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Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Maple Syrup

5 / 5 (1 review) No Comments

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

Feb 24, 2020 The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

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 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.

Ingredients

The two main ingredients in this recipe are obviously the brussels sprouts and the bacon. You’ll want to trim and halve the brussels sprouts as well as remove any discolored leaves to start out with. You may even need to cut larger sprouts into quarters to keep them all uniform in size.

The Maple Glaze is Amaze!

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.

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!

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:

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Maple Syrup

5 / 5 (1 review)

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 cups | Serves: 4

Print Recipe

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.)
Cook 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.

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!