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This Smoked Sausage and Zucchini Skillet is a quick and easy meal on its own, or is fabulous served with rice or pasta. With loads of flavor and loads of veggies it’s a quick 20 minute meal that you don’t have to feel guilty about.
We love easy meals that can be served in under 30 minutes like this sausage and zucchini skillet. Some of our other quick favorites will impress your family just as much, like Penne Pasta Primavera or our Easy Bolognese Sauce.
Smoked Sausage and Zucchini Skillet
Have you ever had an idea for something you wanted to make for dinner, and it turned out way better than you anticipated? Yeah, this was one of those.
It was one of those nights where I had vegetables in the fridge that had to be used up and I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. I’ve been really into cooking meals in my new cast iron skillet (I seriously love this thing) and I knew that the smoked sausage would add some really great flavor.
Here are the tools you will need:
- 12″ Cast Iron Skillet or 12″ Stainless Steel Pan
- A sharp knife
- Cutting Board
How To Make Smoked Sausage and Zucchini Skillet
- First slice up the sausage and some onion and toss them into a buttered skillet. Because butter makes everything better. (You could always use olive oil instead).
- Add some minced garlic and stir it up, then add sliced zucchini and yellow squash, oregano and some red pepper flakes for a little heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then add a couple handfuls of grape tomatoes. As the squash cooks, the tomatoes will begin to break down and create this amazing sauce, just enough to lightly coat the veggies and sausage.
- Once the squash is soft but still has some bite to it, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This was the point where I tasted the zucchini and decided it needed just a little salt. You could certainly leave that out if you prefer.
Are sausages already cooked?
Yes, they are. You could really eat them cold right out of the package if you wanted to. But they are much tastier once you’ve browned them in a skillet for a bit first.
Serving Suggestions
This could easily be a fabulous meal all on its own if you want something low carb, but we served it over some steamed rice or buttered noodles. That sauce I talked about? It coated the rice and gave it such a great flavor. There are leftovers in the fridge, and I call dibs!
What To Do With Leftovers
This smoked sausage and zucchini skillet makes for some pretty delicious leftovers. Store covered in the fridge for 3-4 days, and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.
More easy dinners that use smoked sausage
- Grilled Sausage and Peppers Foil Packets
- One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet
- Smoked Sausage and Potatoes Hash
- Smoked Sausage & Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
- White Bean, Kale & Sausage Soup
- Easy Shrimp Boil Sheet Pan Dinner
Smoked Sausage and Zucchini Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 14 ounces smoked sausage cut in half lengthwise and then into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 medium zucchini cut in half lengthwise and then into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 yellow squash cut in half lengthwise and then into ¼ inch pieces
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat.
- Melt olive oil in the pan, then add the diced onion. Stir and cook until onions are soft; 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the smoked sausage. Cook until sausage is browned; about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the veggies and seasonings and cook another 7 minutes or until zucchini is tender (soft, but still has a bit of crunch to it).
- Serve on it's own or over a bed of steamed rice.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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Just finished making this and it is quite good. I am diabetic, so I’m not serving this on rice, pasta, etc. because of the carbs. On its own, everything works well together. I made sure to add enough salt and pepper, plus I added paprika. I’m sure I’ll make this again.
Thanks for the comment Chris! We are so glad you enjoyed it.
Simple and quick to throw together and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!
Thank you kag!
This was so good! My picky daughter even went for seconds! After reading some reviews, i decided to add my spin. Added red bell peppers and some baby bellas i had in the fridge. My sausage was a specialty smoked sausage packed with flavor and spices. Added cooked bow tie at the end with a ladle of the pasta water and a handfull of parm and pizza blend cheese.
Awesome feedback Beverly! Thanks for stopping by.
5 people, no leftovers. The only change I would make is to increase the seasoning. We found it a little on the bland side. Overall, an excellent dish.
Thank you Mike! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I followed the recipe but added a few things. I added green peppers and my cherry tomatoes disappeared so I got 2 tomatoes from our garden and cut into chIunks. I added a cup of Italian cheese I melted over the top. We ate it as is. I didn’t serve it over anything. Rice or noodles b would v be good. Also I browned sausage first then added onions and garlic. I took pictures but couldn’t add to comment.
Awesome feedback Bonnie! Thanks for stopping by.
Delicious! We added rice to the dish and it was wonderful! My husband says this one is a keeper! Thanks for sharing this great recipe
You are so welcome Deb! Thanks for stopping by.
Why would you put the garlic in so soon? How do you keep it from burning
It’s constantly being stirred with the other ingredients and comes out great. You could hold off if you prefer. It wouldn’t significantly alter the taste.
This is nothing short of EXCELLENT! Plus it’s quick and easy to make.
