Air fryer brussel sprouts

This air fryer brussel sprouts recipe is amazingly crispy on the outside, mildly seasoned, tender and make the perfect side dish or healthy snack.

I’m so excited to be sharing this air fryer fried brussel sprouts recipe. I never thought in a million years that I would be a fan of sprouts but my air fryer made me fall in love with them. I’m talking about crispy, well cooked sprouts that are tasty, wholesome and made with only 5 ingredients.

Back in the day I used to be that girl who loathed sprouts. I just didn’t like the taste of them and hated when my family cooked them. We ate them anytime of the year but more around November/December when they were in season and cheap to buy.

I didn’t like that mushy, boiled texture and would always find a way to avoid eating them. Now as a foodie and grown woman I have FINALLLLLY found some neutral ground with brussel sprouts and that’s cooking them air fried. This is the only way I will eat them and believe me you will enjoy them too especially if you are like me and hated them as a child.

Air fryer brussel sprouts nutrition

• Low in calories 
• Low in carbohydrates and fat
• High in fibre which helps to aid a functional digestive system and ease bowel movements
• A good source of vitamin k which plays a role in blood clotting, blood metabolism and regulating blood calcium levels
• High in vitamin c for the formation of collagen, repairing body tissues, absorption of iron and boosts the immune system.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe include

• Brussel sprouts
• Garlic powder (or granules)
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Pink salt

How to air fry brussel sprouts

• Rinse off the brussel sprouts using a colander and blot them dry
• Place the sprouts in a medium sized bowl and peel off the out layer (with any brown bits/debris) and slice of the ends and then cut each sprout in half and set side.

• Drizzle the sprouts with oil and season with black pepper, garlic power and pink salt.
• Use either your hands (preferred) or a spatula to coat each and every brussel sprout liberally.
• Lightly spray the air fryer basket (or coat) with oil
• Place the sprouts facing downwards in the fryer basket (you may need to do this in batches, depending on the capacity)
• Switch the unit on and manually fry at 356f (180c) for 8-12 minutes making sure to open the unit and turn the sprouts over half way through cooking. I found that 10 minutes gave me a nice crispiness as pictured.

Air fryer brussel sprouts cook time

The time the brussel sprouts take to cook will vary due to the size of the sprouts and how crispy you want them. My best advice to you is to keep a watchful eye on the sprouts around 8 minutes.

Check the basket very frequently after that to decide your own preference. If you want them darker/crispier than what is picture then 12 minutes will suffice.

Brussel sprouts add ins

While I’m not overly concerned with adding too many condiments and ingredients to my brussel sprouts. Here are some popular additions that you may like to include

• Balsamic vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Soy(a) sauce/coconut aminos
• Avocado oil
• Lemon
• Parmesan cheese

Cooking frozen brussel sprouts in the air fryer

You certainly can cook your brussel sprouts in the air fryer from frozen however the technique requires some tweaking. Set the air fryer to cook at 356f for 14 minutes or until brown/crispy.

Place the sprouts in the fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes then spray/coat with olive oil and sprinkle on the black pepper, garlic and pink salt and continue to cook for a further 6 minutes or until crispy.

Additional vegetables to cook with

Feel free to combine your brussel sprouts with any of the following

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Mushrooms
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Air fryer brussel sprouts no oil/oil free

If you want to omit the use of olive oil and keep the calories down even further then use a combination of coconut aminos (or soy if you use it) with maple syrup instead.

I would advise placing the sprouts in a zip lock bag, shaking it and then placing them in the air fryer.

Notes and tips 

• Do not forget to rinse off the sprouts first as they will probably riddled with some debris
• Cut the ends off the sprouts as you have them
• If you don’t cook all of the sprouts simply refrigerate or freeze them (halved)
• If you freeze them keep in mind they will be water logged and take longer to crisp up 

More air fryer side dishes

Curried air fryer chickpeas

Air fryer zucchini fries

Air fryer onion rings

Air fryer shrimp

Air fryer chicken wings

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