Brussel sprouts are having kind of a moment, aren’t they? No longer do we think of them as the boiled, flavorless vegetable our mothers and grandmothers would force us to eat. No, now they are trendy, artisanal, dare I say popular as a side or appetizer. But the one thing they MUST be? CRISPY AF.
Something about brussel sprouts just screams “fall holiday vegetable” to me, and who am I to ignore that urge, amiright? I usually make these at both Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that both families get to enjoy the dish (we see my husband’s family at Thanksgiving and mine at Christmas). A couple years ago, my dad even declared that he (not a notorious vegetable enthusiast) actually really loved these! So, we keep them.
Let’s be honest- if you add maple syrup and bacon to anything, and it’s going to increase its deliciousness ten-fold.
But there is something about this combo of flavors that just works best with a crispy brussel. The sweetness of the syrup with the fattiness of the bacon and the earthiness of the sprout all work so well together. And if you can get that bacon just as crispy as the brussels…YUM! Try this recipe out on your vegetable haters- they might convert! A little note though: I would save this dish to be the last to finish on Turkey Day though, as no one likes a cold sprout.
Want more Fall inspired recipes? Download my Holiday Recipe Ebook!
Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussel sprouts quartered
- 4 slices bacon
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350.
- While the air fryer is preheating, cut the stems of the sprouts and cut them in quarters.
- Cut the raw bacon into even pieces, about 1/4 inch big. Place into a bowl with the sprouts.
- Whisk the oil, syrup, salt and pepper together. Pour over the sprout and bacon mixture and toss until everything is covered.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you'll put 1/4 to 1/2 of your mixture into the tray and cook for 12 minutes, pulling the tray out to toss the mixture halfway through. You want the sprouts and bacon to spread out on the fryer tray and not be in a big pile. I had to this process twice because our fryer is on the smaller side.
- You can also use the oven at 425, roasting for 30-40 minutes and stirring 15-20 minutes in.
