Bacon & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Bacon & Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with crisp bacon and reduced balsamic until caramelized and glossy. The balance of smoky, tangy, and sweet makes this a bold, flavor-packed addition to any feast.

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Category: HARVEST

Cuisine: American, Italian

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: Bacon, Roasted, Vegetables

Prep: 10

Cook: 30

Total: 40

Servings: portions

Calories: 176kcal

Author: TastyDaddy

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts (fresh)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper (ground)
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
6 slices bacon
balsamic glaze

(Optional Add-Ons)

1 shallot (minced, sautéed)
1 cup red bell pepper (minced, sautéed)

Instructions

Pre-heat

Preheat oven to 425℉
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brussels Sprouts Prep

Remove and discard any damaged or discolored leaves from Brussels sprouts; wash Brussels sprouts thoroughly with cold water.
On a butcher's block (or cutting board), trim and discard stem ends from each Brussels sprout with a Chef's knife.

TIP: Save any leaves that come loose from the trimming process. These add a lovely crunch to the final dish when roasted.

Cut each Brussels sprout into quarters and toss into a mixing bowl with the loose leaves.
Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil (enough to lightly coat, about 2 tbsp), 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 tbsp garlic until they are evenly coated with oil and seasonings.

TIP: If you'd like to add a bit more depth of flavor, you can add 1-2 tsp balsamic glaze at this stage, before roasting, but be sure the glaze evenly coats with the oil and seasonings.

Pour Brussels sprouts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread evenly into a single layer.

Bacon Prep

On second parchment-lined baking sheet, place 4-6 slices of bacon (see NOTE), spacing them evenly.

NOTE: The amount of slices can be adjusted to your taste, but I say 4-6 slices, depending on the thickness/cut of the bacon you buy. I typically go with 4 slices of a thicker cut, hickory or applewood smoked bacon.

Roasting

Place Brussels sprouts on top rack and bacon on middle rack of pre-heated oven.
Roast the Brussels sprouts and bacon for 15 minutes.

TIP: If you'd like to include one or both of the optional ingredients listed, prep them during this 15 minutes.

Pull Brussels sprouts out of oven and stir; replace to top rack and cook for another 15 minutes.
The bacon will only take about 15-20 minutes to cook, depending on thickness and desired crispiness, so check on it when stirring the Brussels sprouts; if it's not cooked to your desired crispiness, leave in and check at about 1-minute intervals until you're happy with it.

Optional Ingredients (choose none, one, or both)

On a butcher's block (or cutting board), mince shallot and/or red bell pepper with a Chef's knife; set aside.

Combining Ingredients

Once you remove the bacon from the oven, move cooked bacon to paper towel to remove excess grease and help it crisp a bit more.
Retain about 3 tbsp of bacon grease and discard the rest with the parchment paper.
Transfer bacon from paper towel to butcher block and chop into ¼" pieces with Chef's knife.

OPTIONAL: If you opted to include one or both of the optional ingredients listed, heat 2 tbsp of bacon grease in large skillet and sauté shallot and/or bell pepper until nice and tender.

Once Brussels sprouts are finished, remove from oven, transfer to mixing bowl, and add bacon.

OPTIONAL: If you opted to include one or both of the optional ingredients listed, add them to the mixing bowl with the Brussels sprouts and bacon here.

Drizzle balsamic glaze over ingredient mixture, enough to lightly coat when mixed. The amount of balsamic glaze is dependent on your taste preferences, so adjust accordingly.

OPTIONAL: If you would like to add a bit more bacon flavor, add 1 tbsp of the reserved bacon grease to the mixing bowl.

Mix ingredients thoroughly and transfer to oven safe serving dish; it's ready to serve, or you can set aside and reheat in oven when ready to serve.

TIP: Because of the temperature of the oven needing to be higher than most recipes, I cook this side ahead of my main course and put it in an oven-safe dish so that I can return it to the oven for the last 15 minutes of cook time of my main course. It especially works well if your main course also gets cooked in the oven.

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