Chicken and Sausage Recipe With Peppers

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:

1. 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.
2. Meanwhile, in a pan on the stovetop, brown the seasoned chicken on both sides in a little olive 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.
3. 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.
4. Cook onion for a minute or two.
5. 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.
6. Add garlic and give that a little cook.
7. Add peppers, mushrooms and roasted potatoes.
8. Stir in seasonings and cook for a little bit.
9. Stir in tomato paste.
10. Pour in tomatoes.
11. Give everything a little stir to ensure everything is incorporated.
12. Add chicken and sausage back to the pan.
13. Cover and cook, checking on partway through to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
14. Stir in balsamic vinegar when everything is cooked.
15. Garnish with some fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.
16. 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? Add a small rind of Parmesan to the pan when you add the tomato sauce. Discard when cooked.

More Easy Comfort Food Recipes

• Farro with Vegetables and Sausage
• Homemade Meatballs With Tomato Sauce
• Easy Mushroom Risotto

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.