Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
And a silky maple butter sauce that is optional but delicious
Cooked in a skillet
It seems that brussels sprouts with bacon has recently become a very popular side dish. And why wouldn’t it be? It has bacon! Using a skillet to cook our brussels sprouts will be quicker than using the oven.
Better when black
Brussels sprouts are better when they are charred on the outside. I checked it out and sure enough, there is a chemical reaction in the browning that changes up the flavor of the sprouts. I think using this charring technique has helped bring the humble brussels sprout back to our dinner tables.
Brussels sprouts are a green leafy vegetable
I don’t know about you but I am always looking for a way to get more vegetables in my diet. And green leafy vegetables are always near the top of the lists of vegetables that are best for you.
I know some of the benefit of the vegetable is sacrificed by cooking it in bacon, but this side dish is quick, easy, economical and yummy. That’s good enough for me.
Add a touch of sweetness
Or not.
I sometimes add a little maple syrup with butter just before I take the sprouts off the heat. I only add a little bit giving the sprouts a rich sweet coating. The sauce is completely optional. You can get a smoky maple taste without the sweetness if you use maple cured bacon.
Here’s what YOU WILL NEED:
If you are not familiar with brussels sprouts they look like little cabbages. Sometimes you can buy them on the stem. I buy them loose but they look fascinating on the stem. The sprouts shoot out all around a thick green stem.
1/2 to 3/4 pound brussels sprouts Try to pick out sprouts that are pretty similar in size for even cooking. If they are large, cut them in half lengthwise. |
| 3-4 strips of bacon |
| Optional for extra flavor |
| 1/8 cup real maple syrup 1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons |
| 1 tablespoon butter |
| Ingredient Tidbits: Making Maple Syrup |
This is WHAT TO DO:
Prepare the brussels sprouts
Rinse off the sprouts. If there are outside leaves that are browned or ripped, pick them off.
The blunt end of the sprout where it was picked from the stem will be dried and hardened. Cut the dried end off. Don’t cut too close to the leaves if you can help it or the leaves will fall off.
If some sprouts are larger than others, cut the large ones in half lengthwise so they will all cook uniformly. If all are large like the ones in my picture cut them in half so they cook faster.
Cut up the bacon
We are going to add small pieces of fried bacon to the sprouts before serving. It is a lot easier to get small pieces if you cut the bacon before cooking.
You don’t need to separate the bacon strips before you cut them. The pieces will separate as they fry.
Cut the dried blunt end of the sprout off. Trim as little of the stem as possible. When you trim above the leaf line, those leaves on the bottom of the sprout will fall off.
Cut large sprouts in half lengthwise.
There’s no need to separate the strips of bacon before cutting into small pieces. They will separate while frying.
Let’s get cooking
Cook the bacon pieces
Use a good sized skillet. Add a little bit of olive oil to the bottom of the pan so the bacon pieces don’t stick. Once the skillet and oil are warm, add the bacon pieces and fry on medium high heat until most of the fat has rendered (melted).
Add a little olive oil to your skillet and let it get warm. Fry the bacon pieces on medium high heat. They will separate as they cook. Cook until most of the fat has rendered (melted).
Remove the bacon bits from the skillet and put them aside for later. I used paper towel for my picture but you don’t need to absorb the fat. The bacon fat is going to add some nice flavor to the sprouts. We are going to add the bacon piece back into the skillet when the sprouts are done.
Remove the bacon from the skillet and put aside till later.
You don’t need to drain them.
The bacon fat and all those brown bits (called a fond) will add a delicious flavor to the sprouts.
Add the brussels sprouts
Add the sprouts to the bacon fat in the skillet and sauté on medium high heat. Move the sprouts around in the skillet often so they don’t burn. Cook until the sprouts are browned and tender.
With your skillet on medium high heat add the brussels sprouts to the bacon fat in the skillet. Stay at the stove and move the sprouts around in the pan.
You are going to get some browning pretty quickly. Some of the smaller leaves that are on the outside will fall off the sprouts as you move them around and they will char. That is okay. Those leaves are the best! They are crunchy little chips. Don’t pick those leaves out and throw them away before tasting them. That would be such a shame. Absolutely delicious.
Brussels sprouts get better with a good char. There is actually a chemical reaction with high heat that makes brussels sprouts more flavorful. So the charring is a good thing.
Here are my sprouts with a good char on them. These are tender enough for me. You can get them more tender without burning them by turning down the heat to low and putting a cover on. See note below.
A note about cooking
If the sprouts are fully browned and a little charred but the sprouts are not as tender as you would like, turn the heat low and cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil. Basically, you will be steaming the sprouts until they are as tender as you want them. Steam the sprouts for two or three minutes, covered and undisturbed before checking. They probably will be done. If still not tender enough, cover and cook for a couple more minutes.
The finishing touch
Some butter and maple syrup makes a simple side dish a real treat. It’s completely optional but you may want to try it before you decide it’s not for you.
When my brussels sprouts were fully cooked I added maple syrup and butter. You end up with a slightly sweet butter sauce with bacon. It is great!
Let the butter melt and stir everything up well to incorporate the flavors. Remove from the heat when the butter has melted.
Add the cooked bacon pieces
Add the cooked bacon pieces to the cooked brussels sprouts.
Serve
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon in maple butter sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 4 strips bacon
Optional sauce
- ⅛ cup maple syrup ⅛ cup = 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients
- Wash the brussels sprouts. Take off any scarred, torn or dried leaves. Cut off the dried end of the stem. If the sprouts are big, cut them in half lengthwise to lessen the time it will take to cook.
- Cut the bacon into small pieces. You don't need to separate the bacon before cutting. The pieces will separate when they are fried.
Cooking Instructions
- On medium high heat, fry the pieces of bacon in a skillet. When the bacon fat has rendered (melted out), remove the bacon and put it aside.
- Put the brussels sprouts in the bacon drippings and sauté until the sprouts are tender. There will be charring on the outside. When you have some charring on the outside check to see if the sprouts are as tender as you would like. If not, cover the skillet and turn heat down to low. Steam for two or three minutes and check tenderness. Continue steaming if necessary until they are as tender as you like.
- Some leaves will probably fall off as you cook the sprouts. Let them char in the pan. They are delicious crunchy bits. My favorite part!
If you are adding the sauce
- Add the maple syrup and butter to the skillet and mix until the butter is melted. Then remove from heat.
- You can add the bacon bits to the skillet and mix them in or you can sprinkle them over the sprouts when you serve them.
Made this over the weekend and it was so delicious!!!
Thank you so much Christina for taking the time to write a comment. It is so exciting when we learn that someone has tried a recipe and liked it!