Air Fryer Recipe
Brussel sprouts with bacon
A delicious and easy-to-make Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 100g streaky bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (400°F).
- In a bowl, toss the halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chopped bacon to the bowl and mix thoroughly so that all ingredients are evenly coated with oil and seasoning.
- Transfer the mixture to the air fryer basket, spreading it out into a single layer for even cooking.
- Air fry for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even crispiness.
- The Brussels sprouts should be golden and the bacon crispy.
- If desired, drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving for an added flavour dimension.
Why this works in an air fryer
Halving exposes flat faces that brown quickly under fast air convection, while the bacon renders fat that coats the sprouts and boosts crisping. A single layer matters because trapped steam softens the cut surfaces before Maillard browning can develop.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–5 litre basket with the sprouts spread in one layer; in a single-drawer model shake well and rotate any browned edge pieces inward, while dual-zone drawers usually have less depth, so split the batch evenly and start checking 2–3 minutes earlier.
Common pitfalls
- Sprouts pale and damp at minute 15? The basket is overcrowded or the sprouts were wet; pat them dry, cook in two batches and give the current batch another 3–5 minutes.
- Bacon crisp but sprout centres still firm? The sprouts are too large for the bacon timing; quarter large sprouts next time, or remove crisp bacon and continue the sprouts for 4–6 minutes.
- Outer leaves turning black while cut faces stay pale? Loose leaves are scorching before the halves brown; strip off very loose leaves or add them for only the last 5 minutes, and shake earlier.
- Balsamic tasting burnt or making the basket sticky? It was added before air frying; drizzle only after cooking, or reduce the temperature to 180°C if using a sweet glaze in the final 2 minutes.
Variations & substitutions
- Use smoked pancetta or bacon lardons instead of streaky bacon; they render more slowly, so cut them small and expect the full 20 minutes.
- Use turkey bacon for a leaner version; keep the olive oil amount because less fat renders, and check from 12–15 minutes as it dries faster.
- Add a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey with mustard only for the final 2 minutes; sugar burns quickly at 200°C if added from the start.
- Add chopped walnuts or cooked chestnuts for crunch; stir them in for the last 4–5 minutes so they toast rather than scorch.
Storage & reheating
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until the bacon re-crisps.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
