Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are the perfect side dish, made with only a few simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store to make the best and wonderfully crispy balsamic Brussel recipe. The cooking process with the air fryer is a great way to create an easy side dish to pair with any weeknight dinner, especially for those Brussels sprout lovers. With less oil than using a deep fryer, you can cook this delicious air fryer recipe to crispy perfection and still have a healthy and simple side dish to pair with your main courses.
Recipe Ingredients
To make our air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- Vegetable: use fresh Brussels sprouts from the grocery store or your garden for the best results;
- Oil: extra virgin olive oil will be perfect to make sure this recipe crisps up every single time;
- Seasoning: you will only need to use salt, black pepper, and garlic powder when making this great side dish;
- Balsamic vinegar: you will want to use a balsamic cream, balsamic glaze, or balsamic reduction for the best results;
- Cheese: a sprinkle of parmesan cheese is the best way to serve this easy side dish.
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts.Trim the Brussels sprouts: wash, trim, and remove any browned leaves from the Brussels sprouts. If your Brussels sprouts are smaller, like 1 inch, you do not have to cut them in half. If the Brussels sprouts are larger than 1 inch, cut them in half or quarters for the extra-large Brussels sprouts.
- Season the Brussels sprouts: Add cleaned Brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat them evenly.
- Cook: Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 375℉. Add the Brussels sprouts in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the basket and shake the Brussels sprouts. Continue to cook for 6-7 additional minutes or until the desired crispiness is reached.
- Serve: Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl. Drizzle them with balsamic cream and add parmesan on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
After washing the Brussels sprouts carefully cut off the bottom stem of the brussel sprouts before seasoning them for this air fryer recipe.
If the Brussels sprouts are too wet before adding them to the air fryer it could prevent the cooked Brussels sprouts from getting crispy. Be sure to dry the Brussels before cooking in the air fryer.
You can make this recipe with frozen sprouts, however, we would suggest thawing them ahead of time and patting them dry with a paper towel to make sure that this delicious side dish is able to crisp up golden brown the way you would expect from an air fryer.
Generally no, you won’t need to soak the Brussels sprouts ahead of time, especially if you are hoping to have crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts. However, if you are using larger Brussels sprouts you may want to soak them so they do not burn too much before they are cooked all the way through.
You can make these fresh sprouts in the regular oven if you choose or don’t have an air fryer. The fresh Brussels sprouts cooking time will take longer to cook properly and to get a crispy texture though.
Expert Tips
- Always preheat your air fryer. This ensures the Brussels sprouts begin crisping immediately as they go in.
- Before air frying, you can boil Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes. Drain them and toss them with olive oil and seasonings. Air-fry for 10 minutes, shaking halfway through. This will give you extra crispy Brussels sprouts with a soft center.
- Make sure your Brussels sprouts are dry before air frying. Any excess moisture will prevent them from crisping up.
- You can add a bit of red pepper flakes or bacon on top of the Brussels sprouts, for extra flavor. Also, they are great with a drizzle of lemon juice.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Store leftovers from this air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe in an airtight container and store it for up to 5 days.
Enjoy More Delicious Vegetable Side Dishes
Need the perfect compliment to your main dish? You’ll want to try these delicious side dishes. Browse our comprehensive collection of simple side dish recipes.
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Parmesan Broccoli
- Broiled Asparagus
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
- Italian Peas
- Oven Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
- Oven Roasted Broccoli Steaks
- Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
- Panda Express Super Greens
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic cream
- 2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts.
- Trim the Brussels sprouts: wash, trim, and remove any browned leaves from the Brussels sprouts. If your Brussels sprouts are smaller, like 1 inch, you do not have to cut them in half. If the Brussels sprouts are larger than 1 inch, cut them in half or quarters for the extra-large Brussels sprouts.
- Season the Brussels sprouts: Add cleaned Brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat them evenly.
- Cook: Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 375℉. Add the Brussels sprouts in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the basket and shake the Brussels sprouts. Continue to cook for 6-7 additional minutes or until the desired crispiness is reached.
- Serve: Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl. Drizzle them with balsamic cream and add parmesan on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
I have not heard of Balsamic cream?!? Can you buy it in the store or make it yourself? When I did a search for it all I got were balsamic glazes. They’re not the same thing, correct?!
Balsamic cream uses Cream as the emulsifier which makes it thicker but feel free to substitute with balsamic glaze if you’ve got that handy
Crispy, tender, and perfectly caramelized in the air fryer—so delicious!