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Sausage and Veggies Skillet

Sausage and veggies skillet with caramelized smoked sausage rounds and blistered bell peppers, zucchini, and onion in one cast iron pan. Quick, weeknight-friendly skillet dinner with deep golden edges and charred, tender-crisp vegetables.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sausage
  • 14 oz smoked sausage or kielbasa
Vegetables
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 garlic
Seasoning and finishing
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 fresh parsley for serving
  • 0.25 lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the sausage
  1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage rounds in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until deeply golden on one side.
  2. Flip the sausage rounds and cook another 2 minutes until the second side is deeply golden. Remove the sausage to a plate or bowl and set aside.
Char the peppers and onion
  1. Add bell peppers and onion to the same skillet and spread them into a single layer. Cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes until blistered and charred at the edges.
Cook zucchini and garlic
  1. Add zucchini and garlic to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until zucchini is just tender with bright color.
Season and reheat together
  1. Sprinkle smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper over the vegetables. Return sausage to the pan and toss to distribute the seasonings.
  2. Toss everything together for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges, squeezing over the skillet just before eating.

Notes

For the best char, avoid crowding the sausage and vegetables—use a wide cast iron skillet or cook in two batches if needed. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in the skillet over medium until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because bell peppers and zucchini can soften too much. For a lighter option, use turkey kielbasa or lean chicken sausage while keeping the same seasoning and high-heat blistering steps.