The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever

February 16, 2021 By Steph 71 Comments

Once you make these, you’ll never make Brussels Sprouts any other way again. Crispy bacon, caramelized shallots, and a glaze of honey mustard and maple syrup make these the Best Brussels Sprouts Ever… guaranteed.

Yes, there are Brussels Sprouts under all that.

So, what makes these the best Brussels sprouts ever?

These are far from your boring, typical Brussels Sprouts.

Let me use a few key words to explain a little bit about these ‘sprouts:

bacon
shallots
honey mustard
maple syrup

There is no shortage of flavor in this recipe, rest assured. But it’s also really easy to put together. Like, super easy! It’s easy enough to make for a quick weeknight side dish, but also delicious and fancy enough to make for a special occasion.

I make these a lot when we serve steak, and I also made them on Thanksgiving this year. This dish is a crowd-pleaser, even for the pickiest of eaters who swears “he doesn’t like Brussels Sprouts.” (I’m looking at you, Emilio).

What you’ll need to make this dish

The ingredient list is so short! Aside from the obvious, Brussels Sprouts, you will need a few other things, most of which can be kept on hand.

center cut bacon (I typically use this one from Oscar Mayer, but I used a different brand this time)
shallots
kosher salt
honey mustard (this is the brand I like to use here; sold in most stores with the other mustards)
maple syrup
- I do not suggest using sugar-free syrup for this recipe, especially if you are serving it to a crowd. The stats for this recipe are low enough with using the real thing, just use it and enjoy it!

How to make this recipe

First, grab a nice-sized frying pan.

Start off with chopping up some center cut bacon. If you’ve never cooked with center cut bacon, it’s the same as a regular bacon, except it’s got some of the fattier ends cut off, making it a bit leaner.. Therefore, it’s more calorie-friendly, but it has the exact same taste and properties as regular bacon.

Chop the bacon up and get it cooking in the frying pan over medium heat. You’ll need to cook the bacon for about 10 minutes, until it gets super crispy and all of the fat is rendered off. It should look like this.

Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, and place it aside. Leave all of the bacon grease in the pan.

Next, half your Brussels sprouts and slice your shallots, and add them to the pan with the kosher salt. Toss everything together and cook for about five minutes, or until the shallots begin to appear caramelized, and the sprouts start to get crispy on the cut side. This should take around five minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, it’s time to make the glaze. Simply combine the honey mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl.

After the vegetables have cooked for five minutes, place the sprouts cut side down, and add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and cover it with the lid. Let the sprouts steam and cook until the liquid is completely evaporated. Remove the lid, and repeat this process. After the second time, the sprouts should be tender, yet golden and crispy on the cut side.

At this point, you’re all done! Simply plate the sprouts, then top with the delicious glaze and crispy bacon.