One of our favorite foods to find at the fair is really easy to make at home! Savory sausage, peppers, and onions on the grill are a cinch to make and delicious loaded into rolls.
My favorite part of the fair is the ridiculously indulgent food. Unfortunately, there are some years that we just can’t get to the fair: we have other plans or too little money, or forces beyond our control mean it’s just not happening.
In these instances, it’s a perfect time to make our own State Fair Food At Home.
Some of my fave fair foods are sugar dusted slabs of Fried Dough and long ears of Corn on the Cob Drenched In Butter. And the state fair food I'm craving here? Sausage, Peppers and Onions on the grill!
Ah, I can picture it now: the smoke and heavenly aroma of grilling meat and veggies wafting through the fairgrounds. It's almost like in old cartoons, where the wispy fingers of smoke draw us closer and closer.
The funny thing about this particular state fair craving is that it's an easy one to make at home - no need to wait for the fair!
Why you'll love this recipe
This is a great recipe to pull out for a fun family barbecue or for when your friends are coming over. The rolls filled with the savory, juicy sausages and tender rings of peppers and onions will be such the hit.
The sausages get a quick cook on the stovetop in a beer bath. Not only does this plump them up and give some extra flavor, it also makes sure the sausages cook through with burning or bursting on the grill.
🔪 How to make Sausage, Peppers and Onions on the Grill
Step 1: Cook the sausages on the stovetop
Bring beer to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add in the sausages and enough water so they're just covered. Simmer the sausages for five minutes, then remove them from the pan.
Step 2: Cut the peppers and onions
While the sausages cook, slice the bell peppers and onions into thin rings.
Step 3: Get grilling
Heat a gas grill to medium heat. Spread the sliced peppers and onions out on a rimmed baking sheet or sheets of foil set on the grates, and drizzle them with oil. Turn and grill the veggies until they're soft and browning.
Add the sausages to the grill and cook them for 5 to 10 more minutes, to finish cooking them through and give them some color.
Step 4: Load them into rolls
Cut open long sub rolls. Add in some hot peppers and onions, and then a sausage. Add a few more peppers and onions to the top, along with cheese if you'd like, hot sauce, mustard - whatever you'd like!
Notes:
- The sausage in my photos are brats, but you can use hot or sweet Italian sausages as well.
- Precooked sausages can also be used in this recipe - like kielbasa or smoked sausage. Since these are precooked, you can skip the beer bath and just heat them through on the grill.
It's about time for some Sausage, Peppers and Onions on the Grill, don't you think? Find the recipe below! And here are more recipes to tempt you as well:
💬 How do you like this taste of the fair at home? Scroll down to leave a star rating on the recipe, and a comment for me!
Sausage, Peppers and Onions on the Grill
Ingredients
- 12 fluid ounces beer
- 4 Bratwurst sausages (between 3 and 4 ounces each)
- 3 large bell peppers, washed (I like a combination of green and red)
- 2 medium yellow onions (about 6 to 7 ounces each)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 sub rolls
- Any condiments you'd like such as mustard, hot sauce, shredded cheese, etc.
Instructions
Cook the brats on the stovetop:
- Bring the beer to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the 4 bratwurst sausages (brats) and just enough water so that the brats are just covered. Simmer the brats for 5 minutes. Then remove them from the beer. They will be plump and also a little grayish looking - but don't worry! They will get more color once you grill them. Hold the brats aside until it's time to grill.
Prepare the peppers and onions:
- While the brats simmer, slice the bell peppers into rings. Do this by laying the pepper on its side, then slicing off the top. Pull out the bundle of seeds and tap the pepper upside down over the sink to get the loose seeds out. With the pepper still on its side, slice it into thin rings - about ¼ inch thick.
- Slice the onions into rings: slice off the bottom and peel away the outer, papery layers. Then with the onion still on its side, slice it into rings about ¼ inch thick.
Grill the veggies and brats:
- Have ready a rimmed baking sheet to place on one half of your grill grates, or a sheet of heavy duty foil. Preheat a gas grill, then turn the burners to medium.
- Place the baking sheet or foil on one half of the grill. Pour two tablespoons of the oil over the pan or foil, then spread the pepper and onion rings over it. Drizzle the last tablespoon of oil over the veggies.
- Close the cover and grill the peppers and onions, turning them every few minutes with tongs, for 10-15 minutes. They should be softened and browning here and there.
- About 5 minutes before the veggies are done, add the brats to the other half of the grill. Cook them for 5 or 10 minutes, turning them a few times - you want to finish cooking them through and give them some color and grill marks. The internal temperature of the finished brats should be 160 degrees.
Assemble the sausage, peppers and onions
- If the sub rolls aren't already cut, slice them open now. Lay some grilled peppers and onions in each roll and then add a grilled sausage to each. Add a few more rings of peppers and onions to the top of each sausage.
- Serve the sausages and folks can add toppings like shredded cheese, hot sauce, ketchup, spicy mustard, horseradish - go nuts! Enjoy.
Notes
- The sausage in my photos are bratwurst or brats, but you can use hot or sweet Italian sausages as well.
- Precooked sausages can also be used in this recipe - like kielbasa or smoked sausage. Since these are precooked, you can skip the beer bath and just heat them through on the grill.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published in 2014. Post and recipe updated June 2020.
TimB
So far this is the best recipe that I have found amongst all in my search.
While I'll be using vegan sausage in mine, the rest is the same as yours. Thanks for posting it.
Nancy Mock
I'm so glad you like it, Tim! Thanks for sharing this with me!
Anonymous
This is one of my favorites too!! Yum!
Nancy Mock
Thanks for checking out my post!