These Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with bacon give these delicious vegetable the respect they deserve! Cooking the bacon on a baking sheet while the oven preheats saves time and dishes and cooks it to crispy perfection. Then, the Brussels sprouts are tossed with the bacon grease left on the baking sheet, along with maple syrup, salt, and pepper, then roasted until perfectly crispy and browned.
Brussels sprouts can be a somewhat divisive vegetable. Many of us grew up eating mushy, steamed, under-seasoned Brussels sprouts that did nothing to hide their natural bitterness and strong flavor.
But I’m a firm believer that if you treat Brussels sprouts with the respect they deserve, they can be one of the most delicious vegetables on the planet. To do this, we focus on creating a texture and flavor that brings out the best of these humble vegetables.
Roasting the Brussels sprouts helps create a crispy and browned texture on the outside, with tenderness on the inside. And the combination of sweetness from the maple syrup, as well as smoky salty flavor from the bacon, complements the flavor of the sprouts.
This recipe employs a clever shortcut that will save you time and dishes. We’ll bake the bacon in the oven while it preheats, cooking it to crispy perfection and allowing the fat to render off. During this time, you can prep the Brussels sprouts. Then, the sprouts are mixed with the fat left behind as well as the other ingredients, tossed together, and roasted in the now preheated oven. Ta-da!
Let’s get to it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Brussels Sprouts – these should be halved or quartered, depending on size, as well as any very tough outer leaves removed.
- Bacon – I recommend thick-cut bacon. You’ll use both the bacon itself and the grease leftover from cooking it.
- Maple Syrup – if you want to use honey here, that would also work.
- Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil.
How to make Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Place two pieces of bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and put in the oven. Then, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Allow the bacon to cook while the oven pre-heats (keeping an eye on it to make sure it’s not over-done, especially if you are using thin slices). Once the oven preheats, the bacon should be crispy and done; if not, allow for a few more minutes to cook at the preheated temperature.
While the bacon cooks and the oven preheats is a good time to prep the Brussels sprouts. Remove the outer tough leaves if needed, then rinse to wash off. Dry them well. Then cut in half or quarters, depending on size.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the cooked bacon on a paper-towel lined plate, leaving the bacon fat behind. Add the prepped Brussels sprouts to the baking sheet. You want about two tablespoons of fat total, so if there is less bacon grease than that, you can make up for the difference with a little olive oil (don’t worry too much about exact amounts here!). Then add the maple syrup, salt, and pepper, toss to coat, spread out on the baking sheet so the sprouts aren’t touching each other, and roast. Chop up the cooked bacon and, when the sprouts are done cooking, mix together with everything, and serve!
Tips and Tricks
- After washing the Brussels sprouts, be sure to dry them off as much as possible. This will help make them cook up crispier. I use a clean kitchen towel to blot off the excess water after rinsing them in a colander.
- I prefer smaller Brussels sprouts to bigger ones. I find they are more tender and more mild in flavor.
- I recommend using thick-cut bacon. It will chop into heartier pieces, as well as potentially cook more evenly with less risk of burning as it bakes.
- I find a little spiciness is great here – I recommend adding some crushed red pepper or other spicy pepper to the mix, either before or after cooking, if you like things spicy!
Can I double the recipe?
Sure! Just be sure to take a bit of extra time to spread the Brussels sprouts out on the baking sheet, since you want them to not be touching each other as much as possible for maximum crispiness.
Other Brussels sprouts recipes
Did you know commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe, please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe and/or share photos on social media using the hashtag #bowlofdelicious or tagging @bowlofdelicious!
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
These roasted Brussels sprouts are tossed with maple syrup and bacon grease, cooked to crispy perfection, then topped with the crumbled cooked bacon. The bacon crisps up in the oven on the baking sheet while the oven preheats, saving time and dishes! You’ll love this sweet, salty, smoky way to cook Brussels sprouts.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 151kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 2 slices thick-sliced bacon
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts trimmed, tough leaves removed, and halved or quartered depending on size
- olive oil if needed, optional, or other oil of choice
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup you can add 1 tablespoon more if you like things extra sweet
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Place the 2 slices thick-sliced bacon on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven, and then preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, allowing the bacon to cook while the oven warms up. (This is a good time to prep your Brussels sprouts if you haven’t already).
Once the oven is at temperature, check the bacon – if it isn’t crispy and done yet, leave it for another 5 minutes or so. Remove from oven once it’s crispy and fat has rendered off, and place the bacon on a plate, leaving the bacon grease in the pan.
Add the prepared halved or quartered 1 lb. Brussels sprouts to the baking sheet. You want there to be about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. If there is less than that, drizzle a little olive oil on the sprouts to make up for the difference (don’t worry too much about precise measurements here).
Drizzle the 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup on the Brussels sprouts, and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat well, then spread out the sprouts on the baking sheet so they aren’t touching each other. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, tossing around 1-2 times during that time, until browned and thinner outer leaves have started to become crispy.
While the Brussels sprouts roast, chop the cooked bacon into small pieces. When they are done roasting, add the chopped bacon and toss together. Serve.
Notes
- You can double this recipe easily. The baking sheet may be more crowded, so just make sure to take a little extra time to spread the Brussels sprouts out evenly on the pan to ensure they aren’t touching as much as possible (otherwise the result won’t be as crispy and browned).
- After washing the Brussels sprouts, make sure to dry them as much as possible, which will help yield a more crispy result. I usually pat them dry with a kitchen or paper towel.
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 862IU | Vitamin C: 96mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post originally appeared on Bowl of Delicious on November 10, 2016. It has been republished with new photos, improved recipe instructions, and more pertinent information.
0 Comments