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These Brussels sprouts with bacon are dangerously delicious. Salty bacon is roasted with crispy Brussels sprouts then tossed in sweet maple syrup and fresh garlic for the most addictive side dish. Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, delicious enough for company, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts have this amazing crispy texture that is absolutely life-changing. Pair them with smooth and creamy foods, like mashed potatoes, for an incredible texture contrast.
- It’s incredibly versatile and goes with almost any main course! We really love Brussels sprouts as a side dish for chicken, salmon, pork, and even pasta.
- It’s so easy. Seriously. Toss them in seasoning, pop them in the oven, and come back in 30 minutes.
- The caramelized Brussels sprouts can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days, max. Reheat them in the oven (350°F for 5-10 minutes) or in the air fryer. The texture won’t be quite as good as when they’re freshly cooked, but it’s doable!
Key Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts – People either love or hate Brussels sprouts, there’s no in between. Sure, they get a bad rap, but a lot of that depends on how they’re cooked. They’re a great source of fiber and Vitamin C that tastes kind of like nutty mini-cabbages and looks kind of funky, too. Fun fact: they’re named after Brussels, Belgium!
Bacon – These fatty, savory, smoky strips are an easy and delicious way to add flavor to just about everything. For this recipe, you can also use pancetta instead of bacon if you want. Pancetta is salt-cured pork belly meat, while bacon is smoke-cured pork belly meat.
How to Make It
For the best flavor and texture, start with fresh, whole Brussels sprouts. Trim your sprouts and cut them in half, then toss them with bacon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture in an even layer on a greased, unlined sheet pan and make sure nothing overlaps. Roast for 30 minutes or so, then add your maple syrup and garlic and pop them back in the oven to finish up. YUM! Serve the caramelized Brussels sprouts with bacon immediately so they’re hot and crispy.
Chef’s Tips
- You can roast whole Brussels sprouts, but I recommend trimming them for this recipe. Cut off the stem from each sprout, remove any damaged or yellow leaves, then cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
- If you’re cooking with fresh Brussels sprouts, look for ones that are bright green and don’t have many yellow wilted leaves on the outside.
- Fresh sprouts will give you the best taste and texture, hands down, but you can also use frozen ones. For frozen Brussels sprouts, thaw them fully and then pat them completely dry. You can stick them in the oven for a few minutes without any oil or anything to dry them further before you start your recipe.
- For the crispiest Brussels sprouts and bacon, cook the sprouts cut-side down, and be careful not to overcrowd your sheet pan. It’ll be tempting to check on them while they’re roasting, but stay strong and keep the oven door closed to retain heat!
More Incredible Veggie Recipes
- Green Beans Almondine
- How to Roast Beets
- Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Vegan Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts washed and dried
- 4 ounces diced bacon or pancetta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup see Notes
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Set aside.
- Trim ends of brussels sprouts and cut in half, lengthwise. In a bowl, toss brussels sprouts and leaves with bacon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread mixture on sheet pan in a single layer.
- Roast sprouts, turning once, until tender with charred edges, approximately 25-30 minutes. Bacon will be cooked and crispy.
- Remove from oven and toss with maple syrup and garlic. Return to oven until garlic is cooked, approximately 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
- For sweeter sprouts, use 3 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of 2.
- Make it Keto: Most of the carbs in this recipe come from the Brussels sprouts, but they are keto-friendly thanks to their fiber content. For the maple syrup, use a keto-friendly product like this Sugar-Free Maple Flavored Syrup from Lakanto.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Was skeptical about the maple syrup, but literally I don’t want to cook Brussel sprouts any other way any more!! 🥹
I agree! The maple syrup is such a surprising but delicious ingredient. So glad you loved them. Thanks for sharing, Catherine! 😊
OMG! This was beyond amazing my son doesn’t like Brussel sprouts BUT HE couldn’t stop eating these lol! I didn’t see Tim at the garlic last but I added them with the bacon and Brussel sprouts and there were fantastic! I will forever make these!
That’s so great to hear, Carol! So glad you all enjoyed. Thanks so much for the review!
Delicious!
I am having difficulty printing your recipes. Anyinfo?
I am so sorry you are having that issue! Were you able to locate the “print” button the recipe card? Maybe there’s an issue with the printer connection?