These honey roasted sprouts will make a delicious side dish to our festive roast turkey! For more holiday recipes take a look at our Thanksgiving and Christmas collections. Gone are the days when sad and boiled brussels sprouts were an okay side dish to serve. Thank goodness we realised that roasting them is the way to go. I am pretty sure that is the reason why an entire generation of kids are being raised absolutely loving brussels sprouts! My kids are just two of them. And it’s because of recipes like this one, that get the best flavour possible from the sprouts by roasted them with a perfect combination of other ingredients. It’s tender, flavourful and deeply savoury.
Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Let’s talk about why roasting them works and works so well! Brussels sprouts are members of a cabbage family and are known for their astringent, bitter taste. All true but they can also taste sweet, when seasoned and cooked properly. Roasting them brings out that natural sweetness resulting in caramelisation. And adding a bit of honey into the mix only aids the process. But let’s not stop at honey. Brussels sprouts come with a strong taste, which is not a bad thing but it requires other ingredients to balance it out. As I mentioned above, honey brings out the sweetness and vinegar adds acidity. Acidity is needed to round off the sweet and bitter tastes in brussels sprouts! You can use balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar. The latter is my preference. Bacon introduces that salty umami factor, that makes us crave this dish even more! Brussels sprouts also roast beautifully when paired with other vegetables. Check out my Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts and Carrots to try this for yourself!
How to Roast Them
The process is really simple, which makes this recipe into a perfect holiday side dish. Fuss free, speedy and delicious! Simply toss halved brussels sprouts with a bit of olive oil, salt, thyme and chopped bacon. Then roast at 400F/200C in the oven for 15 minutes. Next take them out, drizzle with honey and cider vinegar and continue roasting until crispy and caramelised.
Serving suggestions
These brussels sprouts and bacon are pretty much perfect as a side to a holiday dinner, and are versatile enough to fit with pretty much anything. I’ve served them with prime rib and turkey and they’ve been an amazing side kick every time. But although they are pretty splashy, it’s actually a simple and quick dish to make that is suitable for midweek as well. Use it as a way to convince even your most stubborn eaters that brussels sprouts can be amazing!
Storage and leftovers
Although they may be at their best fresh and hot, leftover crispy brussels sprouts can be fantastic as leftovers. Keep them covered and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. Reheating can take place in a microwave or an air fryer but I prefer returning them to the oven. Place them in an oven preheated to 200C/400F and leave them for 5-10 minutes or until they are hot throughout.
More roasted vegetable recipes
Roasted Parmesan Broccoli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Roasted Carrots with Garlicky Lemon Tahini Sauce Oven Roasted Asparagus and Radishes with Mustard Vinaigrette Roasted Aubergine with Garlic Tahini Sauce
