Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Bacon

Brussels Sprouts have been quite the turnaround vegetable the past few years.  Quickly rising from bad childhood memories to the Number 1 side dish on nearly every restaurant menu in America.  In these Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, I use a two temperature cooking method to get them tender in the middle and crispy on the outside

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar

The Ultimate Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Here I take the basic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon foundation and add in some much needed garlic.  Lots of garlic.  To me, garlic alone is the best seasoning for Brussels sprouts, but you can take the dish one step further by adding Balsamic Vinegar.

The acid in the balsamic vinegar helps cut through the richness of the bacon fat.  It also becomes slightly sweet as it reduces in the oven…which is a nice balance to the earthy flavors of the sprouts.

To ensure you have a bold flavor on these balsamic roasted brussels sprouts, make the garlic oil first so the flavors can develop.  Do this by crushing garlic in a bowl and mixing in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  As you cut each sprout in half and remove the loose leaves, drop them in the bowl.  This way they get a nice soak in the garlic oil to let the flavors develop.  Even better, make a batch of 100 Cloves of Garlic Spread and use the reserved garlic olive oil.

This is also something you can do hours ahead of time, or even the day beforehand.  You basically are marinating the brussels sprouts in garlic.  But don’t worry, it’s not going to be an overpowering flavor.



Best Way to Cook Brussels Sprouts in the Oven

Here’s the problem. At 400 degrees, the oven roasted brussels sprouts will be cooked all the way through, but they’ll be a little mushy on the outside.  At 450 degrees, they will be deliciously crispy on the outside, but they won’t be cooked all they way through by the time you take them out.

The solution is a two temperature cooking.

I’ve experimented many ways, and found that starting out at 400, and then turning up to 450 halfway through, gets a perfectly roasted brussel sprout that’s crispy on the outside.  Another key here is that the Brussels sprouts are baked with olive oil, which helps raise the surface temperature to crisp (fry) them off.

The is easily my favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts, I hope you enjoy them too.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar

5 from 1 vote
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Bacon
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bacon are even more amazingly with garlic and balsmaic vinegar
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Tony Bailey
Ingredients
  • 2 Pounds Brussels Sprouts washed and loose leaves removed
  • 4 Ounces Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Crushed Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
  • 6 Slices Thick Cut Bacon
Instructions
  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oil, balsamic and the crushed garlic
  2. Trim the end from each sprout, cut it in half and place in the bowl.
  3. Toss the mixture well to coat all of the sprouts and season with salt and pepper. You can keep going, or let them marinate for the garlic flavors to strengthen
  4. Slice the bacon into 1/4" wide pieces and mix it in with the brussels sprouts. This is easier if you put the bacon in the freezer for about 15 minutes
  5. On a high rimmed sheet pan, spread out the brussels sprouts and bacon.
  6. Roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Gently toss them around
  7. Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and roast for another 15 minutes until everything is crispy and browned nicely

One Comment

  1. Very easy and tastes fantastic, cooking time 6 min shorter, don’t burn, if using small oven.

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