These crispy air fryer brussel sprouts are cooked in oil then seasoned with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese for a crispy and delicious side dish. Even people who hated brussels sprouts growing up will love these cheesy ones.
Healthy Side Dish
I don’t remember the first time I tried brussels sprouts, but I’m pretty sure they were awful. Brussels sprouts are one of those things that when cooked wrong, they’re just gross.
Luckily these air fryer brussel sprouts are pretty much fool-proof as long as you remember to watch them while they’re cooking!
Making them is as simple as cut, season, cook, and cheese! Because cheese deserves it’s very own step in any recipe.
And cooking them in the air fryer gives them a nice crispy outside without ending up with the super crisp and burnt leaves you often get when you roast them.
Plus, brussels sprouts are about as healthy as you can get when it comes to side dishes. This recipe seasons the brussels with oil, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs but if you want to cut the carbs – you could always do them without the bread crumbs as well and make them a delicious gluten-free side!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil – since this is one of the few ingredients in this recipe, make sure to use a high-quality olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil on hand, avocado oil would work as well.
- Breadcrumbs – if you want to add a bit more flavor, you could use seasoned breadcrumbs, but we typically stick with just plain.
- Parmesan cheese – grated or shredded works. The photos here show shredded, but we’ve done both pre-bought grated and shredded as well as freshly grated parmesan cheese! They’re all yummy!
Instructions
First, preheat your air fryer if it needs to be preheated. All air fryers are slightly different but the goal is to preheat it to 400 degrees so it’s ready to cook as soon as the brussels are!
We have two different Cosori air fryers – the one I talked about when I shared this air fryer fries recipe and this one.
Then you need to wash, remove stems, and cut brussels sprouts in half. Get rid of any of those little leaves that just fall off and have no more home. They’ll brown up too quickly in the air fryer.
Next you’re going to put the brussels sprouts in a large bowl, add the olive oil, and gently mix them around until they’re nicely coated.
Add salt and pepper to the bowl and again gently mix them around until all of the brussels are seasoned.
Place the brussels sprouts with the sliced side down in the air fryer and cook for 7 minutes.
Flip the brussels sprouts over and remove any loose leaves so they don’t burn. Sprinkle on bread crumbs and parmesan cheese then cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the brussels are cooked through and golden brown.
Serve warm with your favorite dinner recipes like this balsamic chicken, this almond chicken, or even with a pasta dish like this sweet meat sauce.
Other Flavors
Mix it up by adding different seasonings to the brussels sprouts and using the same cooking method!
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar after cooking for balsamic brussels sprouts.
- Add a pinch of cayenne and paprika with the salt and pepper for a spicier flavor.
- Add Italian seasonings with the salt and pepper or use seasoned bread crumbs for Italian air fryer brussel sprouts.
Expert Tips
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the air fryer. They won’t be quite as crispy as when originally cooked but will still taste great once warmed.
Make this recipe gluten-free by leaving out the bread crumbs altogether or using a gluten-free bread crumb instead.
Make this recipe dairy-free by omitting the parmesan cheese or replacing with your favorite dairy-free alternative.
Recipe FAQs
When choosing your brussels sprouts, first look at the color. The color should be green with no black or yellow spots. The leaves should be tightly packed, you’ll have to remove any loose leaves before cooking. They should also feel dense and heavy when you pick them up.
I don’t recommend freezing these brussels sprouts, they’re much better fresh. And they’re so easy to make you really don’t need to freeze them, just take a few minutes and cook a new batch.
You’ll want to trim the end of the brussels sprouts before cooking them and peel off any loose leaves that will burn during cooking. Otherwise, leave them together.
You want the brussels sprouts to be golden brown but not black (they’ll get bitter and taste gross) so watch carefully, checking them every few minutes once you hit the five minute cooking mark.
These make the perfect side dish for almost any main dish but especially Italian varieties. They’d be really yummy with this easy baked ziti, some smashed potatoes, and garlic breadsticks on the side.
More Easy Side Dishes
- Easy corn succotash
- Instant Pot basmati rice
- Easy mashed potatoes
- Cauliflower puree
- Creamy twice baked potatoes
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts washed, stems removed, and cut in half
- 1 TBS olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 TBS breadcrumbs
- 2 TBS parmesan cheese grated or shredded
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Place brussels sprouts in a large bowl and add the olive oil. Gently mix until coated. Add the salt and pepper and mix again to season.
- Place the brussels sprouts in the air fryer tray sliced side down and cook for 7 minutes.
- Flip the brussels sprouts over and remove any loose leaves so they do not burn. Sprinkle bread crumbs and parmesan cheese evenly over the brussels.
- Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese for garnish.
Tips & Notes:
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar after cooking for balsamic brussels sprouts.
- Add a pinch of cayenne and paprika with the salt and pepper for a spicier flavor.
- Add Italian seasonings with the salt and pepper or use seasoned bread crumbs for Italian air fryer brussels sprouts.
- Olive oil – since this is one of the few ingredients in this recipe, make sure to use a high-quality olive oil. If you don’t have olive oil on hand, avocado oil would work.
- Parmesan cheese – grated or shredded works well.
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