Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and parmesan cheese might be my favorite side dish of all time. The bacon and cheese add a nice subtle smokey and salty flavor that compliments the crispy golden and tender Brussels sprouts.
Vegetables don’t always have to be the worst thing on your plate. I love this recipe because it’s incredibly easy to make and it’s a massive crowd-pleaser. I love roasted Brussels spouts alone, but it’s really hard to resist them when you add hearty chunks of bacon.
I’ve attempted just about every method of preparing Brussels sprouts. Crockpot, stovetop, air fryer, and oven roasting. Roasting Brussels sprouts in the oven or air fryer delivers the best combo of tenderness and crispiness. When cooked properly, the inside takes on an almost creamy texture.
If you’re looking for more delicious and crispy roasted veggies, try my roasted red potatoes, roasted parmesan fingerling potatoes, or my lemon and parmesan broccoli recipe next!
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts: remove the stems and cut them into halves or quarters depending on their size. I prefer smaller chunks.
- Bacon: look for thick-cut bacon or even pancetta. The thicker bacon will make it a little more hearty and prominent throughout the dish. Leftover bacon? Try baking bacon in the oven for breakfast.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: avoid pre-grated cheese if you can. They’re typically treated with preservatives that change the texture and overall quality.
- Shallots: shallots add an amazing complimentary caramelized flavor to this dish. If you’re a fan of shallots or onions I highly recommend you add this optional ingredient.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet in the oven as it preheats.
Step 2.
Rinse and dry Brussels sprouts. Trim the stems and remove any yellow leaves, cut lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on the size. Finely chop shallots.
Step 3.
Place Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Toss with olive oil, shallot, salt, pepper, and bacon until coated and well-mixed.
Step 4.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle with a little olive oil. Arrange Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until very golden and tender. I like to flip halfway through.
Step 5.
Remove from the oven and give Brussels a final toss to mix. Just before serving, sprinkle all over with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips & Tricks
- Let Brussels marinate with the toppings. Sometimes I make them in the morning or the day ahead and just store them in a large Ziplock bag in the fridge. This is an optional step.
- My favorite way to grate parmesan is with a microplane. It offers the perfect fine texture and it makes it very easy to quickly top a dish with cheese in seconds.
- Use a large baking sheet and arrange with minimal overlap. Flipping halfway through isn’t always necessary unless you have a very full pan with a lot of crowding.
- Use thick-cut bacon. Thick bacon is my favorite because I love the larger chunks of chewy bacon. I always opt for fresh bacon and nothing precooked or microwavable. You can also make this recipe with pancetta as a substitute for bacon.
- Use plenty of oil. The oil is what will crisp up the brussels and make them really flavorful. Don’t be afraid to go heavy on the oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
I always recommend fresh however if you don’t have other options frozen is OK too. Just note that you will need to add extra time in the oven for the Brussels to cook through and crisp up.
There is no need to precook the bacon. The bacon will have plenty of time to cook through in the oven.
I always recommend cooking just before serving, however, the ingredients can all be prepped a day in advance and stored in the fridge prior to baking.
Yes. Air fry at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, tossing halfway through for even cooking. The volume may have to be a little smaller depending on the size of your air fryer. Cook until golden and tender.
What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts
I love paring Brussels sprouts with steak and potatoes. It’s the ultimate combo of protein, starch, and vegetables. Try pairing these with my cream cheese mashed potatoes to compliment the crispy veggies or my roasted fingerling potatoes.
For a main dish, I highly recommend my pan-seared filet mignon, coffee-rubbed steak, bourbon-glazed salmon, or oven-baked BBQ ribs.
More Vegetable Side Dishes
- Honey sriracha brussels sprouts
- Lemon and parmesan broccoli
- Orange sesame cauliflower
- Garlic & parmesan fingerling potatoes
- Roasted rosemary red potatoes
- Restaurant-style Brussels sprouts
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Print
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Parmesan Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Sides
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious and tender roasted Brussels sprouts made with bacon, shallot, olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1–1.5 pounds of Brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved or quartered
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped (no need to precook)
- 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1–2 shallots, finely chopped (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet in the oven as it preheats.
-
Rinse and dry Brussels sprouts. Trim the stems and remove any yellow leaves, cut lengthwise into halves or quarters depending on the size. Finely chop shallots.
-
Place Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Toss with olive oil, shallot, salt, pepper, and bacon until coated and well-mixed.
-
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and drizzle with a little olive oil. Arrange Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until very golden and tender. I like to flip halfway through.
-
Remove from the oven and give Brussels a final toss to mix. Just before serving, sprinkle all over with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
You can also cook this recipe in an air fryer: air fry at 400°F for 15-17 minutes, tossing halfway through for even cooking. I never preheat mine. The volume may have to be a little smaller depending on the size of your air fryer.
Make it ahead: I always recommend cooking just before serving, however, the ingredients can all be prepped a day in advance and stored in the fridge prior to baking.
You can also use frozen veggies: I always recommend fresh however if you don’t have other options frozen is OK too. Just note that you will need to add extra time in the oven for the Brussels to cook through and crisp up.
My favorite way to grate parmesan is with a microplane: it offers the perfect fine texture and it makes it very easy to quickly top a dish with cheese in seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 1.6g
- Sodium: 352mg
- Fat: 6.2g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7g
- Carbohydrates: 7.7g
- Fiber: 2.9g
- Protein: 9.2g
- Cholesterol: 17mg
Keywords: brussels sprouts with bacon, roasted brussels sprouts
Best Brussel Sprout recipe I have come across. Very tasty and easy to do.
★★★★★
If you can fix the print page, that would be awesome. The ads are printing covering part of the instructions!
Thanks, I just fixed this! thank you for pointing out.
The recipe is great and I usually make a recipe from my iPad once. And if I like the way it turns out I print it and put it in a recipe binder. I would be nice if you make the printable recipe no have all the ads so It doesn’t waste so much paper and ink.
I hear you – I’ll see what I can do
Very good…except for the misspelling of Brussels throughout the recipe!