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Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts

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These Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts are going to be your new favorite side dish! The sprouts are air fried until crispy and then topped with bacon, balsamic glaze, and Parmesan cheese. Delish!

$7.20 per recipe / $1.20 per serving

Crispy brussels sprouts drizzled with balsamic glaze and topped with Parmesan cheese and bacon.

When we celebrated my birthday last year, I ordered these brussels sprouts and fell in love!

They were by far the best thing I ate that night.

I decided then and there that I had to recreate the recipe so I could eat these delish veggies whenever I wanted!

This recipe works because it’s:

  • Quick and easy. The entire recipe comes together in about 15 minutes. You can’t ask for easier than that!
  • Bursting with flavor. One bite of the flavor fusion from the balsamic, bacon, and Parmesan and you’ll forget you’re eating a healthy vegetable!
  • Fancy without the fuss. These elevated brussels sprouts are so fancy, take them to your next dinner party and everyone will think you’re secretly a chef!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Ingredients to make air fryer brussels sprouts including bacon, parmesan, and anchovy paste.

Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix ¼ cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste (optional), and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning in a small bowl.

Olive oil mixed with spices and anchovy paste in glass bowl.

Add 12 ounces of frozen brussels sprouts to the olive oil marinade and stir to coat.

Frozen brussels sprouts in glass bowl with black spoon.

Add the brussels sprouts to your air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes.

Brussels sprout halves in black air fryer basket.

While the brussels sprouts are cooking, chop 3 pieces of turkey bacon into bite-sized pieces.

Chopped turkey bacon on cutting board and in frying pan.

Cook in a frying pan over medium heat until the pieces are crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.

After 5 minutes, shake the air fryer basket to redistribute the brussels sprouts and return to the air fryer.

Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the brussels sprouts are crispy, but not burnt.

Transfer the brussels sprouts to a serving dish and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, bacon and balsamic glaze. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

Bowl of air fryer brussels sprouts next to Parmesan cheese wedge and small bowl of salt.

You can make this recipe with fresh brussels sprouts too! Just check them after cooking for 10 minutes because they’ll most likely be done sooner than the frozen sprouts.

The anchovy paste is totally optional! I used it because I had some on hand after making a Caesar dressing, but if you’d like to mimic the umami taste of the anchovy paste you can try these substitutes:

  • Soy sauce
  • Miso paste
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Fish sauce

Turkey bacon is going to be the healthiest option, but if you don’t like turkey bacon, look for one that is nitrate free.

Recipe Cost

Air fryer brussels sprouts with parmesan cheese, bacon, and balsamic glaze in white bowl.

This recipe costs $7.20 to make, which is only $1.20 per serving! It’s a crazy-affordable dish for how fancy it seems.

I bought my brussels sprouts on sale and stuck them in the freezer, but if you buy them fresh and not already trimmed, you can save even more money.

  • Olive oil: $0.80
  • Anchovy paste: $0.65
  • Italian seasoning: $0.18
  • Brussels sprouts: $3.49 (notice from the pictures I got these on sale for much less!)
  • Turkey bacon: $0.79 (I buy this at Sam’s Club in bulk to really save money!)
  • Parmesan cheese: $0.75
  • Balsamic glaze: $0.54

Serve This With

This brussels sprouts recipe goes great with:

FAQs

White bowl of air fryer brussels sprouts covered with bacon pieces and drizzled with balsamic glaze.
Should I trim the brussels sprouts before air frying?


The frozen brussels sprouts will be pretty difficult to trim, but if you want to trim the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any loose outer leaves before cooking them in the air fryer, you can try!

The brussels sprouts will also most likely be trimmed if they are packaged and frozen.

How do I know when the brussels sprouts are done cooking?


The Brussels sprouts should be tender on the inside and golden brown and crispy on the outside when they’re done cooking. You can test for doneness by piercing them with a fork or knife.

The brussels sprouts are sticking to the air fryer. What should I do?


If you’ve tossed the brussels sprouts in the olive oil mixture, they shouldn’t stick, but if you do experience any sticking, gently push the brussels sprouts around in the basket to unstick them. Then pour a little leftover oil over the sprouts and stir to coat. Alternatively you could spray them with cooking spray.

Crispy brussels sprouts drizzled with balsamic glaze and topped with Parmesan cheese and bacon.

Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts

The Ashcroft Family Table
These Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts are going to be your new favorite side dish! The sprouts are air fried until crispy and then topped with bacon, balsamic glaze, and Parmesan cheese. Delish!
5 from 1 vote
$7.20 per recipe / $1.20 per serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 120 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste, optional
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 12 ounces frozen brussels sprouts
  • 3 pieces turkey bacon, nitrate free
  • Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • balsamic glaze, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Mix olive oil, anchovy paste (optional), and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.
  • Add frozen brussels sprouts to the olive oil marinade and stir to coat.
  • Add the brussels sprouts to your air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes.
  • While the brussels sprouts are cooking, chop turkey bacon into bite-sized pieces.
  • Cook in a frying pan over medium heat until the pieces are crispy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • After 5 minutes, shake the air fryer basket to redistribute the brussels sprouts and return to the air fryer.
  • Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the brussels sprouts are crispy, but not burnt.
  • Transfer the brussels sprouts to a serving dish and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, bacon and balsamic glaze. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 434IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword air fryer brussels sprouts, air fryer frozen brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts
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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)
Recipe Rating