Brussels Sprouts with Bacon – roasted on a sheet pan until crispy and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. This is the ultimate easy side dish thats one of the best ways to get in your veggies! These are always at holiday dinners and are one of the classic Thanksgiving sides.
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BRUSSELS SPROUTS
I pride myself on being a good speller but a couple of years ago I made a “Brussel Sprouts Salad” and got torn apart on social media for spelling it wrong. Did you catch what was wrong? Most people, including myself, spell it without an ‘s’ on the end of Brussels.
In fact, “Brussel Sprouts” is searched 20 times a month over the correct way “Brussels Sprouts”. That’s why I named this incorrectly. So people can find it.
HOW TO MAKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
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Place the halved Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Try to make sure all of the Brussels are faced down on the flat sides on the pan to get a good sear. Place the pieces of bacon evenly on the pan.
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Bake for 15-25 minutes, tossing halfway. Start checking them at 15 minutes. The bake time of the sprouts will depend on the size of them and your oven. Bake until they are fork tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven and toss with the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED BRUSSELS SPROUTS?
Brussels sprouts first appeared in northern Europe during the fifth century, later being cultivated in the 13th century near Brussels, Belgium. They are a leafy vegetable that look like little cabbages.
It’s important when roasting any vegetable to make sure you have plenty of room on the baking sheet. If you overcrowd the pan the vegetables will steam instead of roast so make sure you have enough surface area. I also try to turn all of them face down to get a nice sear. This is one of my favorite Brussels Sprouts recipes.
CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUTS
- The key to crispy Brussel Sprouts is to roast them at a high temperature in a hot oven. If you like them extra crispy, turn up the heat to 450 degrees! The outer leaves are my favorite part.
- Also, turning the them cut side down on the pan face down helps them get extra crispy and that nice sear.
- It helps if the sprouts are similar size because the smaller sprouts will cook faster.
WHY ARE MY BRUSSEL SPROUTS MUSHY?
If your sprouts are mushy then you probably overcooked them. When overcooked, they release excess sulphur which stinks! This gives even the best Brussels Sprouts recipes a bad reputation.
VARIATIONS:
You can add any of the following:
- Parmesan cheese
- Pecans
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Balsamic Reduction
- Red Onion
OTHER VEGETABLE RECIPES:
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved, (1 1/2 lbs works too)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper, (I do about 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
- 4 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, (or balsamic glaze)
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
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Place the Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Try to make sure all of the Brussels are faced down on the pan to get a good sear. Place the pieces of bacon evenly on the pan.
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Bake for 15-25 minutes, tossing halfway. Start checking them at 15 minutes. The bake time of the sprouts will depend on the size of them and your oven. Bake until the Brussels sprouts are fork tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven and toss with the balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.
Serving: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 189mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 0.02g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 10IU, Vitamin C: 0.003mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.2mg
