These air fryer brussel sprouts deliver the perfectly crispy and tender sprouts and are bursting with flavor!
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Get ready to add this fresh sweet and spicy air fryer brussel sprouts recipe to your favorite recipe rotation. It is fast and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight and delicious enough to serve on the weekend with friends!
What I love about this recipe is how they come out tasting like they were roasted in the oven, but even crispier!
With a few simple ingredients and 15 minutes, you can make this quick and easy air fried brussels sprouts recipe to enjoy with the whole family!
How to Cook Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Clean and dry the brussel sprouts, removing any discolored leaves. Cut sprouts in half, trimming them if needed.
STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl, add halved brussel sprouts, oil, salt, and pepper. Gently toss them together to coat.
STEP FOUR: Place the brussel sprouts in the air fryer basket in a single layer and set the bowl aside.
STEP FIVE: Air fry brussel sprouts for 8-10 minutes and give the air fryer basket a shake or turn them with a wooden spatula about halfway through.
STEP SIX: After 8-10 minutes, transfer brussel sprouts from the air fryer back to the bowl. Toss sprouts with sweet chili sauce and red pepper flakes, mixing to combine.
STEP SEVEN: Place the brussel sprouts back in the air fryer and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, just enough time to warm up the sauce.
STEP EIGHT: Remove the cooked brussels sprouts from the air fryer and enjoy immediately.
Do I Need to Soak Brussel Sprouts Before Cooking?
No, I cook these air fried brussels sprouts on the regular and they cook perfectly from the inside out every time.
If you do prefer a slightly softer inside, feel free to soak them for just a few minutes. Dry the brussels sprouts then complete the recipe as stated.
How Do I Make the Best Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts?
- Cook the brussel sprouts in a single layer. Stacked brussel sprouts can cook unevenly causing half burnt and half-undercooked sprouts.
- Keep an eye on the brussel sprouts halfway through cooking. If you notice any brown spots, turn your air fryer down to 370 degrees F and continue to cook.
- Use dried brussel sprouts. Just washed and wet brussels sprouts won’t allow the oil to cook to the sprouts causing them to burn easier.
- Turn the sprouts or shake the basket halfway through cooking to enable even cooking with this air fryer brussel sprouts recipe.
- The air fyer brussels sprouts are done when they are easily pierced with a fork
What Do I Serve With Air Fried Brussel Sprouts?
- Air Fryer Steak
- Teriyaki Salmon in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Sirloin Steak
- Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Shake and Bake Pork Chops
How Long to Cook Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer
Air frying brussel sprouts will take about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the sprouts and if they are placed in a true single layer.
Why Did My Brussel Sprouts Burn in the Air Fryer?
Brussels sprouts can be a little tricky to air fry. It’s important to keep an eye on them while they cook and adjust the temperature if you notice them browning. Here are a few reasons they can burn:
- The basket is too full and the sprouts are too close to the heating coil
- The sprouts are uneven in size and the smaller halves are cooking faster than the larger ones
- The brussel sprouts were wet… or too dry. It’s important to make sure they are dried after being washed and thoroughly coated with oil to cook correctly
If you notice the air fryer brussel sprouts browning halfway through cooking, drop the cooking temperature to 370 degrees.
Why Won’t My Brussel Sprouts Get Crispy?
If your air fryer brussel sprouts are not getting crispy, your basket is either too full or you need to cook them for a few minutes longer.
I find an air fryer oven can take a few extra minutes to cook foods to the crispiness of a basket air fryer.
Can I Air Fry Brussel Sprouts Without Oil?
While you can air fry brussel sprouts without oil, I recommend using oil to get the crispiest result without becoming too dry.
If you prefer no oil, turn your air fryer down to 340 degrees and cook until tender when pierced with a fork.
Variations to Air Frying Brussel Sprouts
- With balsamic vinegar and bacon— use a balsamic glaze and air fried bacon in place of the sweet chili sauce following this recipe
- Add minced garlic and grated parmesan cheese
- Toss the sprouts in a little soy sauce and serve with these air fryer honey soy glazed chicken thighs
- Add maple syrup to create a sweeter variety without the spice
- Season them with garlic powder and onion powder, or your favorite seasoning
More Brussel Sprouts Recipes
How to Cook Frozen Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Mix brussel sprouts, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Place frozen brussel sprouts in the air fryer basket and air fry for about 14 minutes.
You can read more tips about air frying frozen brussel sprouts here.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Squash
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Radishes
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussel sprouts trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce like Frank’s Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Add halved Brussel sprouts into a bowl with oil, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Place Brussel sprouts into the air fryer and set the bowl aside. It's okay if they overlap, just do not fill your air fryer more than halfway.
- Cook brussels sprouts for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Remove brussel sprouts from the air fryer and put them back into the bowl. Toss in sweet chili sauce and add red pepper flakes if using. Mix to combine.
- Put brussel sprouts back into the air fryer and cook for 1-2 minutes to heat up the sauce.
- Remove from the air fryer and enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Just purchased an Air Fryer, Have not yet tried it. Sprouts may be my first attempt.
Can you use frozen ones instead?
I’ve never tried making frozen Brussels Sprouts in the air fryer yet, but I would love to know how they turn out! They’ve been on my list of frozen foods to make.
I would try using the same temperature and cook them for about 3-5 extra minutes. If they are browning more quickly, drop the temperature down by 20-30 degrees when shaking halfway through.
How do you make the sweet c chili sauce?
Hi Sarah, I usually buy the Red Hot variety that is available right in the stores!
Sarah, your posts have saved me so much time. I just bought my air fryer a week ago & thankfully I found you! I have referred to your website every time I’ve taken it out of the cupboard to use it. Thank you so much for the time you have taken to put this together. So appreciated!
For the reader who asked about using FROZEN Brussels Sprouts…I did. I was gifted with 3 pounds of fresh Brussels Sprouts and had to cook them in my pressure cooker and freeze them in meal-size portions. I took one out yesterday morning and let it defrost, then left it to air-dry a bit all day in the fridge without a cover. Then, after drying them lightly with a paper towel, I air-fried them at 400 degrees (sprayed with olive oil) until they were nicely brown and crispy, and then I tossed them with the Sweet Chili Sauce and a tad of red pepper flakes in a foil pan while some chicken was cooking in the air fryer. When the chicken was done, I took it out and put the Brussels Sprouts back in for 2 minutes (foil pan and all) to reheat for 2 minutes while I served the rest of dinner. I thought they were very good and even my non-Brussels Sprouts fan hubby ate his up without complaint. So yes, you can air-fry frozen sprouts. I would definitely make these again. Thanks! I am a big fan of your air fryer recipes! I’ve had my air fryer for one year now. I try to think carefully about purchases (need vs want) and thought about an air fryer for one year before I actually bought one. I can honestly say that my air fryer was a GOOD purchase. No buyer’s remorse! I use it every single day.
Thanks for sharing your experience with using frozen brussel sprouts, I love that you were able to use the air fryer to get them crispy using my recipe. I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the recipes I share. Thanks for your support and insight.
What type of oil do you use
I use olive oil personally but you can use just about any type of oil you have on hand.
Would it say red hot sweet chili sauce
Yes! Red Hot is a brand of sweet chili sauce. That’s my favorite brand to use for this recipe.