Everyone should try my Easy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon recipe at least once because that is all it will take for you to want to make them again. These Brussels Sprouts with bacon and garlic are my go-to way to cook Brussels Sprouts for Christmas… and all year long too. Adding garlic to the Bacon Brussels Sprouts adds extra flavour and bite to the dish. Bring on the bacon garlic brussels sprouts!
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Half my family love them. Half my family hate them. Brussels Sprouts are definitely a topic of discussion every Christmas. I love them, I think they taste like leeks and have that really earthy healthy taste.
This is the way my grandmother taught me and I think they are tasty and easy to make. I give you my Bacon Sprouts recipe. This quick Brussels Sprouts dish is so simple to make and will be your go-to dish each Christmas, it’s especially good for getting little ones to enjoy the Christmas vegetable.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This recipe for bacon garlic brussels sprouts is a fantastic side dish for Christmas.
- It’s a quick and easy panfried Sprouts recipe & only needs 5 ingredients. Plus if you have any leftovers you can fry them up the next day.
- The bacon and garlic add so much flavour that if anyone thinks they don’t like sprouts the additional flavours will help convince them.
- The can be boiled ahead of time and heated back up as they fry with the bacon and garlic for even quicker bacon garlic brussels sprouts.
Little effort with a tasty reward. That’s my kind of recipe.
Top Questions
What is the best way to eat Brussels sprouts?
What pairs with Brussels sprouts?
What meats go with brussel sprouts?
What dishes go well with brussel sprouts?
Why do you put a cross in the bottom of brussels sprouts?
How do you make Brussel sprouts taste better?
Do you need to soak Brussels sprouts before cooking?
What to serve with Brussels sprouts and bacon?
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Very controversial but perfect at this time of year, they have a strong flavour and pair so perfectly with the bacon and garlic flavours. Most people don’t like sprouts but I think they just haven’t made this recipe yet.
BACON
One of my all-time favourite foods. There are a few foods that don’t get better when you add bacon to them (Pizza, Burgers, soups, bread… you get the picture).
GARLIC
My second all-time favourite food. Again, garlic can be added to anything making it 100 times better. I thank whoever discovered garlic (I actually used wild garlic in my roast potatoes which make a perfect Christmas side dish). Whatever quantity of garlic a recipe suggest I always double it, you don’t measure garlic with scales, you measure it with your heart.
How to make – step by step
To start making these garlic bacon Brussels Sprouts, remove the outer layer of the Brussels Sprout and cut a cross in the bottom. This helps cooks them evenly as you boil them.
Add into boiling water and cook for 5 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and plunge them into cold water. This will help them stop cooking and not go soggy.
Slice the bacon into small strips (lardons work just as well)
Thinly chop or crush your garlic, the thinner you slice your garlic the more surface area- which means more flavour!
In a frying on a medium heat add the butter and let it melt. Add in the bacon and sprouts.
Add in the crushed garlic and reduce the heat to a bit lower. Allow the garlic to soften and mix into the Brussels Sprouts and bacon.
Serve and enjoy!
Garlic Bacon Brussels Sprouts
In my recipe for Bacon garlic Brussels Sprouts, I have paired two beautiful flavours. Brussels Sprouts don’t need to be scary or complicated. Bacon adds a beautiful flavour to the sprouts. The fats and oils from the bacon really work well as you fry the sprouts in a hot pan once they are boiled.
You can use either smoked or unsmoked bacon for this recipe. I prefer smoked bacon especially if it’s being served with a Christmas meal or with meat main dish. The smokey flavour is delicious and makes this Brussels Sprouts with bacon and garlic recipe really easy. It also helps unite the iconic flavours if you are serving pigs in blankets.
Panfried Brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic
To serve the bacon Brussel Sprouts I wanted to make them look more adorable and tempting so I went for the petite casserole dishes from Le Creuset. They are great for portions to share and I think more people went to try them because they looked so much cuter. The petite casseroles come with little lids too so you can keep the contents warm until everyone is ready to eat. Find out more about these gorgeous little casserole pots.
Top Tips
- You can cook the Brussels Sprouts, in advance of frying them, to save time. I would recommend doing them earlier on the same day you need them.
- If you have time on your hands, I recommend frying the bacon and then taking it out the bacon (so it doesn’t burn) then melting the butter in the pan and adding the garlic and letting it toast for a bit this helps the garlic flavour infuse with the butter and when you add the bacon and sprouts back it, all the flavours combines beautifully.
Serving Suggestions
These bacon garlic brussels sprouts make for the perfect Christmas dinner side dish, they’re quick to whip up on Christmas morning and can even be re-fried to have with your leftovers on boxing day (mix them in with your bubble and squeak, it’s life-changing I promise).
What Equipment do I need for bacon garlic sprouts?
Here is the equipment you will need for this recipe – contains affiliate links
- Saucepan – to boil the Brussels Sprouts.
- Frying pan – you will need this to fry off the bacon, sprouts and garlic.
- chopping boards – Save the work tops and use a chopping board when cutting.
