My homemade Sausage Pizza recipe is piled up with marinara, mozzarella, Italian sausage, and red bell peppers. It’s easy to make and filled with flavor, making it the perfect family friendly recipe! Pizza night at our house always includes this delicious pizza, just bursting with flavor.
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What’s in This Sausage Pizza Recipe?
As a mom of two young kids, we do pizza night more times than I’d like to admit. My sons, Henry and Jack, love to pile on all their favorite toppings and help me cook. It’s a special (and delicious) time. This easy Sausage Pizza is one that we have made time and time again.
- Sausage: We like Italian sausage for a classic taste (both mild and hot work), but you can really use any kind of sausage you like. Chorizo, andouille, bratwurst, or even breakfast sausage can all be delicious!
- Pizza Dough: Use your favorite store-bought refrigerated dough, or make your own!
- Sauce: A classic marinara sauce or pizza sauce are both great options. Use store-bought or make your own.
- Cheese: We like freshly shredded mozzarella cheese for its classic flavor, but feel free to get creative.
- Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper adds a touch of sweetness and a vegetal flavor that balances out the sausage so well.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
Take your average homemade pizza up a notch by adding some Italian sausage and bell peppers! You can go sweet or spicy by changing the type of sausage. This pizza can be a project or an easy weeknight meal!
Variations on Italian Sausage Pizza
This pizza with sausage is such a classic! I love to customize by adding some pepperoni, mushrooms, spinach, or black olives. For a bit of sweet and spicy flavor, I drizzle the pizza with hot honey!
Tips to Make this Recipe Even Easier
Here at The Cookie Rookie, my focus is always easy recipes. Helping people learn how to cook, and teaching the little hacks that can save time and effort in the kitchen. For pizza night, I often use store-bought crust. That can mean the type that comes in a can and you still bake, or even a fully baked crust that all you have to do is top off and eat! Don’t feel guilty about making cooking as simple as possible.
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How to Store and Reheat
I store leftover sausage pizza slices in an airtight container, resealable bag, or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. I keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes or in a covered dry skillet with 1 teaspoon of water until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze sausage pizza slices in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or resealable bag to store for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
It’s not a real pizza night at our home without these quintessential side dishes! We love our Italian sausage pizza paired with garlic knots or a classic Caesar salad. It’s also delicious with mozzarella sticks or Buffalo wings on game day!
Sausage Pizza Recipe
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces Italian sausage links mild or spicy
- 1 pound pizza dough store-bought or homemade
- Semolina flour optional, for pizza peel
- ½ cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into ¼-inch slices
- Chili oil optional, for serving
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F. If you have a pizza stone, heat it up for about 30 minutes.
- Take the sausage meat out of the casing and make small 1-inch balls. Cook these sausage balls in a large skillet on medium-high heat until they're light brown and no longer pink, around 3-4 minutes. Drain them and put them on a plate with paper towels. Set them aside.12 ounces Italian sausage links
- Roll or gently stretch your pizza dough into a big circle. If you're not using a pizza stone, just put the stretched dough on a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you're using a pizza stone, sprinkle a bit of semolina flour on a pizza peel and lay the dough there.1 pound pizza dough, Semolina flour
- Spread the pizza sauce all over the dough, leaving about an inch of space around the edges.½ cup marinara sauce
- Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Then distribute the cooked sausage and sliced pepper on top.1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 red bell pepper
- Bake it for 6-9 minutes until the edges of the crust are all golden and the cheese is all melty.
- If you like, serve it with some chili oil for an extra kick. Enjoy!Chili oil
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Sausage Pizza Step by Step
Cook the Sausage: Preheat your oven to 500°F. If you have a pizza stone, heat it up for about 30 minutes. Take 12 ounces of sausage meat out of the casing and make small 1-inch balls. Cook these sausage balls in a large skillet on medium-high heat until they’re light brown and no longer pink, around 3-4 minutes. Drain them and put them on a plate with paper towels. Set them aside.
Stretch the Dough: Roll or gently stretch 1 pound of pizza dough into a big circle. If you’re not using a pizza stone, just put the stretched dough on a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you’re using a pizza stone, sprinkle a bit of semolina flour on a pizza peel and lay the dough there. Spread ½ cup of sauce all over the dough, leaving about an inch of space around the edges.
Top and Bake: Sprinkle on 1 cup of freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. Then distribute the cooked sausage and 1 sliced red bell pepper on top. Bake it for 6-9 minutes until the edges of the crust are all golden and the cheese is all melty. If you like, serve it with some chili oil for an extra kick. Enjoy!
Yes! This pizza will not be in the oven long enough to cook the sausage through, so make sure to precook it!
Nope! Whether you slice or crumble your sausage, it still needs to be cooked before it is added.
