Best BBQ Italian Sausage and Pepper Pie Recipe – How to Make BBQ Italian Sausage and Pepper Pie

There are two kinds of dinner wins: the “I planned this all week” kind and the “I pulled this off while my fridge looked like a crime scene” kind.
This BBQ Italian sausage and pepper pie is proudly the second one… and it still tastes like you had a plan.

Think of it as a grilled pizza-meets-sausage-and-peppers situation: chewy, crisp crust; smoky, juicy sausage; sweet peppers; melty mozzarella; and a tangy BBQ drizzle that makes everyone
ask, “Wait… what did you DO to this?” (Answer: very little, but we’ll take the applause.)

What Is BBQ Italian Sausage and Pepper Pie?

“Pie” here is the classic American way of saying “pizza pie,” but we’re shaping it like a big round flatbread and cooking it on the grill (or in the oven if your weather is rude).
The “BBQ” part can mean grilled, smoky flavors, and (in this version) an optional-but-highly-recommended BBQ sauce finish that plays ridiculously well with Italian sausage and peppers.

Why This Recipe Works

• High heat = big flavor. Grilling (or a hot oven) browns the sausage and chars the peppers for that backyard-cookout vibe.
• Layering prevents soggy crust. Cheese first, then onions/peppers/sausage, then more cheese. Your crust stays crisp and proud.
• BBQ + Italian = surprisingly perfect. Tangy-sweet BBQ sauce and fennel-garlic sausage are basically best friends who just met.
• Customizable. Make it mild, make it spicy, make it extra-cheesythis pie doesn’t judge.

Main Ingredients

For the Pie

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 lb pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), at room temperature
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided (plus more for grill grates or pan)
• 2–3 peppers (1 red + 1 orange/yellow, plus optional Cubanelle), quartered
• 2 Italian sausage links (about 8 oz), sweet or hot, split lengthwise
• 4–6 oz mozzarella, shredded (part-skim or whole milk)
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2–4 pepperoncini, thinly sliced (optional, but fantastic)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh basil for serving

BBQ Drizzle (Optional, but Highly Recommended)

• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (choose one you likesmoky or tangy works great)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (adds “why is this so good?” energy)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (brightens everything)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or a pinch of chipotle powder for extra smoke

Equipment You’ll Need

• Outdoor grill (gas or charcoal) with a lid or an oven
• Large baking sheet (for shaping the dough)
• Tongs and a spatula (grill-friendly confidence tools)
• Cutting board + sharp knife
• Instant-read thermometer (recommended for perfectly cooked sausage)

How to Make BBQ Italian Sausage and Pepper Pie

Step 1: Prep the Grill (or Oven)

Grill method: Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and close the lid so it actually gets hot (grills are like people: they need a minute).
Lightly oil the grates right before cooking to reduce sticking.

Oven method: Preheat to 475°F. Place a heavy sheet pan or pizza stone inside while it heats. High heat helps mimic that grill-style crisp bottom.

Step 2: Shape the Dough

Dust a baking sheet lightly with flour. On a floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 14-inch round. Transfer to the prepared sheet.
Brush the top of the dough with 1 tsp olive oil. (That little sheen helps the crust brown instead of just… existing.)

Step 3: Grill the Sausage and Peppers

Place the quartered peppers and the split sausage links cut-side down on the grill. Cover and cook about 3 minutes.
Flip, cover again, and cook 2–3 minutes more, until the peppers are tender with charred edges and the sausage is cooked through.

Transfer to a cutting board. Let the sausage rest 2 minutes, then slice it into bite-size strips. Slice the peppers into thin strips.

Food safety tip: Pork sausage should reach 160°F internal temperature. If you’re using poultry sausage, aim for 165°F.
A thermometer beats guesswork every time (and doesn’t argue with you).

Step 4: Grill the Dough (The “Pie” Moment)

Carefully slide the dough onto the hot, oiled grill grates, oiled side down. Cover and cook about 2 minutes,
until bubbles form on top and the underside is crisp with grill marks.

Brush the top (now facing up) with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil, then flip the dough so the grilled side faces up.
Work quickly from herecheese waits for no one.

Step 5: Assemble the Toppings Like a Pro

1. Sprinkle the grilled side with half the mozzarella (this creates a “cheese barrier” for crispness).
2. Scatter on all the red onion.
3. Top with the sliced peppers and sausage.
4. Add the pepperoncini (optional but excellent).
5. Finish with the remaining mozzarella.

Step 6: Melt and Crisp

Close the grill lid and cook about 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden and crisp and the mozzarella is fully melted.
Transfer to a cutting board and rest 2–3 minutes before slicing (hot cheese is basically lava with better PR).

Step 7: Add the BBQ Drizzle

Whisk BBQ sauce with Dijon and apple cider vinegar (plus smoked paprika if using). Drizzle lightly over the pie right before serving.
Start smallyou can always add more, but you can’t un-BBQ a pie. (Tragic.)

Oven-Friendly Version (No Grill? No Problem.)

If grilling isn’t happening (rain, snow, apartment life, or your grill is buried under holiday decorations), bake it instead:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F with a heavy sheet pan inside.
2. Roast peppers and onions (tossed with a little oil, salt, pepper) on one pan for 12–15 minutes until browned at the edges.
3. Brown sausages in a skillet (or roast alongside the peppers) until cooked through, then slice.
4. Stretch dough into a 14-inch round on parchment. Top with cheese, onion, peppers, sausage, pepperoncini, more cheese.
5. Slide parchment + pie onto the hot preheated sheet pan and bake 10–13 minutes until deeply golden.
6. Drizzle BBQ sauce mixture and serve.