- knives – you will need a sharp knife to cut the crosses in the bottom of the sprouts and chop the garlic. Plus a second knife or scissors to cut the bacon
Substitutions and variations
If you wanted to make this recipe for bacon and garlic sprouts vegan or vegetarian simply swap the butter and bacon for plant-based versions. You could omit them altogether and make panfried brussels sprouts with garlic, just fry them in garlic instead.
If you wanted to level up your brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic you could also fry an onion with the garlic and make onion garlic sprouts.
Make-ahead Brussels Sprouts and Storing Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
One of the best parts of this bacon garlic Sprouts recipe is that you can cook the Brussels Sprouts earlier in the day and set them aside until it’s time to fry them all together with the bacon and garlic.
I usually do them once the Roast meat is in the oven. It takes about 15 minutes to cook them. Then you just need to plunge into cold water to stop them from cooking, drain and set aside.
I think some people get a bit scared about cooking the bacon sprouts as they aren’t used to it. My way is super easy and a bit quicker than the Brussels Sprouts and bacon jamie olivier way as precooking them earlier saves madness in the kitchen on Christmas day. First of all, I remove the outer layer of the sprout and cut a cross in the bottom.
I boil the Brussels Sprouts for about 5 minutes until a knife cuts through. Then I empty out the hot water and replace with cold so they cool. I then drain after about half an hour to let them cool completely until I need them.
When it came to cooking them for the big feast I heated up some butter, finely chopped garlic, bacon, pinch of salt and the sprouts in a frying pan.
On a low to medium heat I let the bacon cook and sprouts warm up. It doesn’t take long to cook and then serve straight away. The garlic and salt really add that extra flavour which definitely makes the bacon garlic sprouts moreish.
FAQS
What is the best way to eat Brussels sprouts?
Brussels Sprouts really as a hugely versatile vegetable. You can roast them, boil them and even fry them. I recommend boiling them and then frying them off with a little bacon and oil as in this recipe. I’ve also been a fan of a Christmas traybake.
Roasting the Brussels Sprouts, potatoes with a turkey breast or two plus some other vegetables too. They also taste really good boiled then cut up and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. There are plenty of quick Brussels Sprouts recipe options. Adding garlic and bacon definitely gets my vote for the best option.
What pairs with Brussels sprouts?
The best flavours to pair with Brussels Sprouts includes bacon, other earthy vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and beetroot. Citrus flavours are also lovely. A drizzle of fresh orange or lemon juice with a little olive oil.
Mustard also pairs with sprouts well too. For subtler tastes apples and pears work really well for Brussels Sprouts. Broccoli is also a lovely greenery fresh flavour which pairs so well.
What meats go with brussel sprouts?
The best meats to go with Brussels Sprouts have to be the classic turkey or goose.
However, when making them as a side dish it’s bacon that is the best fit. Whether it is smoked or unsmoked bacon the slight saltiness and texture really works well with the earthy green vegetable.
What dishes go well with brussels sprouts?
My favourite dishes to go with Brussels spouts are roasted turkey or goose and some wonderfully crispy roast potatoes (all linked below) although, I’m often pinching a sprout from the pan before they’re served.
Why do you put a cross in the bottom of brussels sprouts?
You put a cross in the bottom of brussels sprouts to help them cook evenly throughout. By cutting about a third into the sprout you open it up and allow the heat to distribute more evenly making for soft and delicious brussels sprouts.
How do you make Brussel sprouts taste better?
You make brussels sprouts taste better by panfrying them with butter, garlic and bacon. The flavours from the bacon and garlic balance the strong sprout taste and make the Brussels taste so much better.
Do you need to soak Brussels sprouts before cooking?
No, you don’t need to soak Brussels spouts before cooking as they cook quickly, but I do recommend giving them a good wash and taking the outermost leaves off to ensure no bits of dirt are left behind.
What to serve with Brussels sprouts and bacon?
You should serve your Christmas dinner or winter roast with brussels sprouts, the flavours of a roast turkey and a large portion of thick gravy drizzled over the top are perfect to serve with your brussels sprouts and bacon.
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Recipe
Easy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Ingredients
- 300 g (3.5 cups) Brussels Sprouts
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Unsalted Butter
- 2 cloves of (2 cloves of) garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
- 2 slices of (2 slices of) Bacon (smoked or un-smoked)
Instructions
- Remove the outer layer of the Brussels Sprouts and cut a cross in the bottom of each one. Only cut down a few millimetres.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the sprouts in.
- Cook for 5 minutes until a knife can easily slice in.
- Remove from the heat and plunge into cold water to stop them cooking. Allow to cool and remove them from the water and pop into a bowl until you need them.
- Thinly slice the slices of bacon.
- Thinly chop or crush the garlic.
- In a frying pan melt a table spoon of butter on a low to medium heat. Add the Brussels Sprouts, bacon and a small pinch of salt and allow to cook and warm up.
- Reduce the heat and add in the garlic and stir into the Brussels Sprouts. Allow them to soften but not burn.
- Cook for a few minutes until the Brussels Sprouts are warm and the bacon and garlic has cooked.
- Serve straight away and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Bacon would definitely make them more bearable.
Haha Add a little garlic if you fancy a bit more flavour.