Making air fryer Brussel sprouts gives you crispy outsides, soft tender insides, and a savory caramelized flavor with just a couple ingredients and 15 minutes of cook time. You seriously can't get them on the table faster than cooking the Brussel sprouts in air fryer way.
Why This Recipe Works
Whether you call them Brussel sprouts OR Brussels sprouts, this little green veggie is one that many love to hate. Often neglected by many at the dinner table, the brussel sprout is seriously delicious when prepared properly. With this super simple air fryer Brussel sprouts, you can achieve that crisp outside, soft inside, and watch at the bitterness melts away as this vegetable turns sweet.
I don't know about you, but when I was growing up I seriously despised Brussel sprouts, yet learning how to cook them has been a game-changer, and they're honestly one of our kids' favorites! Whether we are simply roasting them or adding them to an easy side dish casserole, Brussel sprouts are on our dinner table most weeks.
- Quick and simple, you can have perfectly air fryer Brussel sprouts in just 15 minutes. Air frying cooks faster than the oven plus saves on electricity.
- Cooking them a little past cooked through yields a mellow caramelized flavor
- Utilizing your air fryer for your vegetable frees you up to work on the other elements of your dinner.
- They're keto, low-carb, Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free eaters alike can all enjoy this super simple keto air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe. The carbs in Brussel sprouts are only 4.7 net carbs per 1 cup.
Looking to try other vegetables in your air fryer? Look no further than these recipe ideas! Air fryer mushrooms, sweet potatoes with cilantro lime butter, and this air fryer green bean recipe. Plus for an even quicker way to prepare sprouts, give our frozen Brussel sprouts in air fryer recipe try!
Ingredient Notes
To make a perfectly cooked Brussel sprouts in air fryer recipe, all you seriously need are a few basic ingredients.
- Brussel sprouts- pre-packaged cleaned ones make cooking them even quicker. Try to find evenly sized sprouts for even cooking.
- basics- sea salt, black pepper, olive oil
- garlic cloves - save time by buying minced garlic cloves from the freezer section. They're frozen in cubes and easy to pop out and add to any dish. We microwave them for 10 seconds to defrost.
Variations
For times you want something beyond the basic Brussel sprouts air fryer recipe, here are a few simple ways to change things up.
- Drizzle with fresh lemon juice
- Sprinkle with pre-cooked crumbled bacon
- Sprinkle with grated or shredded parmesan
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or a splash of balsamic glaze
Equipment
An Air Fryer- We have an Omni Plus oven style air fryer and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer. Either style will work for this recipe.
Be sure to read our post and download our cheat sheet on air fryer cook times for the 50 most popular air fryer foods.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep
Preheat your air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes.
Trim the sprouts, if needed. We love to purchase sprouts in a bag to make the prep work even quicker. Cut them in half, which allows for quicker cook time.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper. Save the garlic for the next step. 
How long to cook Brussel sprouts in an air fryer?
Cook the Brussel sprouts in an air fryer in a single layer for 6 minutes, add the fresh minced garlic, and mix together.
Continue cooking for 6-9 (or more) minutes until the Brussel sprouts are done to your liking.
We pulled them out at 6 minutes, but honestly, if you like them super charred, feel free to cook them even longer! Our family loves Brussel sprouts that are charred really dark (yes, even the kids!) so I’d check them at 15 in total cook time. If they aren’t crispy enough for your liking or want them even more caramelized, add 3-5 more mins.
Technically, your air fried Brussel sprouts are done in 10-12 minutes, but they aren’t caramelized to the point of reducing the bitterness. In our opinion, they need a slightly longer cooking time to achieve that flavor transformation.
NOTE ABOUT BASKET AIR FRYERS: Our preferred way to cook vegetables in an air fryer is to roast everything in a single layer. In a basket style air fryer you can put brussel sprouts on top of each other but you'll need to shake the basket every 4 minutes to get them crispy. Making simple roasted brussel sprouts in air fryer is the method we use almost every single week, yet sometimes it's nice to add variety and add different types of seasonings or mix-ins.
Adding Balsamic Glaze
Making air fryer Brussel sprouts with a balsamic glaze is a fantastic way to kick the flavor up a notch, especially if you're making Brussels sprouts with a roast or holiday dish. Balsamic syrup (sometimes called balsamic glaze) is tangy and slightly sweet so it blends perfectly with the touch of Brussel sprout bitterness.
We purchased the balsamic glaze from Trader Joes, but most grocery stores should carry it near the vinegars.
We made two batches of sprouts--one simple and roasted and then the other was with balsamic glaze. Both were delicious!
If you want to make air fryer Brussel sprouts with balsamic glaze, add 1 teaspoon of the syrup after they're done roasting. A little bit of glaze goes a long way! You can use up to 1 tablespoon depending on how much of a balsamic flavor you want to add.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to buy sprouts that are a similar size for even cooking
- Keep an eye on the cooking time the first time you make this recipe, air fryer models can differ and so can Brussels sprouts sizes.
- Just cooked sprouts are tender but still bitter, it really takes charring them for the flavor to mellow.
- Add your favorite toppings after cooking like bacon or parmesan.
Common Questions
What to Serve with Brussel Sprouts?
Making an easy dinner with a healthy veggie, protein, and healthy starch is always quick and simple. You could even create an entire air fried meal by serving the Brussel sprouts air fryer recipe with air fryer breaded chicken breast and air fryer baked potatoes. Pork chops, sausages, rice, or a second veggie instead of a starch like a simple green salad are always terrific dinner options.
Can I Air Fry Frozen Brussel Sprouts?
Making air fryer frozen Brussel sprouts are just as easy as using fresh ones. Frozen veggies are already par-boiled (meaning partially cooked), which is how frozen vegetables can get on the table so quickly. Simply cook them from frozen and follow the same recipe steps and cooking times. Frozen ones are often smaller than the fresh version found at the grocery store. No need to cut them in half, just cook them whole since they're small.
More Air Fryer Vegetables
Looking for even more air fryer recipes? Here are a few of our favorite veggies.
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Roasted Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Roasted air fryer brussel sprouts cook in just 15 minutes and make the perfect healthy side dish that's carmelized and mellow in flavor. Even kids will love this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussel sprouts
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F, this typically takes 3-5 minutes.
- Trim the Brussel sprouts and cut them in half.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the Brussel sprouts, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Cook the air fryer Brussels sprouts for 10 minutes, add the fresh minced garlic, and mix together.
- Continue cooking for 5+ minutes until the Brussel sprouts are done to your liking.
- We pulled them out after 5 more minutes (15 mins in total), but honestly, if you like them super charred, feel free to cook them even longer! Our family loves Brussel that are charred really dark (yes, even the kids!) so I’d check them at 15 in total cook time, and if they aren’t crispy enough for your liking or want them even more caramelized, add 5 more mins.
- They're technically done in 10-12 minutes, but they aren’t caramelized to the point of reducing the bitterness and in our opinion, need a longer cooking time.
Notes
If you're using a basket style air fryer, shake the brussel sprouts every 4 minutes.
Optional garnishes include: balsamic glaze, fresh lemon juice, crispy bacon, or parmesan cheese.
Brussel sprouts are technically cooked after 10-12 minutes, but they're still be bitter. Cook for 15 mins+ until they're slightly charred will caramelize them and bring out their sweetness.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 69Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 210mgCarbohydrates 6gNet Carbohydrates 4gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 2g
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