Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts are a delicious side dish that can be made in 20 minutes with only 5 ingredients! Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness while the bacon gives these Brussels a salty punch.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until browned. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan. You’ll use this to saute the brussels sprouts in.
To the same pan, add the chopped Brussels sprouts, cut side down. Allow Brussels sprouts to cook, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes, or until the cut side that’s touching the pan is brown and caramelized. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir, cooking the Brussels sprouts for another 5-10 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the bacon, and crushed red pepper if using. Drizzle the maple syrup over the top of the Brussels sprouts and stir to coat.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Use standard-cut bacon for this recipe. Thicker cuts will be fattier and chewier and not as crisp as we'd like for this recipe.
Not recommended to make ahead. Brussels sprouts don't reheat well, so make these just before serving. To save some time, you can prep the Brussels and bacon so that all you have to do is toss everything into the pan once you're ready to cook it.
Can I freeze it? It's not recommended to freeze this recipe. Again, when you reheat it, the Brussels sprouts will be a bit soft - definitely not as good as they are right off the stove!
Can I roast these instead? Yep! If you'd rather pop everything into the oven and walk away, no problem! Just toss your Brussels sprouts in about 1 tablespoon of oil before placing them on the pan with the bacon. This will ensure they caramelize all over and crisp up nicely. (We don't use oil in the recipe above because the Brussels sprouts fry up nicely in the leftover bacon fat!)
Keyword bacon, Brussel sprouts, brussels, brussels sprouts, easy side dish, fast side dish, maple syrup, pan-fried, radish sprouts, stovetop popcorn