Balsamic Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Delight in these caramelized Balsamic Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts, enhanced with crispy bacon and a perfect balance of sweetness and tang from brown sugar and aged balsamic vinegar. Roasted to a tender crisp in the oven, this side dish combines savory, sweet, and tangy flavors for a truly irresistible treat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- ½ pound fresh Brussels Sprouts, quartered
Meat
- 5–6 slices bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
Other
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar (thick, aged style)
- Extra aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Instructions
- Prepare Bacon: Cut bacon into lardons (small pieces). Spread them evenly on a half-sheet pan, then place the pan in a cold oven.
- Preheat & Render Bacon: Turn oven on to 425˚F and allow bacon to cook while the oven heats, rendering out fat and becoming crispy.
- Prepare Brussels Sprouts: Quarter the Brussels sprouts while the bacon is cooking. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper to ensure even seasoning and help flavors stick.
- Drain Bacon: Once bacon is crispy, remove it from the pan and drain on paper towels to remove excess grease.
- Roast Brussels Sprouts: Lay Brussels sprouts flat side down on the same pan. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- Add Bacon, Brown Sugar & Balsamic: In the last 3 minutes of roasting, sprinkle bacon pieces back onto the sprouts. Then evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and drizzle 1 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar over the mixture.
- Toss and Finish Roasting: Toss the Brussels sprouts, bacon, brown sugar, and balsamic to coat thoroughly. Return the pan to the oven and roast for an additional 3 minutes to caramelize the sugar and let flavors meld.
- Serve with Extra Balsamic: Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer Brussels sprouts to a serving dish and drizzle extra aged balsamic vinegar on top as desired for added tang and shine.
Notes
- Using a cold oven to start bacon cooking helps render fat slowly and crisps bacon better.
- The flat side down roasting of Brussels sprouts promotes better caramelization.
- The aged balsamic vinegar provides a thick, rich sweetness that complements the brown sugar and bacon perfectly.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to your taste preferences.
- For extra crispy sprouts, you can broil them for a minute at the end but watch closely to avoid burning.
Keywords: Brussels sprouts, bacon, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, roasted vegetables, side dish, caramelized Brussels sprouts
