty skillet and saute for 3 minutes, adding a bit more oil if necessary.
- Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini to the skillet and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the seasonings, add the salt and pepper, and pour the lemon juice and chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze the pan.
- Simmer for a few minutes to thicken up the sauce.
- Add the potatoes and sausage back into the skillet, reheat momentarily, garnish as desired and serve!
Would You Rather Bake This Recipe?
A long-time reader favorite is my Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies recipe. As the recipe title suggests, the smoked sausage and vegetables are baked on a single sheet pan, all at once! If you’d rather not babysit a skillet of veggies and smoked sausage on the stovetop, then make the sheet pan recipe which has a similar flavor profile and ingredients list.
I also have a Sheet Pan Turkey Sausage and Vegetables recipe, too. Very similar but the proteins are slightly different.
Recipe FAQs
You want to use a small, waxy potato such as Yukon gold, baby gold, baby red, etc. Do not use Russet potatoes due to their starch content which causes them to break down and lose their shape in a skillet. Save those for making perfect baked potatoes.
I have not tested this recipe with sweet potatoes, but they should be “fine” although once they do get to the point of being properly cooked, they’ll be prone to falling apart. If you want a dish with chicken, red onions, and sweet potatoes, make this Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes recipe and you can also add bell pepper strips if you’d like.
Use your favorite pre-cooked sausage in this skillet recipe. Chicken, turkey, beef, and pork sausage would all work, as would kielbasa or andouille sausage.
DO NOT USE raw sausage or sausage in casings. The sausage needs to already have been cooked, so all you’re doing is seasoning and reheating it, not actually cooking it.
Of course! Add any denser root vegetables like carrots to the skillet alongside the potatoes, and any quicker cooking veggies like asparagus or green beans can be added with the bell peppers and zucchini.
I don’t suggest using frozen vegetables in this recipe. Frozen veggies typically release excess moisture and will steam in the skillet rather than saute. Not to mention they’ll wind up being soft and mushy rather than crisp-tender.
Yes, this is a great make-ahead recipe that reheats well in the microwave. If you do weekly meal prep, add this to your rotation. It also holds well so if you’re serving dinner to half the family at 6pm and the rest aren’t home from their practice, game, or work until 730pm, the “second shift” members will still enjoy a nice tasting dinner. Zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds if needed.
What to Serve with the Sausage and Vegetables
Enjoy the sausage and vegetables as is, or pair it with a simple green salad for some freshness. You can also stretch the recipe by serving it over rice, cauliflower rice, or orzo.
Optionally, a bit of grated Parmesan cheese over top for gives an extra bit of salty, cheesy flavor.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In the fridge: Let leftovers cool before sealing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months, noting that there will be texture changes to the zucchini after freezing/thawing, and to some extent the peppers, too. But the taste will be fine.
To reheat: Heat individual portions in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
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- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes, halved (baby Yukon gold, yellow potatoes, or baby red potatoes; don’t use Russet or starchy potatoes)
- 14 ounces chicken sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds (kielbasa, turkey or pork sausage varieties are ok; must be COOKED previously, nothing in casings or raw))
- 1 medium red onion, diced small
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced small (or your favorite color)
- 1 small orange bell pepper, seeded and diced small (or your favorite color)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and diced into small chunks
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup chicken broth, I use reduced sodium, water may be substituted if you don’t have broth open or on hand
- Juice of half of 1 lemon
- Fresh chopped parsley, optional for garnishing (fresh basil, cilantro, or other fresh herbs may be substituted, to taste if desired)
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To a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the potatoes, and cook over medium-high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes are nearly done (fork-tender and not at all hard). Stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking.
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Add the sausage rounds and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until they’re browning a bit. Stir and flip frequently to ensure even cooking. Tip – Remember the sausage has already been cooked, so you’re just searing it, warming it, and adding flavor.
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When the potatoes are fully done and the sausage is lightly browned, remove them from a skillet and place on a plate.
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To the skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, red onions, and saute for about 2-3 minutes, or until onions are beginning to soften and become translucent. Stir and flip frequently.
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Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softening and getting some color on them. Stir and flip frequently. Tip – If at any point during the cooking process, the veggies seem dry, don’t be afraid to drizzle in a bit more olive oil.
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Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.
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Return the potatoes and sausage to the skillet, evenly sprinkle the Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper, and stir and toss to combine and coat everything evenly.
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Add the broth and lemon juice to the skillet. Tips – This serves to deglaze the pan (loosen any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan), but when you add the liquids, there will be a quick burst of steam that puffs up, so just use caution. If your bell peppers were larger and/or you want a little more juiciness, you can add about 1/3 broth (or water) and if you want it a bit more lemony, add additional lemon juice.
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Taste and as desired, add more salt, pepper, seasonings, as desired. Seasoning Tips – If it tastes at all flat or boring, the dish likely needs more salt. You’re flavoring 4 pounds worth of plain vegetables and ingredients, so don’t be afraid to add salt, as necessary. I add about 3 teaspoons total, but everyone is different. Other seasoning ideas include a bit of lemon pepper for more lemon flavor, a pinch of dried chili flakes for heat, cumin for more of a Latin flair, etc.
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Optionally garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
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Storage – Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I reheat my leftovers in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as needed.
The recipe serves 4 generously but due to all the veggies, I find that I can easily stretch this to 5 portions. Everyone’s appetite is different but it makes a generous skillet of food.
Serving: 1portion, Calories: 402kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 1338mg, Potassium: 899mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1316IU, Vitamin C: 118mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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