Brussels sprouts are roasted with honey and bacon till crispy and caramelised. They are easy, fast and too delicious for words!
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.
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!
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.
The reason why we wait to add the honey is because otherwise, the sugar in it would cause the sprouts to burn on the outside before they are fully cooked.
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes to Try:
- Roasted Parmesan Broccoli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Roasted Carrots with Garlicky Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Oven Roasted Asparagus and Radishes with Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1kg/2lbs Brussels sprouts
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 strips bacon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to400F/200C. Cut the sprouts in half and remove the hard stems at the bottom as well as the outer leaves if damaged.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet toss together the sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper, thyme leaves and chopped bacon. Place the brussels sprouts on the baking sheet cut side down for maximum caramelisation. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix the honey and vinegar in small bowl.
- After 15 minutes take them out of the oven and drizzle with the honey and vinegar mix, stir to coat evenly and roast for 10 minutes longer. Then broil/grill (UK) for 1 minute for the crispy exterior.