I had to improvise a bit as I didn’t have the yellow squash so I substituted cremini mushrooms and baby heirloom tomatoes instead of grape/cherry tomatoes – but boy did it turn out GREAT!
I’ve made it a few times now for my family and everyone enjoys it greatly.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
You are so welcome Suzanne! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Had no yellow squash and I don’t add salt to anything, but other than that I made this according to recipe. Served with quinoa. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Nice! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by Barbara.
Loved this! Added prepared bow tie pasta at the end and tossed. Delicious!
Nice! Thank you for your feedback Mary.
This was excellent! My hubby’s not big on smoked sausage, but I love it. I grew up with it being a staple in our house. Well the hubs LOVED it!!! Needless to say, it’ll be on the table again & again!!
Nice! Thanks for sharing Jackie.
I knew I’d like this recipe because smoked sausage was a staple in our family growing up. My husband only ever gave it a soso rating. He LOVED this recipe!! He’s even looking forward to the leftovers! It’s a keeper for sure!!
Nice! Awesome feedback Jackie, thanks for stopping by.
Can this be made and frozen?
Yes tenihcally you can freeze it – since zucchini is pretty watery, it may not thaw and reheat very well.
This was delicious. I did add sliced mushrooms, because I had them and why not? And I added just a touch of beef broth. I served it over brown rice. Will definitely make it again.
Nice! Love the feedback Patti. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi,
Do you have any suggestions of something else to put in place of the squash?
Renee
You could use any vegetable you like – mushrooms, green beans, carrots, potatoes…but the recipe if for zucchini so the cook time would be different if you use another vegetable.
Loved this dish !! So easy,So good 👍
Thank you Sue!
I made this recipe and filled omlets with it with a little cheese. Very pleased.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Lance.
K.
Delicious I used hot links for the sausage
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Randall.
This dish is off the chain awesome! I’m not a huge tomato fan but the tomatoes make it work so well!
Thanks for the awesome feedback J!
This is one of my favorites quick meals that I comeback to often. Majority of the time I have some of the ingredients on hand.
That’s awesome to hear, thanks Shandra!
This was delicious! I made it following the recipe. The flavors go great together! I had more than enough to last me for the week. I paired mine with brown rice. The veggies had a perfect crunch and that flavor so yummy!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Michele.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious!!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Nicole.
I’m making it now and looks and smells Delicious!
Nice! Thanks for dropping by Susan, we would love to here your feedback.
What can I use instead of tomatoes?
You can leave out the tomatoes or you could swap them for any type of quicker cooking vegetable like onions, peppers or mushrooms.
This was fabulous. I changed up things a teensy bit though. I used 3 super large cloves of garlic which is actually more like 6 normal cloves. Started with a mix of butter and olive oil. Added more oregano and threw is some Adobo seasoning along with Himalyan pink salt. I also added grape tomatoes at the end towards the last 5-7 minutes of cooking. My experience with grape tomatoes is they don’t hold up too well if cooked long, and I wanted them to break down just a little and not become mushy. Left out the crushed red pepper because I have young kids. Served over Jasmine Brown rice with a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce at the table and a loaf of warmed sourdough bread.
Loved the blend of flavors and the ease of putting everything all together. My teenager loved it and made sure she had the leftovers for breakfast the next day!
Thank you Lori! So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
Great dish. However, I changed the recipe some. I used more garlic, left the onions in slivers, and instead of tomatoes I used a half of red bell pepper, and had a green bell pepper. Instead of crushed red pepper I sliced and minced a fresh serrano pepper(most of the seeds removed). I used Turkey sausage as well.
Love this recipe. So fast and easy but busting with flavor!!! Ty!! ??
Hi Kristin! I love your recipes! Just wanted to drop you a line that I love this recipe so much that I linked to it (https://lunchwithleah.com/9-easy-quick-healthy-weeknight-meals/) in a recent recipe round-up post I wrote about healthy weeknight meals for busy families.
This recipe is in constant rotation at our home, sometimes with variations but always yummy. Thanks for creating delicious recipes!
Leah @ LunchwithLeah.com
Good recipe! I omitted the onions & used onion powder instead. Really tasty!
What about adding other veggies to this, have you tried adding broccoli or mushrooms?
I think that would be fabulous!
Oh my gosh – the flavors in this are amazing!! My new fave way to get veggies in me 🙂 I used one sweet Italian chicken sausage and one hot Italian chicken sausage – perfect balance! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is one of our staples now! I use canned diced tomatoes to save a little time and money. Delicious!
Great idea, I have a can of roasted tomatoes ice been eager to add to a recipe. Perfect timing.
I made this recipe for the first time a few weeks ago. Since then, I crave it almost every day! It is so delicious! It has a really good fresh taste too it that also feels like an indulgence. I love it! I will probably make this every week for a while. Haha. Highly recommend to anyone!
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