This easy chicken and sausage recipe combines hearty chicken thighs, Italian sausage, loads of bell pepper and baby red potatoes. It’s all cooked in a delicious red sauce (or tomato sauce) for one comforting meal you and your family will love.
I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve made this chicken and sausage recipe. It’s been a lot (and for good reason). It’s absolutely delicious and so comforting.
Italian sausage and peppers is such a delicious combo. Then, adding chicken thighs and potatoes really adds extra oomph.
This stick-to-ya-ribs comfort food classic is easy to make and perfect for entertaining or Sunday supper (my favourite).
Imagine enjoying a bowl of this with lots of parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a nice glass of vino? Making you hungry, right?
Of course, this is a meal in itself, but you can never go wrong with some crusty bread. Speaking of which, my local grocery store has the most amazing bakery, you guys. I even know roughly when their bread comes out of the oven, LOL.
As soon as I pull in on the parking lot, the smell of freshly baked bread wafts through the air. Someone should bottle that. Seriously.
Often when I pick up a loaf, it’s that warm that the person behind the counter says:
“It’s too hot to slice for you right now. Is that okay?”
I say “That’s okay!”
My inside voice, however, is thinking that it doesn’t matter because I’m going to ravage the bread with my hands as soon as I get home.
No lie.
Fresh bread. Butter.
That is all.
And, then if you happen to make this delicious chicken and sausage recipe, you’re in foodie heaven right there.
How to Make This Chicken and Sausage Recipe
It takes a little over an hour to make this recipe, but there’s absolutely nothing complex whatsoever! So, how do you make this chicken and sausage recipe, anyway? Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Place baby potatoes in a cast-iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then roast in the oven. Roasting gives them a start and they’ll finish cooking in the red sauce later.
- Meanwhile, in a pan on the stovetop, season chicken and brown both sides in a little oil. The chicken will release when it gets a little colour on there. Then, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Note: you are simply browning the chicken, not fully cooking, at this point.
- Next, brown the sausages on both sides. Then, transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside. Note: again, you are simply browning the sausages, not fully cooking, at this point.
- Cook onion for a minute or two.
- Deglaze pan with broth or wine. What’s deglazing, you ask? Basically, it’s using a liquid (usually, wine and sometimes something like stock) to remove the stuck on brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add garlic and give that a little cook.
- Add peppers, mushrooms and roasted potatoes.
- Stir in seasonings and cook for a little bit.
- Stir in tomato paste.
- Pour in tomatoes.
- Give everything a little stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Add chicken and sausage back to the pan.
- Cover and cook, checking on partway through to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar when everything is cooked.
- Garnish with some fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.
- Serve and enjoy!
Best Chicken To Use
For a longer cooking time, I like to use chicken thighs. They have lots more flavour, in my opinion, than chicken breasts. Plus, they can withstand longer cooking times and still remain juicy and delicious.
Garnish Ideas
Any of these garnish ideas are delicious:
- Freshly chopped parsley
- Freshly chopped or torn basil
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Sides to Serve With This Recipe
Honestly, this chicken and sausage recipe is so hearty, it’s a meal all by itself. However, if you want to make things even more substantial serve with any of these sides:
- A big hunk of crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce
- Creamy polenta or grits
- Gnocchi (yes, I know there’s potatoes already in this dish but gnocchi is really good with it)
- Roasted broccolini or broccoli
- Green beans
- Green salad
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Herbes de Provence is a mixture of herbs, like rosemary, thyme, basil and the like. You can buy store-bought versions in your grocery’s spice section.
- Not into Herbes de Provence? Just use an equivalent amount of what you have, preferably thyme, rosemary and/or basil. If you want to go more of a traditional Italian American red sauce route, then just use a little oregano. Oregano is quite potent, so I’d start with ¾ teaspoon and see how you feel about that.
- Like the red sauce thicker? Take the cover off halfway through cooking time to allow the sauce to reduce a bit.
- Because the tomato-based sauce is such a predominant component in this recipe, use a good-quality can of tomatoes. I really love San Marzano tomatoes.
- The Italian sausage were left whole, but you could cut into bite-sized chunks if you’d rather.
- The amount of salt I used was just right for my taste buds. Depending on the brand and/or amount of salt in the can of tomatoes you use, the seasoning may need to be adjusted to your taste.
- I cut the bell pepper into strips, but you could also cut into bite-sized chunks. Use whatever colour of bell pepper you have on hand.
- I enjoy the bell peppers on the softer side in this recipe. If you like them with a little more bite, don’t add them in until the last 10 to 15 minutes of cook time.
