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Take the stress out of your holiday meal by making the brussels sprouts ahead! This classic sprout recipe pairs tender, caramalized sprouts with crispy bacon pieces, toasted pecans and a rich brown butter maple glaze for a flavorful Thanksgiving side dish designed to be pre-cooked and finished up to 2 days later when it is time to eat.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is The Best Brussels Sprout Recipe For Your Holiday Table
- Even though we’re pre-cooking the sprouts to help you juggle all those holiday sides, they still remain super crisp on the outside, tossed in a rich, sweet and tangy brown butter and maple syrup glaze, with a touch of apple cider vinegar to stop things tasting overly sweet. We’re also cooking the sprouts in a mix of butter and bacon fat to make them extra-savory, and toasted pecans and crispy bacon are there to add extra crunch.
- Because we’re keeping the glaze and sprouts separate up until serving instead of cooking them together, we’re preserving those crisp textures from caramelization, even after a couple of days in the fridge.
- I find that the flavors are super-versatile, meaning that these sprouts will work with both your Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas meal — but who said you could not also meal-prep them to save time on a regular weeknight?
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- Halving the sprouts worked a lot better than cooking them whole. The cut side provides lots of surface area to get a good level of caramelization on each sprout. Also, make sure they’re completely dry before cooking them, and that you don’t overcrowd the skillet where they will steam, instead of caramelize.
- When you’re prepping the sprouts, trim the woody end first, then halve them through the stem. This keeps the leaves together rather than allowing the cut pieces to fall off (and usually burn) during cooking.
- Don’t be tempted to keep stirring the sprouts in the skillet. Every time you move them, you interrupt their contact with the hot pan. I found that leaving them alone yielded much better caramelization!
- Adding the bacon at the end helps it stay super crisp, in previous versions of this recipe it got a little soft sitting in the glaze.
Ingredients
Brussels sprouts – Trimmed and halved.
Bacon slices – Chopped. Thick-cut bacon will also work, you might just need to allow a bit more time to get it crisp. Pancetta would also work, and for a vegetarian version you could leave it out and add a pinch of sweet paprika instead to mimic that smoky flavor.
Butter – Added to the rendered bacon fat, this browns to make a rich base to cook the brussels sprouts.
Maple syrup – This adds sweetness to balance the saltiness of the bacon, and the vegetable flavor of the sprouts. You can use honey instead, but the flavor profile will be a little different.
Apple cider vinegar – Again, this is to help balance the glaze on the sprouts adding acidity. ACV is best, but you could sub in sherry vinegar or balsamic, but that will visually darken the finished dish.
Toasted pecans – Chopped, for serving. Toasted almond slithers would be a good alternative.
Flaky sea salt – This adds a professional touch to the finished sprouts, adding a little something extra alongside the kosher salt and pepper also included in the recipe.
Make-ahead, Leftovers & Storage Tips
You can prepare the sprouts through the initial skillet-cooking stage up to 2 days ahead. Cool them completely before refrigerating them in an airtight container. The glaze is best added to the sprouts immediately before serving. Adding it too early can make the sprouts soft, and prevent them from becoming as crisp when reheated!
Once the dish is finished and the big meal is over, to reheat any leftovers spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for about 10 minutes until heated through and starting to crisp again. If they look dry, add a small splash of water before reheating. Avoid microwaving, as that will make them too soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh Brussels sprouts are best for this recipe. Frozen sprouts contain a lot more moisture so won’t caramelize as well, resulting in soggy sprouts!
The butter will turn golden brown, develop a nutty aroma and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will become golden. Keep a close eye on it because brown butter can quickly go from perfectly toasted to burnt. If you’re a beginner at browning butter, do it in a separate light-bottomed saucepan before adding it to the skillet so you can watch the color turn.
Yes! Cook the bacon and brown the butter in a regular skillet, then transfer the Brussels sprouts to a sheet pan for roasting.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Make-Ahead Brown Butter Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- Large oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans chopped, for serving
- flaky salt for serving
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- Add the butter to the bacon fat and let it melt, then continue cooking to brown the butter, swirling the pan, until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet, cut side down, and season with the salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes, until the cut sides are deeply caramelized.
- At this point, you can stop and make ahead: let the sprouts cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. When ready to serve, spread on a sheet pan and roast at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until heated through and re-crisped, then continue with the glaze below.
- If serving right away: transfer the skillet to a 425°F oven and roast for 15 to 18 minutes, until fork-tender and deeply caramelized.
- Whisk together the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Toss the hot brussels sprouts with the maple mixture, the reserved bacon, and toasted pecans. Taste and adjust salt.
- Finish with flaky salt right before serving.
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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