How often do you hear yourself say “I love Brussels Sprouts.”
Me… Never.
Never. Ever. Ever.
Until now.
I’m a girl. I can change my mind whenever I want.
These are too yummy. Perfect side dish for your holiday meals. Perfect for any night of the week. Even more perfect for dinner tonight.
Growing up, my little brother L-O-V-E-D brussels sprouts.
The kind from the frozen section which my mother would proceed to heat over the stovetop till the turned grey-ish green.
My version has a bit more class and a few complex flavors that make you want more.
To achieve the best-roasted Brussels sprouts there are a few rules
— Roasting Rules
- A 425˚ oven. And nothing lower — seriously.
- Accurate knife cuts — all the same size.
- EVOO + Salt & Pepper
- All flat sides down.
WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH BALSAMIC BROWN SUGAR BRUSSELS SPROUTS?
This pairs perfectly well with any holiday menu – check out my Thanksgiving Dinner Menu if you need some inspiration!
HOW DO I MAKE BALSAMIC BROWN SUGAR BRUSSELS SPROUTS?
First, you’ll slice up some thick-cut bacon and place the bacon pieces on a sheet pan.
Pop into a COLD oven, then turn the oven to 425˚.
Next, you’ll start by quartering your brussels sprouts. I’ll use a couple of pounds.
Trader Joe’s always has them, and they’re a great price.
Slice the ‘stem end’ off using a sharp chef’s knife, and then half wise lengthwise, and in half lengthwise again.
Each sprout should now be quartered.
Toss into a large mixing bowl and drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil over top, along with a healthy sprinkle of kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
Using a nice spatula, toss to coat so each sprout is evenly coated.
Your bacon should be crisp now, so remove from the oven to drain onto a paper towel.
Pour Brussels out onto a sheet pan and roast at 425˚ for half an hour.
Take out of the oven at the 20-minute mark, and give it a good shimmy shimmy shake shake.
Add the crispy bacon back to the pan, and sprinkle a tablespoon or so of brown sugar on top of the sprouts, along with aged balsamic vinegar.
Balsamic glaze works well, too!
Toss to coat on the sheet pan, being very careful since the pan is hot!
Finally, crisp everything up in the oven for a few minutes, being watchful of the brown sugar.
As you can see in the photos, the sprouts get very toasty, don’t worry, they taste ah-mazing!
Balsamic Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- Half pound of fresh Brussels Sprouts, cut into quarters
- 5-6 slices of Bacon, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- Pinch of Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tbs Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Aged Balsamic Vinegar (the super thick stuff!) + more drizzled over
Instructions
- Begin cutting your bacon into lardons, the fancy French way of saying pieces. Separate and place on a half sheet pan.
- Turn your oven to 425˚ and put the pan of bacon in while it preheats.
- Quarter your sprouts while the bacon gets all crispy and beautiful.
- Coat the sprouts with Olive Oil, salt, and pepper. {The oil is there to help the salt & pepper stick!}
- Once the bacon is done, remove from pan to drain on a paper towel. Add the sprouts to the pan and place back in the oven for 12-15 minutes.
- During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add bacon and sprinkle two tablespoons of brown sugar over the top along with the one tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar. Toss to coat and place back in oven for 3 minutes.
- Remove and place in serving dish. Drizzle extra vinegar over the top as desired.
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I promise you will devour these and make them again and again!
Enjoy, dear ones.
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Thank you so much for sharing at the Twirl & Take a Bow Party! Have a great day!
Leslie
House on the Way
Can these be made ahead of time?
I have made these ahead of time before. I made them a couple days ahead {why do they SMELL so badly!?! it was nice to let the stinky cabbage smell dissipate before guests arrived}. Just throw onto a baking sheet and reheat until hot. About 12-15 minutes at 350˚
Can I use regular balsamic vinegar or do I need to use aged balsamic vinegar?
I have never tried it with regular balsamic vinegar!! Maybe premix the brown sugar and vinegar to make the "regular" vinegar a bit syrupy?? I'm sure it would taste great using either!
When do you add the olive oil and salt and pepper?! I am making these right now and don't see an instruction for them. Haha!
I'm pretty sure you would add it to the sprouts before you put in them in the oven, because you are basically "cooking" the sprouts inside the oven.
Yes! Add the Olive oil, salt, and pepper BEFORE adding them to the bacon pan. The Olive Oil is there so help the salt and pepper stick — you could wait until after you have roasted in bacon drippings to see if you need to add salt and pepper at all. Hope this helps! Updating the recipe now, thank you for pointing this out!!
How many servings would this make?
This recipe is one of those recipes you use as a guide… So, I would estimate 1/4 pounds per person. This recipe is enough for two +. I usually stick a "spoonful" on my plate, and it's maybe 3-4 whole sprouts, that are cut into quarters. I am not a good "measuring cook" — I rarely measure!!! They go farther than you think, and with the bacon you can really "bulk" up the dish. Would also be great with onions roasted with them!
Yes, I would also like to know the servings this makes. I want to create for work and would need it to feed at least 10!
I usually estimate 1/4 pound per person. So, for four people you would want a pound.
What would you do for vegetarian style?
I would just leave the bacon off! They’ll still be amazing!
This dish is divine. Easy to prepare, completely delicious. It was a beautiful addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you SO much, Leslie!! You are kind. Glad I could play a part!
yummers…..
Honestly I have NEVER even tried brussels sprouts. Yikes I know. I might like them if I start out with your recipe. Thanks or sharing. #HomeMattersParty
This sounds delicious! Found your recipe at the #HomeMattersParty – pinning it!
I am a weirdo – I love brussels sprouts! This sweet and savory version looks delicious! I wish brussels sprouts didn’t make the house smell so bad when they cook, that’s the one reason I don’t make them more often because I always have to air out the house! LOL #HomeMattersParty
So is it 30 mins on 425 or 12-15 mins on 400?? Your recipe differs from the TLDR version with great disparity
Hi, Chrissy! Bake your bacon at 425˚ until crispy, followed by your sprouts on the same pan (after removing the bacon pieces, you’ll add them back later). Adjusting the recipe card to reflect this. However, if you know your oven runs hot, I would suggest roasting the sprouts at 400˚. Or, watch them carefully.
Also wondering about the length of time the Brussels should roast. Is is 12-13 or 30 min? At 425. The recipe is confusing with your comments above it! Thanks
Hey, Sarah! I hope you roasted these anyways, and just kept an eye on them! Sorry to be evasive! But, it really does depend on your oven, and if it runs hot or cool. For instance, the oven I use runs much warmer, so I turn it to 425˚ and it registers 455˚ on the oven thermometer I have in there. So, I’ll turn down the oven and roast them for 18 or so minutes. If I use the oven at my parent’s house, it runs fairly close to 400˚, so I’ll set it to 400˚ and go with it, even though it registers a bit below 400˚.
Delicious! My husband even loved them!!
Yay!!!! I love hearing that!
These were soooo good!! I could have eaten them all by myself! Mine were burning a tiny bit at the higher temp, so I ended up doing them at about 375 for 20 minutes or so (then increased heat near the end!) So just adjust per your oven! 🙂 My husband even ate them – and he said before I started he wouldn’t go near brussel sprouts. YUM!
Love this!!!! Yes, every oven is different, so thanks for watching and adjusting! Glad the hubs like them too!! 😉