- Want to infuse even more flavour into this chicken and sausage recipe? Throw in a small rind of Parmesan into the pan when you add the tomato sauce. Discard when cooked.
More Easy Comfort Food Recipes
If you make this easy chicken and sausage recipe with red sauce, be sure to leave a comment below!
This recipe was originally published in November 2015 but has been updated.
Chicken and Sausage Recipe With Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes, peeled if desired (about 12 to 14 baby potatoes)
- 2.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, or use bone in if you prefer
- 4 Italian sausage (pork sausage), about 1 pound
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced or diced
- ⅓ cup chicken broth, or white wine
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
- ½ pound white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 to 4 cups)
- 1.5 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or mixture of your favourite herbs, like thyme, rosemary and oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, blend tomatoes with an immersion blender or break up with a potato masher before using
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1.5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place baby potatoes in a cast-iron skillet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside when time is up. Note: the potatoes will finish cooking later in the sauce.
- Meanwhile, season chicken thighs with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté (or deep) pan over medium heat on the stovetop.Note: The pan should have a lid for use later.
- Place the chicken in the pan and brown for 5 to 7 minutes on one side. Flip the chicken to the other side and brown for another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Note: Chicken is not cooked at this point, we're just adding a little colour to it.
- Add the sausages to the pan and brown for 2 to 3 minutes on one side. Flip the sausages and brown on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer sausages to a plate and set aside. Note: Sausages are not cooked at this point.
- Remove any excess oil from the pan. Add remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with chicken broth (loosening up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan from the chicken and sausages with a wooden spoon) and cook until the broth is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add peppers, mushrooms, cooked potatoes, Herbes de Provence, crushed red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Make a little space in the centre of the pan by pushing veggies to one side. Add tomato paste and stir in.
- Add tomatoes and stir.
- Place reserved chicken and sausages (and any juices) back into pan, tucking into the sauce and covering with it. Bring to a simmer (you want to maintain a gentle bubbling as it cooks) and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring about halfway so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, for 30 to 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken and sausages are fully cooked through (the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit when checked with an instant-read meat thermometer). I actually enjoy dark meat chicken cooked a little longer, about an internal temperature of 175 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit or so.Note: To check the internal temperature of the chicken, insert the instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, all the way to the middle, without touching any bone, fat or gristle. To check the internal temperature of the sausage, insert the instant-read meat thermometer into the end of the sausage. Remove the thermometer from the food after checking the temperature.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, to taste.
- Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve and enjoy! Great with a hunk of crusty bread to soak up that delicious sauce.
Notes
- Herbes de Provence is a mixture of herbs, like rosemary, thyme, basil and the like. You can buy store-bought versions in your grocery’s spice section or make your own. Not into that? Just use an equivalent amount of what you have, preferably thyme, rosemary and/or basil. If you want to go more of a traditional Italian American red sauce route, then just use a little oregano. Oregano is quite potent, so I’d start with ¾ teaspoon and see how you feel about that.
- Like the red sauce thicker? Take the cover off halfway through cooking time to allow the sauce to reduce a bit.
- Because the tomato-based sauce is such a predominant component in this recipe, use a good-quality can of tomatoes. I really love San Marzano tomatoes.
- The Italian sausage were left whole, but you could cut into bite-sized chunks if you’d rather.
- The amount of salt I used was just right for my taste buds. Depending on the brand and/or amount of salt in the can of tomatoes you use, the seasoning may need to be adjusted to your taste.
- I cut the bell pepper into strips, but you could also cut into bite-sized chunks. Use whatever colour of bell pepper you have on hand.
- I enjoy the bell peppers on the softer side in this recipe. If you like them with a little more bite, don’t add them in until the last 10 to 15 minutes of cook time.
- Want to infuse even more flavour into this dish? Throw in a small rind of Parmesan into the pan when you add the tomato sauce. Discard when cooked.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Kim
I know that fresh bread smell you speak of. And yes, it should be bottled. I would definitely need some bread (even if it’s gluten-free) to soak up that amazing sauce. Looks so yummy, Dawn!
Girl Heart Food
Right?! Thanks so much, Kim 🙂
Philip - Chef Sous Chef
This is such a nostalgic recipe to me. I remember my mom used to throw sausages, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers in a roasting pan, cover and let it simmer all day in the oven. This totally reminds me of that. Love it!
Girl Heart Food
So happy to hear that!! Nice when food brings back memories like that! Thank you Philip 🙂