Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Lunch | Canadian

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 15 min Servings: 4

If you have kids or a partner who swears they hate brussels sprouts, this is the recipe I reach for. The air fryer gets them properly caramelised and crispy on the outside while keeping a bit of bite in the centre. Add in some diced bacon and a maple, apple cider vinegar and sriracha dressing and they disappear off the plate faster than pretty much anything else I make. It’s one of those sides that genuinely surprises people.

This comes together in about 20 minutes and works alongside almost anything. I serve it with roasted chicken, pork, or even just a fried egg on top for a quick lunch. The dressing does double duty as both a marinade going in and a sauce drizzled over at the end. Make sure you pour any dressing that drips through the air fryer basket back over the sprouts before serving. That concentrated liquid is full of flavour and you don’t want to waste a drop of it.

Ingredient Notes

Brussels sprouts: Fresh is always best here. Look for firm, compact sprouts that are similar in size so they cook evenly. Trim the bases and keep them whole. Smaller, tighter sprouts will crisp up better in the air fryer and hold their shape through both rounds of cooking.

Maple syrup: It adds sweetness and drives caramelisation in the air fryer. I use pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavoured syrup, which tends to be much sweeter and doesn’t have the same depth of flavour. Dark amber maple syrup works best here as it has a more pronounced, slightly smoky sweetness that stands up to the sriracha.

Apple cider vinegar: The acidity balances the sweetness of the maple and cuts through the richness of the bacon. Don’t skip it. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar will work just use a smaller amoutn, though I’d avoid balsamic as it will make the dressing too sweet.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Air fryer
Large mixing bowl
Small jug or bowl (for the dressing)
Whisk or fork
Tongs

Ingredients

500g brussels sprouts
3 rashes bacon, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
40ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sriracha
sea salt
flat leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat an air fryer to 200°C (390°F).
Trim the bases of the brussels sprouts and place in a large bowl with the bacon.
Whisk the oil, maple syrup, vinegar and sriracha in a jug. Toss half the dressing and a small pinch of salt through the brussel sprouts until well coated, then transfer to the air fryer basket with the bacon sitting on top.
Cook for 9 minutes, then remove and toss through the remaining dressing. Return to the air fryer and cook for a further 7 minutes, until caramelised and starting to crisp.
Transfer onto a tray and make sure you get all the bacon and any remaining dressing.
Lightly toss through the flat leaf parsley and add to a plate.

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe notes