Irresistible Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon: Your Go-To Side Dish

Prepare to fall in love with Brussels sprouts, even if you’ve been a lifelong skeptic! These Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon are truly a revelation. Forget bland, boiled sprouts; this recipe transforms them into tender, caramelized bites bursting with savory flavor. Paired with crispy, salty bacon and finished with a sweet, tangy balsamic glaze, this dish is so incredibly good that it promises to convert even the most ardent anti-veggie folks. It’s a fantastic addition to any meal, from a weeknight dinner to a festive holiday spread.

My journey to perfecting this delectable side dish began with a visit to our local farm market, where I discovered some truly magnificent Brussels sprouts. They were surprisingly large, which initially made me curious. Would their size impact the taste or texture? I decided to give them a try, and it turned out to be one of the best culinary decisions I’ve made! These substantial sprouts roasted beautifully, achieving a perfect balance of tenderness inside and delightful crispiness on the exterior.

To bring these beauties to life, I turned to a beloved and reliable recipe, one that has graced my kitchen many times before. It’s an adaptation of an Ina Garten recipe, famously featured in her acclaimed cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. Ina’s recipes are renowned for their simplicity and incredible flavor, and this one is no exception. However, I made one minor but significant change to her classic formula, tailoring it to my family’s preferences and dietary considerations.

My Secret Ingredient Swap: Bacon for Pancetta

Ina’s original recipe calls for pancetta, and while I have nothing against it—it adds a wonderful depth of flavor—I decided to substitute it with good old smoked bacon. Pancetta, depending on the brand and curing process, can sometimes be on the saltier side. Since we actively monitor our sodium intake in this household, bacon often becomes our preferred choice. It still delivers that irresistible savory, smoky element that complements the Brussels sprouts beautifully, but with a bit more control over the saltiness. Plus, who doesn’t love crispy bacon?

When selecting your ingredients, opt for fresh, firm Brussels sprouts. Look for ones with tightly packed leaves and a vibrant green color. For the bacon, a good quality smoked bacon will provide the best flavor. As for the olive oil, using a “good quality” extra virgin olive oil truly makes a difference in roasted vegetable dishes, lending a richer, more nuanced flavor. And remember, the balsamic vinegar is key, but we’ll get to that later!

Perfectly Prepping Your Brussels Sprouts

Normally, when preparing Brussels sprouts for roasting, I would simply halve them. However, with the unusually large sprouts I found, halving wouldn’t have been enough to ensure even cooking and optimal caramelization. Most of these magnificent specimens required quartering. The key is to aim for pieces that are similar in size. This uniformity is crucial for them to roast evenly, ensuring every bite is perfectly tender on the inside and beautifully browned and crispy on the outside. Don’t discard any loose outer leaves; these become incredibly crisp and flavorful when roasted, adding a wonderful textural contrast to the dish.

A Helpful Tip on Dicing That Bacon…

For perfectly diced bacon, reach for your kitchen shears! Unless the bacon is partially frozen or super cold, cutting it into small pieces with a knife can be surprisingly fiddly and messy. Kitchen scissors make this task much easier and faster, allowing you to achieve uniform little bits that will crisp up beautifully during roasting. This simple trick saves time and effort, making your prep even more enjoyable.

Effortless Roasting: The Sheet Pan Method

You’re going to love the simplicity of this part of the recipe – minimal cleanup is always a win in my book! This entire preparation happens right on a single baking sheet. No need for extra mixing bowls or an army of dishes to wash afterward. Simply combine all your main ingredients directly on the pan:

• Pile on the prepared Brussels sprouts (remember those loose leaves for extra crispiness!).
• Add the diced bacon bits, spreading them out amongst the sprouts.
• Drizzle generously with good quality olive oil.
• Use your hands to toss everything together right on the pan, ensuring every sprout and every piece of bacon is thoroughly coated. This direct contact ensures maximum flavor and optimal caramelization.
• Spread the mixture out into a single, even layer. Overcrowding the pan will steam the vegetables instead of roasting them, preventing that desirable browning and crisp texture.
• Season evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

That’s it for now! Hold off on the balsamic vinegar; that’s the grand finale, added only after the roasting process is complete to preserve its bright, tangy notes.

Once your ingredients are prepped and spread on the sheet pan, it’s time for the oven. Roasting is a magical cooking method that brings out the natural sweetness and nutty flavors of Brussels sprouts, while the bacon gets wonderfully crisp. The high heat creates beautifully browned, slightly charred edges that are packed with flavor.

The Balsamic Finish: A Drizzle of Perfection

Now, this is where the magic truly happens and the dish gets its distinctive tang and sweetness. Once the Brussels sprouts and bacon are out of the oven, hot and caramelized, it’s time for that glorious balsamic vinegar. You have a couple of options for adding it:

• You can add the balsamic vinegar directly to the hot baking tray, tossing it with the roasted sprouts and bacon. The residual heat will warm the vinegar and help it coat everything beautifully.
• However, I personally prefer to transfer the roasted goodness to a beautiful serving dish first, and then artistically drizzle the syrupy balsamic over the top. This creates a lovely visual effect and ensures every morsel is glistening.

Either way you choose, the result will be absolutely delicious. The balsamic adds a bright, acidic counterpoint to the rich, savory bacon and the earthy sweetness of the roasted Brussels sprouts.

A Note on That Syrupy Balsamic Vinegar…

Aged balsamic vinegar is often naturally syrupy, thick, and wonderfully complex in flavor, but it can also be quite expensive. If you don’t have an aged balsamic on hand, or prefer a more budget-friendly option, you can easily create a beautiful, syrupy balsamic glaze yourself. Simply simmer regular balsamic vinegar on the stove in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for several minutes until it reduces to about half its original volume. It will thicken considerably as it cools, giving you that perfect drizzling consistency for your roasted Brussels sprouts.

This side dish is incredibly versatile and pairs wonderfully with a wide range of main courses. Serve it alongside roasted chicken or turkey, grilled steak, pan-seared pork chops, or even a hearty vegetarian main. For an extra touch, consider sprinkling with toasted pecans or walnuts, or a shaving of Parmesan cheese just before serving. The combination of sweet, savory, and tangy notes, along with the crisp texture of the sprouts and bacon, makes it a truly memorable dish.

Beyond its incredible taste, Brussels sprouts are also packed with nutritional benefits, including vitamins K and C, fiber, and antioxidants, making this not just a delicious choice, but a healthy one too!

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More Roasted Goodness…

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