Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Maple Syrup

How to Make Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts in an Air Fryer

Before we get into the recipe, I’ve got to tell you: these are the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever had! They are still Brussels sprouts though. Ha. But you may be pleasantly surprised, even if you are a hater of brussels sprouts and don’t normally enjoy Brussels sprouts because these are so much better than the norm.

Honestly, after having these air fryer brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup, I don’t think I’ll make them any other way now.

Plus, you will be able to get great vitamins like calcium and potassium while having a great flavor too!

Ingredients needed to make Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup:

Ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts
• Olive oilor avocado oil
• Pure maple 
• Apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Bacon slices cut into 1/2 inch pieces

The Maple Glaze is Amazing!

The oil, maple syrup, and vinegar glaze is just the right sweet, tangy, salty combo for this maple bacon brussels sprouts recipe. It all works together perfectly to balance the bitter flavor of Brussels sprouts with a hint of sweetness.

Variations of this air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe:

If you want to cut some of the sweetness of this recipe you can always add a little bit of lemon juice or even some red pepper flakes to balance out the maple syrup if you don’t want them too sweet.

Adding a touch of parmesan cheese or garlic powder can add a balance to the flavor profiles as well.

If you are short on maple syrup, using honey is another great way to make this recipe as well.

Leftover air fryer brussels sprouts:

If you have any leftovers from this Pinterest perfect recipe, place any leftover brussels in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for the next day.

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Cook SO Perfectly

Brussels sprouts cooked in the air fryer are cooked to perfection! They are cooked through nice and soft, but with a little bit of crispness on the outside.

Oh, and to add on to that, the bacon in this recipe turns out crisp and just right as well. It’s even more delicious because of the maple glaze on it. Cooking bacon in an air fryer sometimes doesn’t turn out right for everyone, but for this recipe, and for the other times I’ve tried it, it’s great!

Is an Air Fryer Worth It?

I am seriously amazed at how awesome this air fryer is. I thought it was just hype – another specialized kitchen appliance – but, no. It has surprised me! I think a good air fryer is totally worth it and it is quickly becoming my all-time favorite kitchen appliance. For real.

There are lots of air fryer choices out there and I’m sure many of them are good. I chose a Philips air fryer because there are so many good reviews about the quality and the way the food turns out.

Everything I have cooked in it so far has turned out amazing! I am seriously in love and having a lot of fun trying out new foods to cook in it.

I went with the large Philips XXL size, which is 3-pound or 4-quart capacity. I want to be able to cook more servings, enough for my family of 5, at one time. This one can fit a whole chicken in there!

PS: Speaking of whole chicken, check out our instant pot whole chicken and slow cooker whole chicken recipes!

The analog version is often more affordable than the digital, but either way you go will be great because they have that same high-quality cooking technology.

My favorite thing about the air fryer is how fast it cooks everything! There is no preheating necessary and the cooking time can end up being 4 times faster than a conventional oven.

This air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe is a good example of decreased cooking time: 10-15 minutes in the air fryer vs. 30-40 minutes in the oven, plus preheating.

If you want to learn more about air fryers before making a purchase, read our Air Fryer Reviews & Buying Guide!

How to cook Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Maples and Bacon

Step 1: Prepare Brussels sprouts

Trim and halve the washed Brussels sprouts, removing discolored leaves. Larger sprouts may need to be quartered to keep sprouts uniform in size.

Step 2: Make maple syrup marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Step 3: Season brussels sprouts

Add Brussels sprouts and raw bacon pieces to the bowl and gently toss everything together to coat in the maple balsamic vinegar glaze.

Step 4: Cook brussels sprouts

Spoon coated sprouts and bacon to the air fryer. (Note that any extra balsamic glaze/sauce will just fall to the bottom of the air fryer.)

Air fry brussels sprouts at 350˚F or 177˚C for 10-15 minutes, until bacon and sprouts reach desired crispiness and tenderness. Halfway through cooking, open the drawer and stir or shake the contents.

Want to cook these vegetables in the oven?

Oven cooked Brussels instructions:

Transfer coated sprouts and bacon to a baking dish or pan and cook in preheated oven at 425˚F/218˚C for 30-40 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Great air fryer side dishes

The air fryer is a great way to make side dishes like this delicious veggie recipe. Give these a try too!

My favorite and easy side dish recipes:

• Air Fryer Broccoli from Frozen
• How to Roast Any Vegetable in the Air Fryer
• Rice in the Air Fryer
• The Best Fried Rice in the Air Fryer

Final Thoughts

Get an air fryer, try this air fryer Bacon and Brussels Sprouts recipe, and enjoy! I’m definitely planning on making these again soon as they were SO good the first time around.

If you end up trying these maple bacon brussels sprouts in your air fryer, let us know how it goes! Leave your tips, thoughts, and questions in the comments below 🙂 If you like this recipe, be sure to pin it too!

More Air Fryer Recipes:

• Top 10 Air Fryer Side Dishes
• 15 of the Best Air Fryer Hamburger Recipes
• Simple Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Recipe
• 15 Easy Air Fryer Recipes That Will Make You Want An Air Fryer
• 20 Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Maple Syrup

Make these easy and delicious air fryer maple bacon brussels sprouts in less than 30-minutes for an easy dinner or side dish.

4.53 / 5 ( 34 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

Adjust Servings: 4

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Medium bowl

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• ¼ cup olive or avocado oil
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 4 bacon slices cut into ½-inch pieces

Instructions

• Trim and halve the washed Brussels sprouts, removing discolored leaves. Larger sprouts may need to be quartered to keep sprouts uniform in size.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
• Add Brussels sprouts and raw bacon pieces to the bowl and gently stir to coat.
• Spoon coated sprouts and bacon to the air fryer. (Note that any extra glaze/sauce will just fall to the bottom of the air fryer.)
• Air fry at 350 °F for 10-15 minutes, until bacon and sprouts reach desired crispiness. Halfway through cooking, open drawer and stir contents.

Oven cooking instructions:

• Transfer coated sprouts and bacon to a baking dish or pan and cook in preheated oven at 425 °F for 30-40 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

I don’t like a lot of loose leaves in this dish because they can taste burnt, but the crispness of them can be nice. Leave some in, remove them all - up to you!

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 467mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g

Recipe Source: The Foodie Eats

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