These Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts are hot, crunchy, and so simple to make!
I'm coming at ya this week with another favorite air fryer recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts. These sprouts are addictively crunchy and bursting with bright and fresh flavor. Best of all, they're made with only 4 clean ingredients and are ready in a snap!
On what is very close to my one year anniversary of getting my first air fryer, I am sharing my 8th air fryer recipe with!
I'm not usually the type of person who buys new appliances just to buy them. After all, my kitchen is already a little too close to capacity with all my various other cooking apparatus and tools.
But, when I started seeing what people could do with air fryers -- and how it was unfortunately difficult to get the same results in the oven -- I caved and asked for an air fryer for Christmas.
Boy am I so glad I did! Though I have published less than one air fryer recipe per month, I use that bad boy multiple times a week. Sometimes, I wish I even had two of them so I could air fry both the main course and side dish.
I love my air fryer for many reasons, with the top of that list being how quickly and cleanly it works. With a simple seasoning and a quick 10-20 minutes in the air fryer, you can make almost any fresh vegetable into a crunchy, savory, and addictive experience.
(Yes, that's right. I said vegetables can be addicting! I guess there can be worse vices. Anyways...)
Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite veggies to air fry. After just shy of 15 minutes of frying, you have a veggie that rivals the deep-fried variety you can find in restaurants.
Like the quick side dishes you love for busy weeknights, it's super easy, too. All you need to do is season the veggies with salt and pepper, pop in the air fryer, and your dinner side is just minutes away.
But, don't leave these favorite veggies just for a quick dinner. They can easily earn their place at a Christmas or holiday dinner, too. Finish them off with some grated or shredded hard cheese, toasted almonds, or dried cranberries and you have a deceptively impressive dish the whole family will love.
Whenever and however you serve them, I hope you enjoy this air fryer anniversary as much as I do. Cheers!
Table of contents
- This air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe is...
- Recipe ingredients:
- Ingredient substitutions
- How does air frying work?
- Why do you need to shake the basket when air frying?
- What air fryer do I use and recommend?
- How do you trim Brussels sprouts?
- Are you supposed to peel brussels sprouts?
- How to make Brussels sprouts in the air fryer...
- Air fry brussels sprouts pro-tips & cooking notes:
- What do you serve air-fried brussels sprouts with?
- What can you top the veggies with?
- How long do these leftovers last? Can you freeze them?
- How do you reheat leftover brussels sprouts?
- Tools needed to make this recipe:
- More brussels sprouts recipes:
- More air fryer recipes:
- Get all my new recipes as they drop. Sign up to receive new recipes each week.
This air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe is...
- Healthy
- Crispy
- Crunchy
- Bursting with bright and fresh flavor
- Ready in under 20 minutes
- Made with only 4 clean ingredients
- Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan
- Perfect for quick weeknight dinners
- Fancy enough for holiday feasts
This easy and healthy side dish is one that I just can't stop making... or eating! When something is this accessible, fresh, and flavorful, it's begging to be on your table on repeat. Try out this recipe today!
Recipe ingredients:
I am super happy to report that the ingredient list is short today, folks! When it comes to fresh veggies in the air fryer, less is often more and that is definitely the case with these air fried Brussel sprouts. 🙂
- Brussels sprouts - the richer the green color and smoother the leaves, the better. See my notes below on how to trim the sprouts.
- Olive oil - we only need one tablespoon to get these veggies nice and crispy
- Salt - brings out all the flavors in the Brussels
- Lemon juice - enhances the dish; brightening up the flavors while not tasting tart or sour. A must for this recipe!
Ingredient substitutions
- Oil - avocado oil can substitute easily for the olive oil
- Lemon juice - almost any other vinegar or acid should work fine on these veggies, too. I recommend red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or white wine vinegar!
How does air frying work?
Air frying works by quickly circulating hot air around the food that is being fried. Because the hot air gets the food crispy like oil does, you don't need as much oil to get your dish nice and crispy.
Why do you need to shake the basket when air frying?
Since air frying is accomplished by circulating hot air, an important factor to consider when air frying is the air food surface area ratio.
One way to keep this ratio high is by not air frying large batches of food at once. Another way to encourage it is to shake the basket of vegetables frequently. This helps to expose uncooked portions of the food and helps the veggies to air fry evenly.
What air fryer do I use and recommend?
I use the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp 8 quart air fryer and I love it. So much so that I wonder what I ever did without it.
