Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Shallots

Brussels sprouts and bacon are a dream pair, especially for people who may think they don't like these tiny cabbage heads. This recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots is smoky, tender, and comforting, which is why it's great at Thanksgiving or a weeknight dinner.

Brussels sprouts may have earned a sort of murky reputation in your house growing up. Many home woods steam Brussels sprouts or toss them in the microwave, and they end up bland and flavorless. That's no way to treat a Brussel sprout.

Brussels sprouts, despite their historical origins, don’t have to be sad, though. When roasted and paired with flavorful ingredients such as crisp bacon and aromatic shallots, they are delicious and sure to be the most popular side dish at the dinner table, whether it’s family dinner or a holiday spread.

Learn how to make Brussels sprouts with bacon, and try it at your next dinner.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

For this classic side dish, you'll need a few pantry staples in addition to the Brussels sprouts and bacon:

• Fresh Brussels sprouts: You’ll want to start by prepping the Brussels sprouts. This recipe is best made with whole, clean, and trimmed sprouts. If you rather half them, that’s fine, and of course, recipes can be halved or doubled depending on the amount of people you will ultimately be feeding. 
• Thick-cut bacon slices: This bacon will be crispy and brown, the way we most like it. You’ll want to start with thick-cut bacon slices for the best infusion of smoky bacon flavor. Fat and bitter are great friends when cooking, and the Brussels sprouts and bacon will play really well together.
• Shallots: Shallots provide a more mild flavor than onions, and that mild flavor will support the Brussels sprouts and bacon without overpowering them.
• Minced garlic: Garlic makes everything better and will play well with the slightly bitter notes of the Brussels sprouts and the smoky quality of the bacon.
• Sherry vinegar: We often use salt the cut the bitter quality of ingredients such as Brussels sprouts, but if we’re trying to not overuse the salt here (it already plays a role elsewhere in the recipe), the sweetness of the sherry vinegar will do a great job of that here.
• Canola oil: The canola oil coats the Brussels sprouts so they will get golden and crispy when roasting without burning or tasting dry and bitter. 
• Panko: So much of tasting food is about texture, and the panko and butter mixture at the end of the recipe will really add another final note to those Brussels sprouts with bacon.
• Butter: Butter makes everything better, no? The butter will help to make the final dish rich and also make sure the panko coating is well dispersed.

Do You Need To Boil the Brussels Sprouts First?

It’s common to see boiling or parboiling as an initial instruction when making Brussels sprouts because doing so can sometimes help to remove the potential bitterness from a batch of Brussels sprouts, but also help them to cook faster and soften before roasting or frying.

However, these sprouts will be coated in oil and butter and cooked not once but twice on a high temperature in the oven, so parboiling is not necessary here—you’ll still have delicious golden and crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon in the end.

How To Make Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

The full recipe and ingredient list is below, but here's a brief recap.

• Step 1. Cook bacon: This is a simple and familiar process of frying your thick-cut bacon slices in a large skillet over a medium heat. Be sure to reserve those delicious bacon drippings because you’ll need them again in a moment.
• Step 2. Fry the shallots: About those drippings: Those bacon drippings are loaded with smoky, porky bacon flavor, and they will now be what you fry your aromatics and other ingredients in for the most delicious end result of Brussels sprouts of bacon of them all. You’ll now be adding those diced shallots to the bacon drippings in the large skillet, followed by the garlic and vinegar. Once the mix is aromatic, thick, and syrupy, remove and add to a small bowl, along with the crumbled bacon.
• Step 3. Roast the sprouts: Toss the Brussels sprouts with canola oil and salt and pepper, and roast on baking sheets for about 25 minutes at 400°F. You’ll want to toss them midway through so that they cook evenly and are all golden and crispy and delish.
• Step 4. Roast again: Toss with the roasted Brussels sprouts with the bacon-shallot dressing before putting them back on the baking sheet and sprinkling with butter and breadcrumbs. Roast again for 15 minutes.

What To Serve With Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

The Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallots would be a delicious side dish to enjoy at the holidays, from Christmas or Thanksgiving to Easter, or any big family dinner, paired with anything from a turkey to a ham to even a prime rib or roast beef.

It’ll pair well with starchy sides, too, such as mashed potatoes or mac and cheese, without overpowering them. You can feel good about having something healthy and green at the table, even if it is loaded with bacon and butter!

How To Store Leftovers

This dish will be fine stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days with no problem. To reheat, toss back in a large skillet with a bit of oil or butter, to make sure the Brussels sprouts and bacon are as hot and crisp as they were the first time.

Substitutions and Variations

As with any recipe, this is one with many options for substitutions and variations.

• People who do not eat bacon can sub in beef or lamb bacon or a plant-based alternative, or skip the meat altogether for vegetarian guests.
• If you're cooking for a person eating dairy-free, the butter in the recipe could be replaced with oil, too.
• A fun idea may also be to add in some fresh herbs or spices to the mix, perhaps some paprika and cayenne to up the smoky and spicy element, especially if skipping the bacon.

Editorial contributions by: Aly Walansky.