Italian Sausage and Peppers Skillet

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Sausage and peppers is normally a low-carb dish already — the carbs come almost entirely from the hoagie roll it’s piled onto at a street fair. Skip the bun and eat it straight from the skillet and you’re left with Italian sausage, bell peppers, onion, garlic and a little crushed tomato. Use plain pork Italian sausage with no sugar in the seasoning and the whole pan stays keto.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage links (sweet or hot, no sugar added)
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh basil, torn, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage links and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate — they won’t be cooked through yet.

2. Cook the vegetables: Add the bell peppers and onion to the same skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred at the edges, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. Simmer: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Nestle the sausages back into the skillet along with any juices. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through (160°F internal).

4. Serve: Season with salt and pepper, slice the sausages if you like, and scatter fresh basil over the top. Serve straight from the skillet.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Don’t fully cook the sausages in step 1 — they finish in the tomato sauce and stay juicier that way.
• Cast iron gives the peppers and onions the best color; use the widest pan you have so they sear instead of steam.
• Leftovers are excellent folded into a morning omelet.