Home › Recipes › Sausage and Peppers on a Compact Charcoal Grill

Sausage and Peppers on a Compact Charcoal Grill

Sausage and peppers is the ultimate tailgate and camp food: cheap, easy to pack, forgiving, and it holds well in a covered pan while you cook the next round. On a small grill the trick is patience. Sausages are full of fat; blast them over hot coals and the casings split, fat pours onto the fire and you get flare-ups and dry links. Cook them on the cooler side of a two-zone fire while the peppers and onions soften on a griddle.

"Good quality, perfect for on the go grilling, and great for job sites for the blue collar guys out there."Verified Compact owner

Serves: 3–4 · Total time: About 35–40 minutes · Grill: Slot Grill Compact

Why this works on the Compact

• The cool zone cooks fatty links gently without bursting.
• The griddle handles sliced vegetables.
• Everything holds in a covered pan at the cool end for waves of guests.

Ingredients

• 5–6 raw Italian sausages or bratwurst links
• 2 bell peppers (mixed colors), sliced into strips
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, pepper, pinch of oregano or chili flakes
• Hoagie rolls or buns
• Mustard or marinara (optional)

Gear

• Slot Grill Compact, seasoned (how)
• Chimney starter, charcoal or cooking wood, newspaper or natural fire starters, a lighter
• Long tongs and a sturdy spatula
• Heat-safe gloves
• Instant-read thermometer
• Metal can with a lid for cold ash
• Sheet pan or foil pan for raw-to-grill and a clean one for cooked food

Fire setup on the Compact

The Compact's cooking area is 16.25" × 9" (146 sq in). That is plenty for one to three people, but it means coal placement does most of the work a dial does on other cookers. Use a two-zone fire: lit coals banked across about two-thirds of the length, the last third thin or empty. The hot side sears; the cool side finishes, holds and rescues food from flare-ups. Light with a chimney or one of the no-lighter-fluid methods.

Step by step

1. Light a fuller chimney and build a two-zone fire. Put a griddle over the medium part and the grate over the edge of the hot zone and the cool zone.
2. Start the vegetables on the oiled griddle with salt. Stir occasionally; they take 15–20 minutes to soften and brown.
3. Place sausages on the cool side of the grate. Don't prick them; you'll lose juice.
4. Cook gently, turning every few minutes, 15–20 minutes, until nearly done.
5. Brown over the coals for the last few minutes, turning to color all sides. Move any that flare.
6. Check temperature: raw pork sausages to 160°F (poultry sausages to 165°F).
7. Toast rolls on the grate briefly.
8. Combine sausages with peppers and onions in a foil pan to hold, or build sandwiches right away.

Variations

• Beer brats: simmer brats with onions and beer in a foil pan at the cool end after grilling to hold.
• Pre-cooked sausages (smoked links): just heat through and brown, 8–10 minutes.
• Skewers: sliced pre-cooked sausage with peppers, onion and shrimp.
• Breakfast: leftover sausage and peppers on the griddle with eggs.

Troubleshooting

Serving, leftovers and cleanup

Hold finished sausages and vegetables in a covered foil pan at the cool end. Pour grease into a can once cooled. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Safe internal temperatures

Guessing is how small-grill cooks go wrong, because everything happens fast over a close fire. Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone. USDA minimum internal temperatures:

Taking this recipe on the road

The Compact packs about 1" thick and weighs about 14 lb, so this recipe travels to a campsite, tailgate, river bank or job site as easily as it cooks on the patio. A few habits make it safer and easier away from a kitchen:

• Prep at home. Trim, season or marinate meat, chop vegetables and mix sauces in the kitchen. Pack each in a sealed bag or container labeled by cook order.
• Keep raw meat cold and separate. Pack it at the bottom of the cooler, sealed, below ready-to-eat food. Keep the cooler at 40°F or below with plenty of ice, and keep it in the shade.
• Two sets of tongs and platters: one for raw, one for cooked. Never put cooked food back on the tray that held raw meat.
• Bring water and soap for hands and tools, plus paper towels and a trash bag.
• Pack the thermometer. It matters more outdoors, where wind and cold change cook times.
• Plan for ash. Bring a metal can with a lid and follow the venue's disposal rules.

For more, see the camping, tailgate and river trip guides.

