Name: Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Brussels sprouts; 1 tablespoon olive oil; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ( (or to taste)); ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Air fryer Brussels sprouts is one of the easiest and quickest ways to prepare tasty and nutritious sprouts. The optional hot honey glaze is really good!

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 8 to 10 minutes in the air fryer
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, mixing bowl, air fryer
Servings: 4

Air fryer Brussels sprouts in a white serving dish.

Coming back at you with another air fryer recipe! The air fryer chicken nuggets are so popular but I’m thinking it’s time for an air fryer vegetable recipe. I have a bunch more air fryer recipes, from breakfast to dessert, that I’m sure you’ll like, too. I think my air fryer is my new bestie!

Of course, if you don’t have an air fryer, I still have you covered with over 1,000 recipes that are not made in this specific kitchen appliance.

Don't have an air fryer yet?

There are many models available and it can be hard to choose one. I have this one from Cosori and I really like it.

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In fact, I have lots of Brussels sprouts recipes that are made using other methods. We love easy grilled Brussels sprouts and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Try these roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries and walnuts, roasted Brussels sprouts with Asiago, smoked paprika and shallot Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprouts with pancetta, or creamy cheesy Brussels sprouts au gratin. All delicious choices!

Or if you’d rather have salad, try shaved Brussels sprouts salad with grapes and Parmesan or Brussels sprouts salad with green apples and cranberries.

But if you do have an air fryer and want to give these a go, it’s a great way to enjoy Brussels. When you air fry them, they get super crispy with a very small amount of oil. In fact, they’d probably get nearly as crispy with no oil, but I like the flavor that a little olive oil adds.

Brussels Sprouts vs. Brussel Sprouts

There is some confusion about how to spell the name of these tiny green cabbages. Many people use the spelling Brussel sprouts, omitting the “s” at the end of the word Brussels. Brussels sprouts are actually named for the Belgium city of Brussels so that’s why you spell it with the “s” at the end.

Optional Flavor Booster

While these Brussels sprouts really are great on their own, I’ve added an optional glaze to this recipe. It’s so good! I made a batch of Brussels sprouts recently for lunch with my mom and we polished off an entire pound bag of sprouts. We just couldn’t stop eating them. The hot honey glaze adds a nice touch of sweetness, with a bit of a sizzle on the tongue. I think you’re really going to love it and it’s easy to make, just 4 ingredients and no extra dishes.

Close up of air fried brussels sprouts on a plate with a pork chop.

Ingredient Notes

Brussels Sprouts: Look for firm, compact, dark green Brussels sprouts that don’t have worm holes and aren’t shriveled. Keep reading for more about prepping the sprouts.
Olive Oil: Use at least one tablespoon, more if you like.
Salt and Pepper: Coarse salt, such as kosher salt, and coarsely ground black pepper provide nice little bursts of flavor.
Honey: The glaze is a homemade butter “hot honey” sauce. Hot honey is quite popular lately and you’ll see why once you’ve tried it.
Butter: Because everything’s better with butter!
Red Wine Vinegar: Provides just a bit of acidity which counteracts any bitterness and also balances the sweetness of the hot honey.
Red Pepper Flakes: For a pleasant little burn, red pepper flakes are added to the sauce. You can easily add more or less, according to your taste.

Overhead view of ingredients needed for recipe.

How to Prep Brussels Sprouts

It can seem tricky if it’s the first time you’ve done it but it’s really very easy to prep these “mini cabbages.”

Wash them well using a strainer or colander.
Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem. It’s very tough to chew so you want to remove it, about even with the edge of the sprout.
Peel away any wilted outer leaves. Don’t worry if some of the good leaves fall off too. Don’t throw them away because they get really nice and crispy and may be the best part!
Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise, from top to bottom, but if they’re very large, quarter them. The goal is to get them all approximately the same size so they cook evenly.
If you’re a visual learner, take a look at this YouTube video, which will show you how to prep Brussels.

How to prepare brussels sprouts - process image.

How To Air Fry Brussels Sprouts

Preheat the air fryer to 380ºF. Don’t worry if you forget to get it started. I’ve found that air fryers preheat so quickly that it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference if it’s preheated or not.

Once the sprouts are prepped, add them to a medium bowl. Toss them with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Brussels sprouts being mixed with oil and seasonings.

Put them into the air fryer basket in an even layer.

Brussels sprouts in air fryer, not yet cooked.

Air fry for eight to ten minutes, shaking the basket once or twice to ensure they brown evenly. If you like them really brown, keep cooking them until they are just right for you.

Cooked Brussels sprouts in an air fryer.

Meanwhile, if you’re planning on adding the glaze, you can prep that while the sprouts are in the air fryer. Use the same bowl and add the sauce ingredients to it. Microwave on high until the butter melts and the honey is runny. Stir well.

Add the roasted Brussels to the bowl with the glaze and toss until each sprout is well-coated with glaze. Serve immediately.

Cooked Brussels sprouts in a casserole dish.

Brussels sprouts are a good side dish but we love them as a healthy snack, too! They’re almost as good as popcorn (can you believe I just said that?!).

Options for softer Brussels sprouts

Blanching: If you like really tender Brussels sprouts, you may want to blanch them before air frying them. To blanch, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add sprouts for 2 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Roast as directed.
Soaking: Some cooks soak the Brussels sprouts in plain water for 10 minutes or more. The sprouts absorb some of the water and steam as they roast so that the insides become a bit more tender.

Recipe Variations

If you’d like to change things up, take it up a notch with one of these ideas:

Add cheese: Sprinkle the sprouts with freshly grated Parmesan. If you like, put them back into the air fryer a minute or so to melt the cheese.
Switch up the glaze: Instead of the honey sauce, drizzle them with balsamic glaze or pomegranate molasses. Maple syrup is great, too. Lately we’ve been loving this savory sweet bacon jam. Simply add a couple of tablespoons of the jam to the hot Brussels sprouts. So good!
Add brightness: Add a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of fresh herbs.
Make them BBQ: Toss them with homemade barbecue sauce.
Add a vinaigrette: Try them with sweet and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette.
Add garlic: Toss the sprouts with garlic butter (make your own by mixing softened butter and garlic powder), and an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper.

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