Looking for bacony Brussels sprouts that are soft inside but crispy and browned on the outside? Here they are, all made on one pan.
Are you ready for you new favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts? This recipe with smashed sprouts, bacon, and an optional honey drizzle can turn anyone into a fan of this vegetable. These bacon Brussels sprouts end up wonderfully soft inside with crispy outer leaves that will have you coming back for seconds. It’s perfect for a big family dinner like Thanksgiving, but easy enough to make anytime because all of it, even the bacon, is cooked on one pan.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Ingredients
As we know from restaurant-style Brussels sprouts, and from recipes like these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, crispy edges and a little bit of sweet are what Brussels sprouts are all about. This recipe definitely has that covered with the few simple ingredients needed, plus, there’s bacon, of course!
So, this delicious veggie dish keeps the ingredient list short. We need Brussels sprouts, of course, and we’re seasoning them simply with salt and black pepper.
While I often use olive oil for a recipe like this, the bacon provides plenty of fat so no added oil is needed for the sprouts. You’ll use regular raw strips of bacon that will be cooking alongside the Brussels sprouts in the oven during the first part of the cooking.
Then there’s some honey spiced with cayenne pepper, which is optional, but I love it on there. The small amount of heat is so good paired with the bacon, and that little touch of sweetness works so well to balance the cabbage-y bitterness that can be found with the sprouts. If you’d like to finish the dish with something other than the hot honey drizzle, try a spiced maple syrup or balsamic glaze. For more great ideas on how to season up Brussels sprouts, head over here.
How To Trim Brussels Sprouts
You can take a look at my guide for how to trim Brussels sprouts. But crucially for this particular recipe, you only want a little bit of the stem taken off so the leaves hold together. Once the Brussels sprouts are soft in the middle, we’ll be gently smashing them to get more surface area for browning. Having that stem helps to keep the sprouts as fairly intact entities and not just falling apart as leaves.
Although, if leaves fall off when you’re trimming, definitely add those in! The loose leaves end up the crispiest in the end.
Two-Step Cooking Process
For this Brussels sprouts recipe, I decided to do a two-step cooking process inspired by LiveEatLearn’s Smashed Brussels Sprouts. In that recipe, you boil the sprouts first and then smash them.
I decided to try roasting them covered with foil first for my recipe. That way they steam, but don’t dirty an extra pot and strainer. (I don’t want extra dirty dishes if I can help it!) This way you also are cooking the bacon on the sheet pan at the same time as the sprouts, so it’s easier. The fat will render out of the bacon during this stage, but will cook more later.
You can instead simmer the sprouts if you prefer. Then you would cook the bacon in a skillet. Use the rendered bacon fat for the second step in the Brussels sprouts cooking process.
After that first round of roasting with the pan covered, you’ll be gently flattening the sprouts, and then putting them back into the oven uncovered to brown up the edges. When the sprouts go back into the oven, you’ll chop up the bacon (which will still be soft at this point). Then the chopped bacon goes in at the end to crisp up as the Brussels sprouts finish roasting.
Smashing Brussels Sprouts
After the initial cook, you’ll smash them flatter before finishing the roasting. I find it easiest to smash them individually with a glass but you can use another clean, flat surface if you prefer.
You need firm but gentle pressure on the sprouts. If you go in too hard and fast, they’ll smoosh completely apart and not give you the desired final result. It only takes a minute or two to do them all, so no need to rush.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
You can browse our whole collection of Brussels sprouts recipes, or try one of the favorites below.
- Braised Brussels Sprouts Recipe
- Brussels Sprouts with Peaches and Bacon
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin
- Brussels Sprouts Pasta Dinner
Podcast Episode: Making Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Recipe
Bacon strips and Brussels sprouts are cooked together while covered first, to render fat from the bacon and to get the centers of the sprouts softened. Then the sprouts are lightly smashed to give more surface area for browning.
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. small Brussels sprouts
- 1 and 1/4 tsp. salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 8 strips bacon
- 1/4 cup honey (optional)
- A pinch of cayenne (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim the tiniest bit off the bottom of each sprout.* Put them into a large bowl along with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Shake to coat.
- Arrange the strips of bacon in a single non-overlapping layer on top of the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Add the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on top.
- Cover the baking sheet with a large piece of aluminum foil and seal well around the edges.** Bake until Brussels sprouts are fork-tender, about 35-40 minutes.
- Transfer the bacon out from under the sprouts to a cutting board. Set aside.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with the bacon fat on the pan. Then, use a glass to gently smash each Brussel sprout until it’s flat but still held together. Sprinkled sprouts with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Roast the Brussels sprouts uncovered for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon.
- After the 15 minutes, scatter the chopped bacon over the Brussels sprouts. Continue to roast uncovered until Brussels sprouts are very dark brown around the edges, about another 10-15 minutes. If not browned, switch oven to broil and watch closely until sprouts are brown and crisp, 1-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the honey and cayenne, if using. Once Brussels sprouts are finished cooking, drizzle with the spiced honey and serve.
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Notes
*We want most of the stem there to help hold the leaves together.
**If needed, use two sheets of aluminum foil so that the entire pan is covered and the edges are able to be sealed all around. The idea is to trap the heat in with the Brussels sprouts, and also to prevent the sprouts from starting to darken at this stage.
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