There’s something about the smell of smoked sausage with peppers and onions that just makes my mouth water. That combination never really gets old. Luckily, there are a million ways to incorporate that delicious combo into different meals. Today I turned it into a quick skillet dinner with the cooked farro that I’ve been transforming all week. This Smoked Sausage Skillet with Peppers and Farro is like a dinner shortcut. It comes together quickly, delivers big flavor, and will keep you full.
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What is Farro?
Farro is a high fiber, high protein grain, often considered on of the “ancient grains.” It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture, similar to wheat berries. Farro is cooked the same way as other grains, by boiling in water until tender. For detailed instructions, read my tutorial on how to cook farro.
Can I Use A Different Grain?
If you don’t like farro or can’t find it, don’t worry! You can actually substitute two cups of cooked pasta in this recipe with great results. Or, if you’re more of a rice person, simply make the sausage, pepper, onion, tomato mix, and then spoon it over a bowl of cooked rice. Doing the low carb thing? Well, the sausage, pepper, onion, and tomatoes is quite delicious on its own. I kept stealing spoonfuls of it before I stirred in the farro! :)
What Kind of Smoked Sausage is Best?
You can really use any type of smoked sausage in this dish, from andouille, to kielbasa, or even a smoked turkey sausage. If you can’t find a smoked sausage, this dish would probably be pretty good even with something like Italian sausage.
Smoked Sausage with Peppers and Farro
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
- 1/2 lb. smoked sausage ($2.50)
- 2 bell peppers ($2.00)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.31)
- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes* ($1.09)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a mill) ($0.03)
- 2 cups cooked farro ($1.00)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (optional) ($0.20)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions and bell peppers. Slice the smoked sausage into 1/4 inch thick medallions.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and sauté until browned. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the sliced onions and bell peppers to the skillet. Continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, some freshly cracked pepper, and the cooked farro. Stir until evenly combined and allow to heat through (5-7 minutes). Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve topped with chopped parsley.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Color Cutting Boards
- Deep Stainless Steel Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Smoked Sausage with Peppers and Farro – Step by Step Photos
Begin by thinly slicing one yellow onion and two bell peppers. I used green because they were less expensive, but you can use other colored peppers if you prefer.
Also slice 1/2 lb. of smoked sausage. I used pork sausage, but you can use turkey if you prefer. This was “hot” smoked sausage, but it doesn’t have to be. If you WANT spicy, but can’t find hot smoked sausage, simply add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the skillet.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet and heat over a medium flame. Add the sliced sausage and sauté until it is browned. Drain off the excess fat.
Add the sliced peppers and onions to the skillet…
And continue to sauté until the onions are wilted. The moisture from the peppers and onions should help dissolve some of the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. This is where I’m smelling the smells and going absolutely crazy.
Add a 15oz. can of diced tomatoes to the skillet (with the juices). I used diced tomatoes that are flavored with green pepper, celery, and onion, but you could also use a fire roasted diced tomato, or even just a plain jane diced tomato.
In addition to the tomatoes, add 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill).
Finally, add 2 cups cooked farro (or cooked pasta), stir to combine, and heat through. Taste and adjust the salt if needed (I did not add any). The farro will absorb some of the flavorful tomato juices and get all deeeelicious.
Top the smoked sausage skillet with chopped fresh parsley just before serving (optional).
It’s sooo good (and so easy)!
used Orzo instead of farro and added a bit of tomato sauce just because we had an open jar that needed to be used up. Super yummy!!!
This looks good! Is farro gluten free?
I did a quick Google and found this: “Farro is not gluten-free. Farro is a term used to describe three traditional wheat species: emmer, spelt and einkorn. Unfortunately, none of these species are gluten-free as they all are different names for types of wheat.”
Made this tonight and it was delicious, everyone loved it. Question — where are you getting farro so cheap? Here at Kroger there’s a small bag for like $6.29 and that’s only about 2 1/4 cups uncooked. I was thinking of subbing out brown rice or something but I’m sure it wouldn’t be as good.
Unfortunately I don’t remember where I got the farro (this one was four years ago), but at that time I was living in New Orleans and doing a lot of my shopping at Whole Foods. They actually have some pretty good prices for basics, like dry grains, so you might want to check there. :) Could have also been from their bulk bins!
If you have a Winco, Sprouts, or While Foods near you, you can find it a lot cheaper than that in the bulk/bin section😊
Really enjoyed this! I made it with pearled barley instead of farro because that’s what I had (though I do love farro) and it was delicious. I used Tofurky kielbasa to make it vegetarian and added just a touch of cayenne pepper to the mix while things were simmering together. I used fire roasted tomatoes too. Definitely a quick dinner winner!
I made it with sweet Italian sausage since thats all we had with the quarantine. I added red pepper flakes and paprika to add in the heat and smoky flavor. Next time I would add another onion. Delicious recipe!
Great recipe I just made this weekend. Heating up the leftovers with a fried egg on top and a little sriracha is almost better!
I used Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe’s and it gave it a nice, little kick! I used the entire 12.8 oz package, for additional protein to offset some of the carbs from the farro. I also used red pepper instead of green, solely preference. I’m wondering, has anyone tried to freeze the leftovers? And, did it reheat well?
