Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside, made with olive oil and spices, ready in 25 minutes!
The air fryer really adds a next level flavor to vegetables! For more vegetable side dishes, check out this Air Fryer Broccoli, Air Fryer Cabbage Steaks, and Air Fryer Red Potatoes!
These Brussels sprouts are the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight. They’re really easy to prep, and use minimal ingredients. If you make these for a holiday dinner, the air fryer is a great way to free up oven space!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Brussels Sprouts. For this recipe, you want to cut the sprouts in half. This helps with the flavor, and also makes them less bitter and they will cook faster. I also trim the stems, and remove any loose leaves or discolored leaves.
You can buy the whole sprouts and prep them yourself, but a lot of times the grocery store will sell fully-prepped Brussels sprouts already cut in half. If you’re looking for something really quick and easy, that would be the way to go.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You want to use an oil with a higher smoke point, so you could also use canola oil or avocado oil. Another option is to whisk the spices together, spray the sprouts with olive oil cooking spray, then toss everything together.
Balsamic Vinegar. This adds a really nice flavor, and also that caramelized color to the Brussels sprouts. You can leave this out if you’d prefer.
Spices. We’re keeping it really simple with just garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. You can add any additional salt and pepper as-needed once they’re fully cooked.
How to Make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Place the Brussels sprouts in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pour the spice mixture over the sprouts and use a spoon to mix everything together until they’re evenly coated.
- Add the Brussels sprouts to the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- Every 5 minutes, take the basket out of the air fryer carefully and shake to mix the sprouts up. The Brussels sprouts are done when fork tender and caramelized.
Storage
Refrigerate air fryer Brussel sprouts in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freeze leftover air-fried Brussels sprouts in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Reheat in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
The air fryer is cooking at a high temperature, so it’s very important to shake the basket every 5 minutes while they’re cooking. Shaking the basket gives you a chance to check on how the sprouts are coming along. It also makes sure the air circulated evenly around each sprout. Be very careful, because the basket is hot!
For this recipe, you don’t have to soak the sprouts in cold water prior to cooking. Soaking Brussels sprouts before cooking helps to prevent them from burning, and also helps cut some of the bitter flavor that’s naturally in the sprouts. A touch of salt in the water can also help with this.
But for this recipe, they’re not in the air fryer long enough to worry about burning. We are going for a little caramelization on the leaves, though. You can stop or extend the cooking process depending on your preference here.
I do not recommend using frozen sprouts for this recipe, because they will be soggy and not cook properly. Plus, you want to cut the sprouts in half, and frozen sprouts are usually whole. Overall, I’m not a big fan of the flavor or texture of frozen vegetables in the air fryer.
More Air Fryer Recipes
Recipe Variations
- Add a small amount of honey or maple syrup to the spice mixture to add some sweetness to the sprouts.
- For a nice crunch, add some chopped pecans or almonds on top of the sprouts right before serving.
- If you want some heat, add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Leave out the balsamic vinegar, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to the sprouts when they’re just out of the air fryer.
- If you want to use the regular oven to cook these, check out my Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts or Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
- Instead of adding the balsamic vinegar to the sprouts prior to cooking, you can also make a sweeter balsamic reduction with a small amount of brown sugar and drizzle it on the sprouts just before serving.
- You can use this same recipe to make air fryer green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower! Just leave out the balsamic vinegar.
Cooking Tips
- Don’t skip shaking the basket, this helps to ensure each sprout gets some time in the circulating air and the outer leaves caramelize nicely.
- Air fryers still need a small amount of oil to make the food crispy or caramelized. Make sure to evenly coat the sprouts with olive oil before air frying.
- You might have to work in batches, depending on how big your air fryer basket size is. The air frying time can also vary depending on the type of air fryer that you have.
- I did not preheat my air fryer. If you do, then check the sprouts at 15 minutes to see if they’re fully cooked. Add more or less cooking time as-needed.
- Soaking the Brussels sprouts in water can help remove some of the natural bitterness of the sprout. I don’t usually do this, especially if I don’t have a lot of time. But it’s an option.
- The longer you cook them, the more you’ll get crispy sprouts on the outside. Just watch them closely so they don’t burn.
- Larger sprouts may take a little longer to cook in general. Add an additional 2-4 minutes of cooking time and check them again, then go from there. For smaller sprouts, they may only take 8-12 minutes to cook. Check them when you shake the basket at the 5 minute mark.
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Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts , outer leaves removed, cut in half
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Place the Brussels sprouts in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the spice mixture over the Brussels sprouts and use a spoon to mix everything together until they're evenly coated.
- Add the Brussels sprouts to the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- Every 5 minutes, take the basket out of the air fryer carefully and shake the basket to mix the sprouts up. The Brussels sprouts are done when fork tender and caramelized.
Notes
- Don’t skip shaking the basket, this helps make sure each sprout gets some time in the circulating air and the outer leaves caramelize nicely.
- Air fryers still need a small amount of oil to make the food crispy or caramelized. Make sure to evenly coat the sprouts with olive oil before air frying.
- You might have to work in batches, depending on how big your air fryer basket size is. The air frying time can also vary depending on the type of air fryer that you have.
- I did not preheat my air fryer. If you do, then check the sprouts at 15 minutes to see if they’re fully cooked. Add more or less cooking time as-needed.
Nutrition
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