Flavor Upgrades and Variations

Make It Spicy

• Use hot Italian sausage.
• Add red pepper flakes or thin-sliced jalapeño.
• Choose a spicy BBQ sauce (or stir in a pinch of chipotle powder).

Make It Extra Cheesy

• Mix mozzarella with provolone for stretch + tang.
• Add a sprinkle of parmesan after baking for a salty finish.

Make It Veg-Heavy

• Add mushrooms (roast first so they don’t waterlog the pie).
• Add zucchini ribbons (lightly salt, pat dry, then use sparingly).

Swap the Crust

Pizza dough is the easiest “pie crust” for this style. If you want a more classic savory pie feel, you can also use a
flaky pie crust in a deep-dish skillet and par-bake it first to avoid a soggy bottomespecially if your toppings are juicy.
(Par-baking: partially baking the crust before adding filling.)

Serving Ideas

• Weeknight dinner: Serve with a crisp green salad and a simple vinaigrette.
• Game day: Slice into small squares and watch it disappear faster than your phone battery.
• Party platter: Add extra pepperoncini on the side for the tang-lovers in your life.
• Brunch twist: Top slices with a fried egg (yes, it’s as good as it sounds).

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make Ahead

• Slice peppers and onions up to 24 hours ahead; store airtight.
• Mix the BBQ drizzle and refrigerate up to a week.
• Cook sausage ahead, chill, then rewarm briefly before topping.

Storage

Store leftover slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.

Reheating (Best Methods)

• Oven: 375°F for 8–10 minutes on a sheet pan (best crispness).
• Skillet: Medium heat, covered, 4–6 minutes (crispy bottom + melty top).
• Microwave: Works, but your crust will be… emotionally soft.

Troubleshooting (Because Life Happens)

My dough stuck to the grill

Oil the grates right before cooking, and make sure the grill is properly preheated. Dough sticks most when the grates aren’t hot enough to sear the surface.

My crust is browned but toppings aren’t melting

Close the lid to trap heat like an oven. If needed, move to indirect heat for 1–2 minutes so the cheese can melt without scorching the bottom.

My pie tastes salty

Italian sausage and pepperoncini can bring a lot of salt. Use a lighter hand with added salt and choose a BBQ sauce that isn’t aggressively salty.

FAQ

Do I have to use pepperoncini?

Nope. But that tangy bite is a secret weapon. If you don’t have pepperoncini, try thin-sliced pickled banana peppers or skip it entirely.

Sweet or hot sausage?

Either. Sweet sausage gives classic sausage-and-peppers flavor. Hot sausage makes the BBQ drizzle taste even bolder. Choose your adventure.

What BBQ sauce is best?

Go with what you genuinely like. Tangy sauces balance the richness of sausage and cheese; smoky sauces lean into the grill flavor.
If your sauce is very sweet, add the vinegar and Dijon to keep the pie from tasting like dessert in disguise.

Conclusion

This BBQ Italian sausage and pepper pie hits that magical intersection of fast, crowd-pleasing, and ridiculously satisfying.
It’s smoky, cheesy, a little spicy if you want it, and flexible enough to work whether you’re grilling outside or baking inside.
Make it once, and you’ll start “accidentally” buying extra sausage just so you have an excuse to make it again.

Extra: of Real-Life “I Made This” Experience

The first time you make this pie, you learn two things immediately: (1) pizza dough is basically the friend who shows up on time and helps you move, and
(2) Italian sausage on a hot grill smells so good it should honestly be regulated by local law. You’ll probably start with “I’m just going to flip these peppers,”
and then you’ll realize you’ve been standing over the grill like a proud parent at a middle-school talent show.

If you’re cooking for people who claim they “don’t like onions,” don’t panicthinly slicing red onion is your stealth mode. Once it hits the heat and gets a little char,
it turns sweet and mellow, and suddenly the onion-haters are suspiciously quiet while chewing. (That’s the sound of a worldview changing.)
The pepperoncini is another sneaky hero: it doesn’t make the pie spicy, it makes it brighter. Like turning on a lamp in a room you didn’t realize was dim.
Even one or two sliced pepperoncini can keep the cheese and sausage from feeling heavy.

The BBQ drizzle is where personalities come out. Some people are “a delicate zigzag” folks. Others are “paint the whole thing like a fence” folks.
My advice: drizzle lightly on the whole pie, then serve extra on the side. That way the tangy-sauce crowd gets their moment,
and the purists can pretend they’re only here for “traditional sausage and peppers.” (They will still eat the BBQ version. They always do.)

One practical lesson: don’t rush the dough flip. When you slide the dough onto the grill, it may look like it’s thinking about sticking.
Give it that minute or two. Once the underside crisps, it releases way more easily. If you try to move it too early, the dough can stretch and wrinkle,
and you end up with a pie that looks like it did a cartwheel. Still tasty, just… abstract art.

Leftovers are a whole separate delight. The next day, reheating a slice in a skillet brings the bottom back to crispy life, and the sausage flavor seems even deeper.
It’s also the kind of leftover that upgrades lunch instantly: a slice plus a handful of salad greens is “I have my life together” energy.
And if you’re feeding a group, this pie is a social magnetpeople hover near the cutting board waiting for “just one more tiny piece,”
which somehow is always the size of a full slice. That’s not a bug. That’s the recipe doing exactly what it was born to do.