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This air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe is one of my favorite ways to eat these crunchy green vegetables. They’re perfectly tender, with crispy edges and a buttery garlic parmesan topping. The cooking time is less than 30 minutes!
As much as I love roasting veggies like green beans and Brussels sprouts in the oven, it takes longer to get those perfectly charred edges. Air fryer Brussels sprouts cook in a fraction of the time and always turn out crispy and tender. This is my foolproof method for cooking Brussels sprouts that I know you’ll love. It’s easy, and I love to finish them off with a garlicky parmesan topping. They’re a great side dish for family dinners, holidays, and weeknight meals.
Why Make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- 5 ingredients. With fresh Brussels sprouts and a few simple seasonings, this is a flavorful, no-fuss vegetable side dish.
- Nearly hands-free. Toss the ingredients in a bowl to coat, and let your air fryer do the rest.
- Crispy with less oil. I cook these in my Ninja Foodi air fryer and use the crisping lid to make the crispiest, golden-seared sprouts with hardly any oil. You can achieve the same results in any air fryer model.
Ingredients Needed
Gather the following ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card for my printable air fryer Brussels sprouts recipe with amounts.
- Fresh Brussels Sprouts – I buy fresh sprouts that come already washed from my local grocery store. To prepare them for this recipe, remove the outer leaves and cut the Brussels sprouts in half on a cutting board.
- Olive Oil – This helps the spices adhere to the Brussels sprouts. You can use any cooking oil you prefer.
- Garlic Salt – You can use a garlic salt seasoning blend from the store or mix garlic powder and sea salt.
- Parmesan Cheese – I use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Grated is best for mixing into melted butter for the topping, but shredded works too!
Can I Use Frozen Brussels Sprouts?
Yes! If fresh Brussels sprouts aren’t available, you can absolutely make air fryer frozen Brussels sprouts. You don’t even have to thaw them first. All you need to do is add another 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
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3 Steps to Cook Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer
I tested this recipe in my Ninja Foodi air fryer, which doesn’t require preheating. If you’re using another air fryer model, you’ll need to preheat it for 3-5 minutes before cooking. The cooking time should be the same for most basket-style air fryers. You may need to cook the Brussels sprouts for an extra 2-3 minutes in oven-style air fryers.
- Season the sprouts. I’m using garlic salt. But you can toss the Brussels sprouts with a simple mix of salt and pepper, or try different seasoning blends, like ranch seasoning or Cajun spice.
- Cook. Add the Brussels sprouts to your air fryer basket (crisper basket) in a single layer. I use the Air Crisp setting (or Air Fryer setting on different models) at 400ºF, my go-to temperature for vegetables and wings. I cook the Brussels sprouts for 10-12 minutes per side, shaking the basket in between.
- Dress in Parmesan butter. After cooking, I toss the Brussels sprouts in a mix of melted butter and Parmesan cheese right before serving.
How Long to Cook Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
I like my Brussels sprouts extra crispy, so I cook them for about 11 minutes per side. After 15 minutes of cooking, I like to open up my air fryer lid and check on the sprouts every few minutes. This ensures that they don’t burn.
You can cook Brussels sprouts for more or less time, depending on preference and the size of the sprouts. Larger Brussels sprouts will take longer to cook than smaller ones.
Recipe Variations
- Brussels sprouts and bacon: Add diced bacon to the air fryer with the sprouts for the last 6-7 minutes of cooking. Making bacon in the air fryer is my go-to method.
- Flavor boost: For more garlic flavor, skip the garlic salt seasoning and toss the Brussels sprouts with roasted garlic butter or any of my garlic butter sauces after cooking. Try spicy Cajun garlic butter sauce or this zesty lemon garlic butter sauce.
Optional Dipping Sauces
Instead of a Parmesan topping, I’ll sometimes serve my air fryer Brussels sprouts with a dipping sauce, like lemon aioli. They make a great party appetizer this way. I’ll serve them with toothpicks so everyone can skewer their sprouts so they’re easy to dip. Even Brussels sprouts naysayers come back for seconds! These are some more favorite sauce ideas:
What to Serve With Brussels Sprouts
I love serving crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts as a quick and easy side with any of the following:
Storage and Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store leftover cooked Brussels sprouts in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Warm them up again in the microwave or place the Brussels sprouts back in the air fryer to get them crispy again.
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt, Use DRDAVINAHS for 15% off!
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, fresh, grated, preferred
- 1 tablespoon Butter, melted
Instructions
- Add the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, and garlic salt to a bowl and mix. Rinse the bowl and set aside.
- Place the seasoned Brussels sprouts in the air fryer cooking pot in an even layer.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes per side, or until they are crispy enough for you. You can check these after 15 minutes of cooking to see if you'd like them crispier.
- Remove the Brussels sprouts from the cooking basket and place them back in the bowl. Toss them in the melted butter and parmesan right before serving.
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Recipe Notes
- If you would like to omit the Parmesan cheese, you can serve these air fryer Brussels sprouts with a dip or a sauce. Some of my favorite sauces to toss or dip the air-fried sprouts in are:
- For another variation, you can also slice up some bacon and cook it with the sprouts for the last 6-7 minutes of cooking time. Making bacon in the air fryer is my go-to method, generally and in this recipe.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
