Easy Grilled Sausage with Peppers, Onions and Herbs
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Grilled sausages are a summer cookout staple-easy, flavorful, and endlessly versatile. Whether you're serving them on buns with mustard and sauerkraut or sliced alongside grilled vegetables, they're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
About This Grilled Recipe
There's something effortlessly satisfying about grilled sausages, especially when paired with colorful peppers and onions. Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout, planning a simple family dinner, or building a summer platter for a crowd, this is one of those no-fuss meals everyone loves.
Serve them tucked into buns with mustard, sliced on a platter with grilled veggies, or alongside a few easy summer sides. It's a quick, flavorful option that always earns a spot on our grill-especially around the Fourth of July, backyard dinners, tailgating, and game days, or casual weekend cookouts.
What You'll Need
Just a few simple ingredients come together for this easy, flavor-packed dish:
- Sausages: Any kind you love-bratwurst, Italian, chicken sausage, or kielbasa
- Bell peppers: Use a mix of red, yellow, and green for color and sweetness
- Onions: Yellow or red onions caramelize beautifully on the grill
- Cooking oil: For tossing the vegetables and preventing sticking
- Salt & pepper: To season the peppers and onions
- Vinegar & sugar: A simple solution to caramelize the peppers and onions
- (Optional) Mustard or buns for serving
Stephanie's Tip: A No-Fail Method for Juicy Grilled Sausages
Perfect for cookouts, tailgating, or feeding a crowd.
To avoid sausages that are over-charred outside but raw or dry inside, try this two-step grilling method:
- Start with a foil pan (or heavy-duty foil packet) filled with sautéed sliced peppers, onions, and a splash of broth or water if needed.
- Cook the sausages in the foil pan over medium to medium-low heat and gently cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Transfer them to the hot grill grates for a final sear-just a few minutes per side-until browned and crisp.
This trick guarantees juicy, flavorful sausages with that perfect snap every time.
Tips for Perfectly Grilled Sausages
- Use medium heat: This prevents splitting and keeps the inside juicy while the outside browns beautifully.
- Don't pierce the sausages: You'll lose flavorful juices-let them sear naturally.
- Turn often: Use tongs to rotate every few minutes for even cooking and caramelization.
- Let them rest: A few minutes off the grill keeps them juicy before serving.
- Optional: Finish over high heat for extra crispiness right before serving.
What to Serve with Grilled Sausages
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Potato salad (try this German Potato Salad)
- Classic coleslaw or cucumber salad
- Buns, spicy mustard, sauerkraut for serving
- Summer drinks like lemonade, iced tea, or sangria
Variations and Tips
- Try different sausage types: bratwurst, Italian, chicken-apple, or kielbasa
- Slice sausages after grilling and serve as a platter with dipping sauces for parties
- For heat: add sliced jalapeños or serve with hot mustard
Frequently Asked Questions
Any sturdy sausage will grill well. Bratwurst, Italian sausages (hot or sweet), kielbasa, chicken sausages, and even plant-based sausages are all great options. Just avoid fresh sausages without casings unless using a grill pan or foil.
Yes! Grill the sausages as directed, then let them rest and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat them gently on the grill or in a covered pan with a splash of broth or water to keep them moist.
Use a grill basket or large piece of foil to hold the vegetables. Toss them in olive oil and seasonings, then grill alongside the sausages for maximum flavor.
More Grill Recipes to Try Next
- Mediterranean Grilled Lemon Chicken (simple marinade!)
- Best Old-Fashioned Grilled Hamburger Recipe
- Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Thighs
- Easy Sticky Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
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Grilled Sausage with Peppers, Onions and Herbs
Ingredients
- 6 sausages Italian, Bratwurst or other fresh sausages
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion sliced into 1/4-inch strips or rounds (about 2 cups)
- 4 peppers (bell, anaheim, hatch, etc.) stems and cores removed, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- small bunch of fresh thyme leaves more for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly golden in spots. Add vinegar and sugar. Remove from heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Season to taste with salt and pepper and thyme leaves.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat, with one side warm and the other side cool. Transfer the onion and pepper mixture to a 10-inch disposable foil pan or heavy-duty foil packet. Nestle sausages into onion and pepper mixture.
- Place the tray on the grill's warm side, bring it to a simmer, and then slide it to the cooler side of the grill. Close and cook until the sausages reach 140°F or 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes, turning them once halfway through the cooking process.
- Using tongs, remove the sausages from the peppers and place them directly on the hot grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until well browned and crisp, about 3 minutes total. Return the sausages to the peppers and serve.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
We love these grilled sausages for parties, cookouts, and especially for tailgating. With simple elevated flavors, they are deliciously fuss-free without tasting like it!