Quick-start checklist

• Grill seasoned and dry; old ash emptied
• Stable, level, non-combustible spot with clearance
• Charcoal lit in a chimney, ashed over
• Two-zone fire built, grates preheated and oiled
• Thermometer, tongs, spatula and gloves within reach
• Clean tray ready for cooked food

Common small-grill mistakes (and the fix)

1. Cooking before the coals are ready. Black-topped coals give smoky, weak heat and sticking. Wait until they glow under a light coat of gray ash.
2. Wall-to-wall coals. With no cool zone, every flare-up becomes a burn. Leave at least a third of the firebox thin or empty.
3. Crowding the grate. 146 sq in fills fast. Leave space between pieces so you can move them, and cook in waves.
4. Moving food too early. Let it sear and release on its own; it sticks until a crust forms.
5. Cold, dirty grates. Preheat for a few minutes, scrape, and wipe with an oiled paper towel held in tongs.
6. Wet food. Pat meat and vegetables dry before oiling and seasoning. Moisture steams instead of searing.
7. Judging doneness by time or color. Small fires vary. Use a thermometer.
8. Leaving ash in the firebox. Old ash chokes airflow. Empty it once cold before the next cook.
9. Putting the grill away wet. Raw carbon steel needs to be dried and lightly oiled. See rust prevention.

After the cook: burn-down and pack-down

1. Let the remaining coals burn down. Don't leave a fire unattended.
2. When ash and steel are completely cold, dump the ash into a metal container with a lid, or dispose of it where the venue or campground allows.
3. Scrape the grates, then wipe the cooking surfaces with a light coat of oil or Slot Grill Seasoning Balm.
4. Lift off the grates, slide out the V side panels, pull the end pieces and stack. The Compact packs to about 1" thick.
5. Store it dry. A bag or old box keeps soot off the rest of your gear.

Safety basics (every cook)

• Outdoors only. Never use a charcoal grill indoors, in a garage, tent, camper, boat cabin or vehicle. Burning charcoal makes carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell.
• Stable, level, non-combustible surface. Bare soil, gravel, sand, concrete, pavers or a fire-safe pad. The Compact's 2⅞" air gap between the table and the bottom of the coal bed helps minimize radiant heat to the surface below, but it is still a live fire.
• Clearance. Keep it away from tents, vehicles, siding, overhangs, dry grass and anything that can burn. Keep kids and pets back.
• Follow local rules. Burn bans, campground, park, venue and HOA rules come first.
• Water or a fire extinguisher nearby, plus heat-safe gloves for handling grates and panels.
• Ash stays hot for a long time. Put it in a metal container with a lid and never pack hot steel or ash into a vehicle.

Cooking in wind, rain, cold and heat

Frequently asked questions

How long do sausages take on a charcoal grill?

Raw sausages usually take about 15 to 25 minutes over medium or indirect heat, then a few minutes over direct heat to brown. Cook raw pork sausage to 160°F.

Should I poke holes in sausages before grilling?

No. Pricking lets juices and fat escape, causing dry sausages and flare-ups.

How do I stop sausage casings from splitting?

Cook them gently on the cool side of a two-zone fire and only brown them over direct heat at the end.

Can I cook peppers and onions on a grill?

Yes. Use a griddle plate so sliced vegetables don't fall through the grates.

Slot Grill Compact

12-gauge carbon steel · about 14 lb · 16.25" × 9" cooking area · packs about 1" thick · made in Texas · ★★★★★ 4.92 (77 reviews)

$89.97$99.97

Shop the Compact at SlotGrill.comAdd a griddle

More in Recipes

• Ribeye on a Small Charcoal Grill: Sear and Slide
• Smash Burgers on a Small Charcoal Griddle
• Charcoal Chicken Thighs on a Compact Grill
• Charcoal Chicken Wings on a Small Grill
• Thick-Cut Pork Chops on a Small Charcoal Grill
• Camp Breakfast on a Compact Grill: Bacon, Eggs and Potatoes
• Steak Fajitas on a Compact Charcoal Grill
• Grilled Shrimp on a Small Charcoal Grill
• Grilled Vegetables on a Small Charcoal Grill
• S'mores and Grilled Desserts on a Compact Grill
• Grilled Fish on a Small Charcoal Grill

All Recipes →

All specs and prices are from SlotGrill.com. Always grill outdoors on a stable, non-combustible surface and follow local fire rules.