Apple Sausage Chicken Skillet puts dinner on the table in twenty-five minutes using one pan. Bell peppers, zucchini and brussels sprouts cook down alongside sliced chicken apple sausage. The sausage is fully cooked already, so this is really just a vegetable sauté with protein stirred in at the end.
Some more of my family’s favorite chicken recipes include my Buffalo Chicken Empanadas and my Hellmann’s Crusted Parmesan Chicken.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Why this Recipe is a Keeper
This is my answer to a weeknight with nothing planned. Here is why it works.
- Twenty-Five Minutes: Five to prep and twenty to cook, start to plate.
- One Pan: Everything happens in a single skillet, so cleanup is one dish.
- Six Ingredients: Peppers, onion, zucchini, brussels sprouts, sausage and garlic. That is the list.
- Naturally Balanced: Vegetables and protein in one pan, with no side dish required.
Why Is My Sausage Dry and Rubbery?
The heat is almost always too high. Sausage proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture when they cook fast. Keep the skillet at medium and let the sausage warm through rather than searing hard.
Chicken apple sausage is precooked, so it only needs about three minutes in the pan. Add it near the end, after the vegetables have softened, so it is not sitting over heat the whole time.
What Reader’s Are Saying…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing and super easy to make recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!”
~ Allyssa
Ingredient Notes
Six ingredients, and one of them defines the dish.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Apple Sausage: Four links sliced. Aidells is what I use, but any brand works. It is precooked.
- Brussels Sprouts: Five ounces halved. Cut side down gets you browning that the other vegetables do not.
- Zucchini: Two, sliced into quarter inch half moons so they hold shape rather than turning to mush.
- Red Bell Peppers: Two diced. Red is sweeter than green and plays better with the apple sausage.
- Fresh Minced Garlic: A tablespoon and a half, added last so it perfumes without burning.
Variations and Substitutions
This sausage skillet takes additions easily. Try one of these.
➡️ Add Potatoes: Diced sweet or russet potatoes work, though they need a head start in the pan.
➡️ Stir in Pasta: Cook penne to al dente and fold it into the finished skillet.
➡️ Serve Over Grains: Rice or quinoa underneath turns this into a bigger meal.
➡️ Add Fresh Apple: Sliced apple in the last few minutes doubles down on the sausage flavor.
➡️ Change the Sausage: Pork sausage, kielbasa, or a plant based link all substitute directly.
Kitchen Tools To Make It Easier
Almost nothing required for this one.
- Large Skillet: You need one big enough to hold all the vegetables without crowding.
- Chef’s Knife: There is a fair amount of dicing and slicing here.
- Cutting Board: Give yourself room to work through the vegetables.
- Measuring Spoons: Mainly for the garlic and any seasonings you add.
How to Make Apple Sausage Chicken Skillet
Here is the overview. The recipe card below has the full detail.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil.
- Saute the sausage. Cook the brussels sprouts. Then cook the bell peppers and onion until softened, about three to four minutes.
- Add zucchini and cook another three to four minutes.
- Stir in the sliced sausage and cook three minutes to warm it through.
- Finish with the minced garlic for one minute, then remove from heat and serve.
Prep Ahead and Short Cut Tips
Almost all the work here is knife work, so prep is where the time goes.
➡️ Cut Vegetables Early: Dice everything the night before and store it in the fridge.
➡️ Buy Pre-Cut Sprouts: Halved brussels sprouts from the produce section save five minutes.
➡️ Slice Sausage Ahead: It cuts more cleanly straight from the fridge than at room temperature.
➡️ Use Frozen Vegetables: Frozen works in a pinch, though expect softer texture and more moisture.
➡️ Jarred Garlic Works: Pre-minced garlic is a reasonable trade when you are short on time.
Alternate Cooking Methods
The skillet is the point, but the same ingredients work other ways.
Do I Have to Use Fresh Vegetables?
Fresh is better here, since the whole point is vegetables with some bite and browning. Frozen vegetables work if that is what you have, but they release water as they thaw in the pan.
Cook frozen vegetables a little longer and expect a softer result without much caramelization. If you use frozen, do not thaw them first. Add them straight to a hot pan so less liquid pools.
How to Store, Reheat, and Use Leftovers
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until heated through.
- Using Leftovers: Fold the leftovers into scrambled eggs or an omelet for breakfast. They also work over rice, or served alongside caramelized mushrooms and onions.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
➡️ Keep the Heat Moderate: Never let it run hot, since that is what turns the sausage rubbery.
➡️ Add Garlic Last: Hold it until the final minute because burnt garlic ruins the whole pan.
➡️ Do Not Crowd the Pan: Use a genuinely large skillet so the vegetables brown instead of steaming.
➡️ Cut Sprouts Cut-Side Down: Let the halved sprouts sit face down for the browning.
➡️ Season at the End: Taste before adding salt, since the sausage brings plenty on its own.
We Recommend You Try These
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Easy Apple Sausage Chicken Skillet Dinner
Equipment
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 2 Red Bell Peppers, diced
- 1 Purple Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- 2 Zucchinis, 1/4-inch half moons
- 5 ounces Brussels Sprouts, cut in half
- 4 Chicken Apple Sausage Links, sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons Minced Garlic, fresh
Instructions
- Warm your skillet at medium heat. Once your skillet is warm, lightly oil your skillet. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or for a healthier alternative, use cooking spray.
- First add the sausage and brown on all sides for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside. Then cook your brussels sprouts cut side down for about 3 minutes. Then add the bell peppers and onions and all purpose seasoning for an additional 4 minutes. Stirring often.
- Add in your zucchini. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Stir often. Add more oil or cooking spray if needed.
- Add in the cooked sausage. Cook for an additional three minutes.
- Add in your minced garlic last. Stir this into your skillet mixture for about 1 minute to release the flavors of the garlic, but not burn it.
- Remove from heat, transferred to a bowl, and enjoy!
Christina’s Notes
- Keep Heat Moderate: High heat tightens the sausage proteins and makes them rubbery.
- Add Garlic Last: One minute at the end is enough. Any longer and it burns and turns bitter.
- Use a Large Skillet: Crowded vegetables steam instead of browning.
- Sausage Is Precooked: It only needs about three minutes to warm through, not to cook.
- Store Refrigerated: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for three to four days.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing and super easy to make recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Oh wow! Perfect for apple season. Hints of apple from the sausage sound so tasty. Can’t wait to try it!