Ready in less than 25 minutes, this crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe will be your new favorite way of cooking this vegetable! Soft on the inside, and crisp on the outside, this is the perfect side dish for all occasions. From holiday dinners to weeknight meals, even your picky eaters will love this recipe!
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy: All you have to do is par-boil the brussels sprouts, mix them with seasoning and oil, and air fry them!
- Quick: These parmesan brussels sprouts are ready in less than 25 minutes. Much quicker than roasting brussels sprouts in a regular oven. This is
- Simple ingredients: This great side dish consists of brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, maple syrup or honey, and parmesan cheese. Very basic ingredients you can find at the grocery store, and a very tasty flavor combo.
- Less oil: Regular roasted brussels sprouts need much more oil. For this recipe, I only added 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil which is very little oil for such great results.
- Perfect texture: I am a bit of a sprouts snob. I mean, they just have to be cooked right. I’m not at all interested in eating rock-hard, undercooked (or “al dente” as some say) brussels sprouts. From trial and error, I had the best results by par-boiling, drying, and then air frying the sprouts. These are tender brussels sprouts with crispy outer leaves. Absolute perfection. This is truly the best way to make sprouts.
- Goes with anything: These healthy vegetables pair with just about any protein so well. Roast beef, chicken, turkey, and tofu, this is a great way to get your greens in!
- Adaptable: This air fryer brussel sprouts recipe can be adapted to work with so many diets including keto, whole30, paleo, and vegan.
🗝️ Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Brussels Sprouts: Use fresh sprouts and not frozen. You’ll need to trim off the bottom stem and remove any discolored outer leaves. It took me about 5 minutes to prepare 500g (a little over 1lb).
- Olive oil: Olive oil gets in between the leaves to make them nice and crispy in the air fryer. Use another healthy oil like avocado oil if desired, but I prefer olive oil.
- Balsamic vinegar: This just adds a hint of acidity. You can substitute it for apple cider vinegar if needed.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. I kept it really simple this time, for a basic recipe. Feel free to add your favorite seasoning, or some chili powder to make the crispy sprouts a little spicier.
- Maple syrup: A couple of teaspoons of maple give just a hint of sweetness. It’s delicious! Honey is a great substitute. You can skip this to make the crispy brussels sprouts recipe more low carb for a keto diet.
- Parmesan cheese: A little sprinkle of parmesan cheese after cooking finishes this dish off perfectly. This is entirely optional.
🥣 How to make crispy Brussels Sprouts in an Air Fryer
1. Prepare the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F.
2. Heat water: Boil water in a kettle or add hot water to a medium pot on the stove and being to heat it up.
3. Prepare the sprouts: Wash the brussels sprouts thoroughly. You may need to pick them up and rub the dirt off if it’s stuck. Next, trim them by slicing off the end (known as the stalk or stem) with a sharp knife and removing any discolored outer leaves. Slice each brussels sprout in half from top to bottom (vertically) and not through the middle (horizontally). I like to wash them a second time after peeling and slicing, just in case there is any extra dirt.
4. Boil the sprouts: Add the brussels sprouts to the hot water on the stove, and when the water reaches boiling, boil them for 5 minutes either with the lid on or off.
5. Drain and dry: Drain the cooked brussels sprouts and carefully pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or a thick paper towel, squeezing out any excess moisture. Caution: they will be scalding hot.
6. Mix seasoning: In a large bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup (if using), and olive oil.
7. Season the sprouts: Add the brussels sprouts and mix well.
8. Air fry: Add the brussels sprouts to the air fryer basket in a single layer (it’s okay if they overlap just a little) and air fry them for 5 minutes.
9. Stir and air fry: After 5 minutes, stir the brussels sprouts and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
10. Check: If after 5 minutes you would like the brussels sprouts to be even crispier, cook them for another 1-2 extra minutes.
11. Garnish and serve: Remove the brussels sprouts from the air fryer and sprinkle parmesan cheese over them before serving.
🫙 Storage Instructions
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the brussels sprouts in the air fryer until they are heated through and crispy again. You can also reheat them in the microwave but they won’t be crispy.
- Freeze: Freeze these mini cabbages in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months. Thaw completely before reheating.
🪄 Recipe Notes & Tips
- Air fryer brands: Different brands of air fryers will yield results and require different cooking times. For reference, I used a Tower 4.3L air fryer.
- Size matters: The size of the sprouts can make a difference in cooking time. If they are larger sprouts, I recommend quartering them instead of slicing them in half.
- Keto: To keep these crispy air fryer brussel sprouts as low carb as possible, skip the maple syrup/honey.
- Paleo: For a paleo version, skip the parmesan cheese.
- Whole30: To make this air fryer brussels sprouts recipe whole30 compliant, skip the maple syrup/honey and the parmesan cheese.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup and skip the parmesan cheese or use a dairy-free alternative.
- Looking for something a little fancier? Try my Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Almonds. It’s amazing!
🍽️ What Can I Serve With Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts?
- Citrus Roasted Turkey
- Greek Leg of Lamb
- Holiday Roast Beef
- Holiday Chicken Breast Recipe
- Slow Roasted Pork Loin
- Whole BBQ Chicken
❓ Is the spelling Brussel sprouts or Brussels sprouts?
This delicious side dish vegetable is named after the Belgium city of Brussels, and so the correct spelling is actually with the “s” i.e. “Brussels Sprouts”. I had to learn that one a few years ago too!
😋 More easy air fryer recipes you will love
- Cooking Acorn Squash in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Air Fryer Drumsticks
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (No breading)
- Air Fryer Rice Paper Dumplings
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Roasted Walnuts
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g 1.1lbs brussels sprouts
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey optional
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F.
- Boil water in a kettle or add hot water to a medium pot on the stove and begin to heat it up.
- Prepare the sprouts: Wash the brussels sprouts thoroughly and then trim them by slicing off the end with a sharp knife and removing any discolored outer leaves. Slice each brussels sprout in half from top to bottom (vertically) and not through the middle (horizontally). See post for more details.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the hot water on the stove, and when the water reaches boiling, boil them for 5 minutes.
- Drain the cooked brussels sprouts and carefully pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, squeezing out any excess moisture. Caution: they will be scalding hot.
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup/honey (if using), and olive oil.
- Add the brussels sprouts and mix well.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the air fryer basket in a single layer (it's okay if they overlap just a little) and air fry them for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, stir the brussels sprouts and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
- If after 5 minutes you would like the brussels sprouts to be even crispier, cook them for another 1-2 extra minutes.
- Remove the brussels sprouts from the air fryer and sprinkle parmesan cheese over them before serving.
Notes
- Air fryer brands: Different brands of air fryers will yield results and require different cooking times. For reference, I used a Tower 4.3L air fryer.
- Size matters: The size of the sprouts can make a difference in cooking time. If they are larger sprouts, I recommend quartering them instead of slicing them in half.
- Keto: To keep these crispy air fryer brussel sprouts as low carb as possible, skip the maple syrup/honey/
- Paleo: For a paleo version, skip the parmesan cheese.
- Whole30: To make this air fryer brussels sprouts recipe whole30 compliant, skip the maple syrup/honey and the parmesan cheese.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup and skip the parmesan cheese or use a dairy-free alternative.