Last updated on December 14th, 2021
These air fryer Brussels sprouts with bacon, maple and brown sugar have been kicked up a notch by adding Chinese Five Spice into the mix. Chinese five spice can be purchased in an Asian supermarket or the Asian section of your local super market. It can also made from (mostly) common ingredients at home.
Tips & Tricks for making Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Maple & Brown Sugar
Ingredients:
- brown sugar
- maple syrup
- soy sauce or Tamari sauce
- Chinese five spice
- Brussels sprouts
- cooked bacon
These flavors blend well together to make this rich and flavorful dish. The sweet and the umami compliment each other well along with the complex Chinese Five Spice. If you decide to start omitting sugars or soy sauce, you’ll lose that flavor profile. The Tamari sauce is a substitution recommendation in case you’re looking to go gluten-free with this dish.
Clean the Brussels sprouts thoroughly, peel back any of the loose leaves, and cut them in half. In a medium-to-large-sized bowl, mix together brown sugar, maple syrup, soy sauce, and Chinese five spice together.
Gently tossing the vegetables and bacon with the sugar, syrup and spices will allow the flavors to soak into the nooks and crannies of the Brussels sprouts, inundating them with intense flavor. Do this gently however, as the leaves tend to fall off easily.
Arrange Brussels sprouts in single layer in air fryer basket. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
If using a smaller fryer, you’ll need to cook this dish in small batches and potentially cook each batch for a longer period of time.
Remove Brussels sprouts from air fryer and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
This dish is perfect served as a standalone main dish, an appetizer or a side dish.
Good for up to 4 days, tightly covered in the refrigerator. Reheat by returning to air fryer and cooking for 3 – 5 minutes at 400°.
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Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Maple & Brown Sugar
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
- 1/2 cup cooked crispy bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees°
- Whisk brown sugar, maple syrup, soy sauce, and Chinese five spice together in a large bowl.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and the crispy bacon and gently toss to coat.
- Place Brussels sprouts in single layer in air fryer basket and cook for 8 – 10 minutes, gently turning Brussels sprouts halfway through. *See Note
