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About This Recipe
If you’re looking for a fun and creative side dish, you have to try these crispy Caesar Brussels Sprouts!
This unique take on the classic salad and vegetable side dish will be sure to leave you impressed! I love air frying the brussels sprouts to give them the best crispy, crunchy texture! Then once perfectly roasted, coat them in all the classic caesar toppings like delicious caesar dressing, fresh parmesan cheese, crunchy croutons, crispy cooked bacon and fresh lemon zest! These sprouts are seriously so flavorful and will make any sprout skeptics reconsider!
Enjoy these caesar brussels sprouts as a side dish for your next holiday dinner or if you just want a quick weeknight side dish! I love serving them with a main dish like my Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Breaded Chicken, or Steak Bites!
And if you love all things caesar, you must try my Chicken Caesar Pinwheels, Crispy Breaded Caesar Chicken Wraps, Healthy Chicken Caesar Wraps or Healthy Traditional Caesar Salad recipe!
Why You’ll Love These Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Ultra crispy texture: I love air frying these brussels sprouts to give them a a crispy, golden brown, crunchy exterior!
- Easy to make: Quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes! Great for a hassle-free side or snack.
- Bold + savory flavor: These crispy brussels sprouts are paired with creamy caesar dressing, savory bacon, crispy croutons and nutty parmesan for a restaurant-quality taste.
- Healthy side dish: Air frying allows you to use less oil than traditional frying, making these brussels a macro-friendly way to enjoy a rich and indulgent dish.
- Versatile: These caesar brussels sprouts are perfect as a side dish, appetizer, or even a light snack!
- Brussels sprouts: Make sure to use fresh, raw brussels sprouts for these. I don’t recommend trying to use frozen brussles as they tend to turn out soggier than the fresh ones!
- Caesar dressing: To keep these roasted brussels easy, I just used store-bought caesar salad dressing. However, you can also use homemade caesar dressing like in the caesar chicken wraps or this low calorie caesar dressing for a lighter option!
- Bacon: I love the salty crunch the cooked bacon adds to these crispy brussels sprouts!
- Croutons: I used store-bought garlic croutons but you can also use these homemade croutons if you have any slightly stale bread you need to use up! You could also just use bread crumbs if you don’t have croutons on hand.
- Parmesan cheese: HIGHLY recommend using freshly grated!
- Lemon zest: Optional for garnish but adds the best fresh flavor to compliment the savory bacon and salty cheese!
- Additional ingredients: Garlic powder, olive oil, salt and fresh black pepper.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free croutons (or make your own using gluten-free bread). You can also omit for gluten-free.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free caesar dressing and plant-based parmesan cheese. You can also make your own dairy-free caesar dressing using this recipe.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. Take a cutting board and a sharp knife. Cut off the bottom stem of the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Throw away any yellow or damaged outer leaves. Add to a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
2. Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer (so they aren’t over crowded) and cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Give them a shake/toss and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until crisped to liking.
4. Transfer to a bowl or plate for serving, and drizzle with caesar dressing. Top with the crumbled bacon, crumbled croutons, grated parmesan and lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, place brussels sprouts back in the air fryer and reheat for 3-5 minutes or until they crisp back up.
Helpful Tips
- Use fresh brussels sprouts: I prefer to use fresh brussels sprouts as I think they crisp up much better than frozen ones. Also, try to use small-to-medium sprouts as they will cook faster and more evenly. Trim the ends and remove any yellow or damaged outer leaves.
- Dry thoroughly: Completely dry brussels sprouts with a paper towel after washing to avoid steaming instead of crisping while cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd: Place the brussels sprouts in a even layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure to not overcrowd. Air needs room to circulate to help the brussels sprouts to get crisp. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to cook in two batches.
Can I use frozen brussels sprouts?
You can roast a frozen Brussels sprouts, but I find the texture and flavor is much better with fresh ones. Frozen Brussels sprouts will be softer and a little more wet (even after air frying) so if you want crisp and crunchy, I would try to get fresh ones.
How do I know when my brussels sprouts are done?
Cooking times will vary based on the size of the sprouts used, personal preference for doneness, oven and climate variances, etc. Keep a close eye on them in the last few minutes of cooking because they can go from underdone to overdone and burnt in just a couple of minutes.
Can I bake these caesar brussels sprouts instead?
Yes, to bake brussels sprouts preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes, flip then bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until sprouts are as caramelized and roasted to your liking.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (30g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Caesar dressing (60g)
- 4 slices bacon (44g) cooked & crumbled
- 1/4 cup crumbled garlic croutons (14g)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (14g)
- Lemon zest optional to garnish
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Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Take a cutting board and a sharp knife. Cut off the bottom stem of the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. Throw away any yellow or damaged outer leaves.
- Add to a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Place in the air fryer basket in a single layer (so they aren’t over crowded) and cook for 5-7 minutes. Give them a shake/toss and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until crisped to liking.
- Transfer to a bowl or plate for serving, and drizzle with caesar dressing. Top with the crumbled bacon, crumbled croutons, grated parmesan and lemon zest. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free croutons (or make your own using gluten-free bread). You can also omit for gluten-free.
- Dairy-free: Use dairy-free caesar dressing and plant-based parmesan cheese. You can also make your own dairy-free caesar dressing using this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
