Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

There seem to be hundreds of ways to cook brussels sprouts. This recipe is pretty simple with just a few ingredients, and produces brussels sprouts that taste a lot like the side dish you would get at a good steakhouse. The reason Brussels taste so good at these establishments is because often they are deep fried, giving them their crispy blackened exterior and soft interior, along with that rich flavor we love. This recipe comes close, using a high temperature oven rather than deep frying.

TIPS: Use a heavy, ovenproof pan for this recipe. Thick sliced bacon works best, but if you only have thin bacon, add another slice to the recipe and be careful to still only cook halfway through in the first step.

Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 slices thick bacon diced
  • 1 lb brussel sprouts trimmed and halved
  • salt and pepper
  • balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Place an ovensafe sauté or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add bacon pieces and fry until fat renders, they are starting to brown, and are cooked about 50% through.
  • If there is more than 1 Tbsp of bacon fat in the pan, carefully drain excess fat off (keeping bacon in the pan) until you have about 1 Tbsp of fat left in pan. Add raw Brussels to the pan and toss to coat. Stir fry the brussels with the bacon about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, stirring twice throughout, until bacon is crispy and Brussels are very brown and crispy, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with small amount of salt (be careful as bacon is salty already)and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar.
  • Enjoy!