Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Sharing is caring!

This crispy Air fryer Brussels Sprouts recipe takes raw brussels sprouts and turns them into crispy, caramelized nuggets that are tender in the center. Add a good slather of sweet maple syrup for a delicious, quick, and easy side dish!

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts Recipe

I love easy Brussels sprouts recipes, for sure. This irresistible version is sweet, smoky, and savory—I would almost even call it exquisite!

Once you experience crispy, caramelized maple bacon brussels sprouts made in the air fryer, there’s no going back.

Air frying or oven-roasting vegetables at a high temperature helps them release their natural sugars to caramelize as they cook – YUM. Add some smoky bacon and sweet maple syrup and you have something fantastic.

If you love these crunchy veggies, try our Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan.

Air fryer maple bacon brussels sprouts recipe ingredients

• Fresh brussels sprouts: If the stem end is excessively thick, you can trim it down with a paring knife. Leave a bit of the stem in tact to hold all the layers of the brussels sprout together. Remove any loose or darkened leaves.

• Olive oil: You can substitute vegetable or canola oil in place of olive oil, if preferred.

• Pure maple syrup: Pure maple syrup is not the same thing as pancake syrup. Pancake syrup is often mostly corn syrup with added coloring.
  
• Red wine vinegar: This ingredient adds some zing to the brussels sprouts. Feel free to use cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, if needed.
  
• Bacon: The bacon fat helps brown and caramelize the brussels sprouts, also adding lots of flavor. I prefer to use thick-cut bacon in this recipe but any type of bacon will work fine.

• Red pepper flakes: This ingredient is completely optional, but surely recommended. Add as much or as little as you’d like. Red pepper flakes give your brussels sprouts some kick!

Cooking Tips

1. Cut the bacon into pretty large pieces (no less than 1-inch) so they don’t fall down through the air fryer rack during the cooking process. The bacon pieces will shrink as they cook.
2. Spreading the brussels sprouts in an even single layer over the air fryer rack helps them cook much more quickly and evenly.
3. Be sure to toss the brussels sprouts half way through the cooking time so each one has the opportunity to get lots of heat exposure to caramelize and get crispy – this makes them extra delicious.

How to Cook Maple Bacon Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 385 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until fully combined; reserve.

Add the brussels sprouts and bacon pieces to maple syrup mixture in the mixing bowl.

Toss the ingredients well to coat evenly, then transfer the brussels sprouts to the rack in the air fryer basket, spreading them out as evenly as possible in a single layer.

Roast the brussels sprouts at 385 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, making sure to give them a gentle toss halfway through the cooking time.

Brussels sprouts should be tender when pierced with a fork at the center and the exterior is golden brown and a bit crispy.

If desired, drizzle the brussels sprouts with a bit more warm maple syrup and a light sprinkle of kosher salt just before serving!

Serve at once!

How long to cook brussels sprouts in the air fryer

This can vary based on the type of air fryer you have. Cook the brussels sprouts in 4-5 minute increments until you can easily pierce them with a fork.

Gently toss the brussels sprouts after each go round of heat in the air fryer so they cook evenly.

Can I use frozen brussels sprouts in this recipe?

No, frozen vegetables are par-cooked before frozen so they won’t cook like fresh brussels sprouts do for this recipe.

Use fresh brussels sprouts that are found in the produce department.

How do I choose fresh brussels sprouts at the grocery store?

Choose fresh brussels sprouts bright green in color with leaves that are tight to the sprout.

Smaller brussels sprouts are usually sweeter and more tender than larger ones.

At my local grocer, fresh brussels sprouts are sold in one pound quantities in a mesh bag.

How to clean and prepare brussels sprouts

No matter the recipe for fresh brussels sprouts, you’ll need to do a bit of prep first.

At the base of each sprout is a fibrous spot where it was originally connects to the stalk of the plant.

This area is usually a bit brown in color and dried from storage.

Using a sharp paring knife, trim off this dried-out stem area, leaving the rest of it intact to hold the sprout together.

Next, inspect the outer leaves of each brussels sprout.

If they look loose, yellowed in color, dried, or bruised in any way, pluck them off until you reach the brighter green leaves beneath.

Cut the smaller brussels sprouts in half lengthwise, cutting right through the stem end. If the fresh brussels sprouts seem especially large, but each one into quarters.

Not only does this make them quicker to cook and easier to eat, there’s more surface to caramelize and crisp and that heightens flavor and texture a great deal.

What is the difference between pancake syrup and pure maple syrup?

Pure maple syrup is just that – pure syrup from maple tree sap that’s been boiled down to a nice thick consistency.

Pancake syrup, however, is made from corn syrup and artificial maple extract.

Comparatively, pure maple syrup is much more expensive than pancake syrup, but the flavor is much better and stronger, so a little goes a long way.

What happens when vegetables are roasted?

When veggies are roasted at a high temperature their natural sugars are released allowing them to caramelize.

This adds wonderful flavor! You can roast vegetables in the air fryer or in the oven.

Which tools do I need to make air fryer brussels sprouts?

Air Fryer – We have the Cuisinart TOA-60 air fryer and it’s the bomb! This is a rack-style air fryer, not a basket-style.

We also enjoy our basket-style air fryer, the 6 quart Cosori. The basket is quite large and deep and we have begun cooking lots of roasts in our air fryer!

Kitchen shears – Use a pair of kitchen shears for chopping bacon for this recipe – it works slick as a whistle. (I prefer the pull-apart kitchen shears for easy washing.)

Paring knife – This type of utility knife is handy for trimming stems and cutting Brussels sprouts in half.

Rimmed baking sheets for oven cooking – Using a baking sheet with a 1-inch rim keeps the Brussels sprouts (or any vegetables you are roasting) right in place. Heavy-duty baking sheets also help cook evenly and create goo caramelization.

More favorite air fryer recipes to enjoy –

We love air fryer mahi mahi with mango salsa because it’s a flavorful yet low fat and low calorie weeknight meal that’s ready in just minutes.

 I was excited when I figured out the best way to make pre-cooked brats in an air fryer for my family. Air fryer brats with peppers and onions is a quick and simple dinner that cooks in 20 minutes.

Straight-forward and simple, air fryer steak bites are juicy and tender. You can also make these steak bites in a skillet or on a baking sheet in the oven.

We are big fans of this super quick 4-ingredient air fryer recipe: honey glazed salmon. The salmon is topped with honey to add extra sweetness and flavor.

Turn yourself into a broccoli addict! Air fryer roasted broccoli parmesan is just the ticket – we cannot stop eating this anytime we cook it up in the air fryer.

Originally published March 18, 2022. Updated on October 29, 2024.