Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts

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These air fryer bacon-wrapped Brussel sprouts taste amazing! They are such a crowd pleaser and make the perfect appetizer to serve at your next dinner party.

If you’re not usually a fan of Brussels sprouts, these air fryer bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts will change your mind. They are just the best appetizer. A perfect balance of salty, sweet, and a little bit of bitterness from the Brussels sprouts. The bacon is coated in a little maple syrup which fries up beautifully on the salty bacon. It’s a very little effort dish!

The Brussels sprouts

The Brussels sprouts in this recipe are fresh. This recipe doesn’t work well with frozen Brussels sprouts because you need to be able to secure a piece of bacon around the sprout with a toothpick. Frozen sprouts are too hard when frozen, and if thawed they are too soft to secure. Here is a recipe for air fryer Brussels sprouts with frozen sprouts you could try instead.

Choose tightly packed fresh Brussels sprouts with bright green leaves. This way you know they are fresh. Older sprouts tend to have yellow leaves and loosen up over time. If the sprouts are very large they can be sliced in half before being wrapped in bacon.

What bacon to use?

Use thin-sliced bacon. This fries up the best in the air fryer. The cooking time isn’t super long so you want the bacon to have enough time to become crispy bacon. Thick-cut bacon slices can take too long to cook.

The ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients for this delicious appetizer. Find the amounts for the main ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

• Brussels sprouts – Fresh and firm Brussels sprouts. Extra large sprouts can be sliced in half.
• Bacon – Thin-cut bacon slices.
• Maple syrup – This maple glaze brings sweetness and contrast to the saltiness of the bacon. This can be substituted with honey too.
• Black pepper
• Salt – to taste

Equipment

Air fryer – These crispy Brussels sprouts are made in a 5.8-quart air fryer. Preheat the air fryer before adding in the Brussels sprouts so it can start blowing hot air right away when it’s cooking.

Toothpicks (optional) – This is an easy way to secure the strip of bacon around the sprouts. The air fryer basket moves around a bit when you remove it and place it back in. If you don’t secure the bacon it can unravel.

Method

Preheat the air fryer oven to 400°F/200°C.

Wash and trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper.

On a cutting board, cut the bacon in half lengthwise. Wrap a piece of bacon around each sprout. To help keep it tight, secure the bacon around the sprout with a toothpick.

Use a pastry brush to brush all the sides of the bacon with maple syrup.

Place the bacon wrapped Brussel sprouts in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. If you haven’t used toothpicks, lay the Brussels sprouts in the basket, seam side down.

Pro tip – Leave the air fryer basket unlined because the moisture and fat from the bacon need to be able to drain away. If you do choose to line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper, add a few holes into it. This gives it a place to drain. Don’t preheat the parchment paper or foil.

Fry the Brussels sprouts at 375°F/190°C for around 12-15 minutes until the edges of the bacon are nice and crispy. For extra tender Brussels sprouts, lower the heat to 350°F/177°C and fry for a further 2-4 minutes until extra soft inside.

Serving

Serve this easy appetizer while they are still hot. Add a dipping sauce of choice, like a ranch dressing or a blue cheese sauce.

Storing

Store the leftover wrapped bacon sprouts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the air fryer at 350°F/180°C for 3-4 minutes until crisp.

More air fryer recipes

• Air fryer bell peppers
• Fried banana in the air fryer
• Air fryer granola