I have made this recipe over and over. I change sausage and rice. Occasionally I add a little broth to keep it moist. S o effortless!
This was not good at all. Terribly unflavorful to the point that I couldn’t even finish my serving.
I made this with smoked andoullie sausage, one green and one red pepper, 1/2 an onion, Italian seasoning (was out of plain oregano), and also some Cajun seasoning. I used brown Jasmati rice instead of the farro. Delicious!! I’m going to add some red beans next time!
My family needed a quick meal that we could make without going to the grocery store so we used quinoa instead of the farro and added a little bit of salt and it was delicious!
Working my way through BB backlog. This is very much like Hungarian lecso. Next time I’m going to stop by the Hungarian stand at my local market and pick some of their special lecso sausage and smoked fatback. Farro is unavailable here so I used some local pearl barley.
I’ve made sausage/peppers/onions about every two weeks or so for the last couple of years using different methods (grill, grill pan, oven roast). This recipe, with the addition of the tomatoes and farro, was amazing and by far the best! I’ve made this twice so far. I use red pepper instead of green (personal preference). More onion (2 sweets) and less pepper (just one)…again, personal preference . I use fire-roasted tomatoes. And, I actually cook the farro in the same skillet turning down the temp and letting it simmer for a while.
Made this dish for dinner for my husband and I tonight with two slight alterations. I had a few slices of bacon left over that I wanted to use before they went bad that I cut up and cooked with the sausage. I also used the diced tomatoes with roasted garlic. So yummy!
i made this dish last night and it was a complete hit! I used hot italian sausage that i first roasted in the oven. Once cool, I sliced it up and added it to the sauteed veggies. Delicious!!!!
I just made this tonight and it is incredible! I used TJ’s smoked andouille chicken sausage and fire roasted tomatoes and am super excited to eat this for lunch this week. Lunch is the hardest meal for me because nothing ever seems appealing, but I think this will do the trick.
Thanks for your awesome website! It’s not the first recipe I’ve made and will definitely not be the last. :)
I made this for the second time tonight. This time with much nicer sausage. I think it’s organic and humanely raised. Not that the other one wasn’t humanely raised. Anyway, this is so incredibly easy delicious and cheap I love it. Thank you both for all of your wonderful recipes. You truly make cooking a joy
We love smokes sausage at our house and I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love the addition of tomatoes with the sausage and vegetables. I couldn’t find faro locally so I ordered some from Bob’s Red Mill and it’s organic. As soon as it gets here, you can bet we will be having this dish fro dinner.
Try this recipe with cooked barley
This is a great example of a dish that is way more than the sum of its parts! I made it for dinner earlier this week and was blown away by how delicious it was. Great for making on weeknights (especially if you cook the farro ahead of time) and includes veggies, protein and whole grains.
I used a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes instead, and 12 oz if smoked chicken sausage, and 2.5 cups of cooked farro : this recipe was delicious, easy to prepare, inexpensive and somewhat healthy, excellent
I tried this recipe on yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! Quick, easy, yummy and also healthy for the MAJOR WIN. I couldn’t find farro at my local store so I opted for wheat spaghetti noodles.
Thank you for your dedication to these posts and for helping the beginner cooks who are also on a budget. <3
Fast, easy, and delicious! Thank you!!
The Smoked Sausage Skillet with Peppers is out-of-this world DELICIOUS!! Unfortunately, I was having a difficult time finding farro, so I used bow tie pasta instead. I will definitely make this dish again, and thank you so much for the recipe, Beth!!! :-)
Already had a version of this planned for supper.
Peppers, onion, mushroom, potatoes, and farmer sausage… Old bay seasoning and a little more oregano. Oven roasted, served over rice.
From prep to served in a little over an hour.
I make something similar for my family when time is short. I roast the sausage, peppers, onions, and potatoes with a little oil, some grill seasoning and a piece or two of fresh rosemary. It is quick, easy and smells almost as good as it tastes. In the summer I prepare it on the grill, I just pre cook the potatoes a bit in the microwave.
I’ve been enjoying your “farro:” series, look forward to every post. I like the fact that a batch of cooked farro can be frozen and then used for a quick and healthy dish like this one. I have four kids and cook from scratch (because I like it, and because it is more budget friendly). Always happy to add a new quick and healthy recipe to the rotation. Thanks, Beth!
I’ll try this recipe for sure. I’ve been substituting a lot of the recipes with cold pressed coconut oil and honestly, I feel like it works a lot more efficiently than vegetable oil and olive oil. If you ever want to try it out, it’s pretty awesome stuff. The flash point is higher too, so your food won’t spoil as quickly when cooked in it and it doesn’t leave a coconut taste, even though it smells like it should or would. Thanks for sharing so many great recipes!
Yum! Comfort food at its finest.
You are right. I’ve made this for years with pasta, usually bow tie. We just call it: sausage and peppers and onions, oh my! (To the tune of lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Teehee)
This recipe goes well over a bowl of quinoa as well, if you don’t want to eat it with rice or farro.
Thanks, I was going to ask that. I love quinoa!
Mmmmmmmmm!! My mouth is watering right now!! This recipe would be perfect to make for lunch!! :-)