Roasted Brussel Sprouts with bacon are a great alternative way to cook sprouts.
Love them or loathe them, sprouts usually make an appearance during the festive period – why not try roasting them in the oven with some tasty chopped bacon?
How To Roast Brussel Sprouts
It’s a quick and easy recipe that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes, and then left to roast.
If you don’t have enough oven space, you could even cook them in an air fryer.
Prepare the Sprouts
If you have bought prepared sprouts, all you need to do is wash them and slice them in half.
For loose sprouts, wash them, trim the ends, remove any yellow leaves, and cut in half. If you have sprouts still on their stalks, twist them off and then follow the same process.
Lay the sprouts on a lined baking tin.
Optional Extra Step: You can parboil the Brussel sprouts before roasting them if you wish, this will soften them up a little. Boil them for about 5 minutes, cool them down under cold water, pat dry and then add them to the baking tray. (I skipped this step and added them straight to the oven for roasting!)
Add the Bacon, Oil and Seasoning
You can either buy bacon lardons to add directly to the Brussel sprouts, or chop up bacon rashers. Cubed Pancetta also works well.
Sprinkle the bacon over the sprouts and then drizzle a little olive oil across both the sprouts and bacon.
Add some sea salt, or your choice of seasoning. I sprinkled some dried sage over too.
Roasting the Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
Cook in a preheated oven (220C/200C fan/gas mark 7) for around 30 minutes. Give them a little shake about mid way through. They will be ready when the bacon is crispy and the sprouts are soft.
Serving Roasted Brussel Sprouts
They taste great as a side to various main meals and are most commonly served alongside a roast dinner. If you have any leftovers you can turn them into a tasty Brussel Sprout and Bacon Soup.
Roasted chestnuts are also a great addition to this recipe.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Bacon
Roasted Brussel sprouts and bacon is the perfect side dish to have with any roast dinner, especially a Christmas one!
Ingredients
- 400g Brussel sprouts
- 100g bacon lardons (or rashers, chopped up)
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1tsp sea salt (or seasoning of your choice)
- 1tsp dried sage (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
- Prepare the Brussel sprouts by washing them, slicing off the ends and removing any yellowing leaves. Slice the sprouts in half. Any green loose leaves can be kept.
- Optional: Par boil the sprouts in water for up to 5 minutes, rinse under cold water and pat dry. I didn't do this step but you can add it in for softer sprouts.
- Transfer the sprouts to a lined baking tray.
- Sprinkle the bacon lardons, or chopped up bacon rashers, over the top and mix them in among the sprouts.
- Drizzle approx. 1tbsp of olive oil across the sprouts and bacon.
- Season with sea salt (and pepper if required). I also sprinkled some dried sage across them , but you can skip this step, or use an alternative herb.
- Place the baking tray in the oven for 30 minutes, checking on them at the half way point and giving them a good shake about. It will be ready when the bacon is crisp and the sprouts are soft, with a slight golden tint to them.
- Serve as a side to a roast dinner.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 183Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 1023mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g