It is...
- Sturdy - seriously, you could run over it with a truck and it would still be in one piece)
- Versatile - it also has a pressure cooker, saute, steaming function, etc.
- Adaptable -- it has both a rack and basket for air frying, meaning that you can easily fry large and small pieces of food. You can also air fry 2 things at once
The Tendercrisp's air fryer basket does have a non-stick coating on it. So, if you don't like non-stick, I've heard great things about Cuisinart's Air Fryers.
How do you trim Brussels sprouts?
To trim Brussels sprouts all you need to do is cut the base of them off and remove any brown or damaged leaves.
For this recipe, we will also be cutting the brussels sprouts up before air frying. In this case, if your sprouts are small, just cut them in half. If your sprouts are large, cut them in quarters.
If you have a mixture of large and small, still cut them up according to size. The more uniform the vegetables are the more evenly they will cook!
Are you supposed to peel brussels sprouts?
Not necessarily. Only peel your brussels sprouts if the outer leaves are browned, bruised, or damaged. If the outer leaves are smooth and bright green, however, there is no need to peel the sprouts.
How to make Brussels sprouts in the air fryer...
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees with the basket inside.
- In a mixing bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts, oil, and salt.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the preheated air fryer basket and fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes, or until the sprouts are cooked-through and cooked to your desired degree of crispiness.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the sprouts and toss until covered. Serve hot!
Air fry brussels sprouts pro-tips & cooking notes:
- Cut your brussels sprouts all the same size - cut your large sprouts in quarters and your smaller sprouts in half, so all of your vegetables are the same size. This helps the brussels sprouts cook through and crisp up evenly.
- Shake the brussels sprouts as you cook - as mentioned above, this also helps the sprouts air fry evenly
- Don't skimp on the lemon juice - it may look like you're adding a lot of lemon juice. Don't worry, though. The lemon juice won't make the vegetables sour. Instead, it will make the brussels sprouts flavor pop!
What do you serve air-fried brussels sprouts with?
This recipe is an incredibly versatile side dish. It can go with almost any main dish; I tend to serve it anywhere I would serve roasted broccoli, blistered green beans, or sauteed zucchini.
Otherwise, you can serve these brussels sprouts at your next Holiday dinner and they're even fantastic at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!
What can you top the veggies with?
I love dish as-is, but you can also top them with any of the following:
- Grated or shaved parmesan cheese
- Sliced and toasted almonds
- Buttered breadcrumbs
- Dried cranberries
- Toasted walnuts
... and more!
How long do these leftovers last? Can you freeze them?
These leftovers last covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They will soften up as they are stored in the fridge, so you will want to reheat them in the air fryer (see notes below) if you want to re-crisp them.
You cannot freeze these leftovers.
How do you reheat leftover brussels sprouts?
Reheat these leftover brussels sprouts in the air fryer at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes, shaking every 3 minutes, or until heated through and crispy again.
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Air Fryer -- I use and highly recommend this one; I've also heard fantastic things about this one
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Silicone spatula
- Citrus juicer
More brussels sprouts recipes:
More air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Vegetables
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Zucchini
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Smashed Garlic Potatoes
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
Get all my new recipes as they drop. Sign up to receive new recipes each week.
If you make and like this recipe, please review and rate it 5 Stars at the top of the recipe card. This helps other people to find the recipes and helps this reader-supported publication, too!
Thank you so much for your feedback and support of Mae's Menu!
Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 16 oz. brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into halves and/or quarters*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
1. Place the air fryer basket in the air fryer and preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees for 3-5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, olive oil, and salt until combined.
3. Add the brussels sprouts to the air fryer and air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket every 4-5 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are cooked through and crispy.
4. Squeeze or drizzle the lemon juice over the brussels sprouts and toss or gently stir until covered. Serve hot!
Notes
* Your brussels sprouts pieces should all be about the same size, so quarter large brussels sprouts and halve small brussels sprouts.
1. Leftovers last covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They do not freeze well.
2. Reheat these brussels sprouts in the air fryer at 300 degrees for 5-8 minutes, or until heated through and crispy.
3. You can also top these brussels sprouts with sliced and toasted almonds, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, grated or shaved parmesan cheese, buttered breadcrumbs, and more.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 103Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 157mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 3g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dietitians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Please share your recipe comments and feedback. It helps us create better content and helps other readers find what they're looking for.