Growing up, Portuguese Sausage and Peppers was one of those dishes that filled the whole house with the most incredible smell. My mom made this often, and it never lasted long! What I love most about this recipe is how forgiving it is — you really can’t go wrong. Use Linguiça or Chouriço if you can find them, but any good sausage will work beautifully here.
What is Portuguese Sausage and Peppers?
Portuguese Sausage and Peppers is a simple, satisfying dish built around smoky cured sausage — traditionally Linguiça or Chouriço — sautéed with onions, peppers, garlic, and a splash of beer or wine. It’s a staple of Portuguese home cooking, equally at home stuffed into a crusty roll or served over butter rice. The addition of pimenta moida (Portuguese hot sauce) gives it that distinctive kick you won’t find anywhere else.
How to Make This Recipe
The key to this dish is patience with your onions and peppers — let them soften fully before adding the sausage. Start with oil and butter in a skillet, build your base of onions and garlic, then add the peppers. Once everything is soft and fragrant, add the paprika, tomato paste, and pimenta moida, then your sausage. Add your liquid — beer, wine, or water — a little at a time so it stays saucy rather than soupy. A short simmer at the end pulls it all together.
Tips for the Best Portuguese Sausage and Peppers
- Use sausage you’d eat on its own. Linguiça or Chouriço are traditional and worth sourcing if you can. The smokiness defines the dish.
- Don’t rush the onions. They need to be fully translucent before you move on — this builds the flavor base.
- Add liquid slowly. Pour in a few ounces at a time and let it reduce slightly between additions. Too much too fast turns this into soup.
- Tomato paste goes in a well. Push it into the center of the pan and let it cook for 30 seconds before stirring — this caramelizes it slightly and removes the raw edge.
- Cut your sausage to match how you’re serving it. Coins or half-moons for rice, bite-size chunks for sandwiches.
- Pimenta moida is worth finding. Any hot sauce works in a pinch, but pimenta moida has a bright, vinegary heat that’s distinctly Portuguese.
- Leftovers are arguably better. The flavors deepen overnight. Serve over eggs the next morning — you’ll thank me later.
Serving and Storing
Portuguese Sausage and Peppers is best served hot, either tucked into a crusty Portuguese roll or spooned over butter rice. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a small splash of water to loosen it up.
For the most authentic flavor, you really do want Linguiça or Chouriço. I recommend picking up a good cast iron skillet if you don’t already have one — the heat retention makes a real difference when you’re building flavor with sausage and peppers.
PrintPortuguese Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: about 6 sandwiches 1x
- Method: sautee
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 Tbsp Butter
Salt
1 Tsp of Paprika
1 Tbsp of tomato paste
1 Tbsp of Pimenta Moida (or your favorite hot sauce)
6 small onions, chopped thinly
4 garlic cloves, rough chopped to taste
2 green peppers, cleaned and chopped
1 lb of Linguica or sausage of your choice, cut down to your preference
1 cup of beer (or wine or water)
Instructions
1. Pre-chop your ingredients: Chop the onions into thin, half rounds, rough chop garlic into small pieces, and clean and chop your peppers into strips. Your sausage can be cut in to whatever shape will work best for how you’re serving it, in a sandwich or over rice but I recommend bit size pieces.
2. Heat oil and butter in a skillet, and when hot enough to sizzle add all the onions. After the onions are translucent, add your garlic and continue to Sautee until soft. Next, add the pepper strips and cook until they are soft as well.
3. When the onions and peppers are sautéed, add 1 teaspoon of paprika and stir. Make a small well in the middle of the pan to add one tablespoon of tomato paste and stir well again.
4. Now add your sausage and pimenta moida/hot sauce, and as it cooks start adding your liquid a few ounces at a time. Once the sausage is cooked and you’ve added enough liquid, reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
After simmering, give it all another good stir and check for it to be cooked to the consistency you prefer. That’s it! Now it’s time to serve!
Notes
Looks delicious will make
I’ve made this so many times I’ve lost count. It’s easy to make and always delicious. Being from Pawtucket I’m lucky I can buy the ingredients from Portugalia ????
Love this recipe and make it all the time for parties. Always a hit with everyone!
Love this for out side summer time it is great
I am about to make this dish for dinner tonight. I live in South Carolina & cannot get the ingredients easily, so I order them and have them shipped to me. Being originally from New England, I miss my Portuguese foods and restaurants.