Glue & Glitter

Perfect Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts (oil free option)

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I am so excited to share this recipe for perfect, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside air fryer Brussels sprouts. They only take 4 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make!

Y’all I have a problem: I am the only person in my house who likes Brussels sprouts. And I. LOVE. Brussels sprouts!

Roasting them up in the oven just for me didn’t feel worth the time investment, but Brussels cook up like a dream in the air fryer. This recipe makes two to three servings of Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.

cooked brussels sprouts in a bowl with a stalk of brussels sprouts next to it. Text reads: "Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts"

More air fryer goodness: 40+ Vegan Air Fryer Recipes (because I’m obsessed!)

How to Make Brussels Sprouts in your Air Fryer

You have some options when you’re making this recipe, and I have some tips on how to get the best results, as well.

If you want to make Brussels sprouts for just one person in your air fryer, you can halve this recipe  with no problems. It works like a charm! Your Brussels may cook more quickly in a less-crowded basket, so just keep an eye on them during the last few minutes of cooking.

You can also double the recipe and still cook everything up in one batch, but if you want to make more than twice as many, I’d definitely do this in batches.

If you crowd them in the basket, the ones in the middle won’t get crispy. Because a crowded basket can hinder air circulation, if you double the recipe, it may take a bit longer to cook.

If the Brussels sprouts in the middle of the basket aren’t to your liking when doubling this recipe, give the basket a thorough shake, and cook for 1-2 minutes at a time, shaking each time you stop, until they’re cooked through.

white bowl of air fryer brussels sprouts next to a stalk of sprouts

To make these Brussels in your air fryer, simply slice your sprouts into 1/4″ thick pieces. This thin width helps them cook faster and increases surface area, which lets them get even crispier on the outside.

Measure out two cups of the sliced Brussels, then toss with oil, vinegar, and salt. Air fry, shaking once, and you’ve got perfect Brussels sprouts in under 15 minutes.

close-up of a crispy brussels sprout on a fork. bowl of cooked sprouts in the background

Oil-Free Variation

I see you, oil-free friends! Not all of my recipes can be made oil-free, but this one definitely can with just one small tweak.

It’s totally possible to make these oil free, if that’s your jam. When I first shared my air fryer Brussels sprouts adventure on Instagram, someone asked about ditching the oil, so I tested an oil free version for you, as well.

It’s easy!  Just replace the tablespoon of oil with a tablespoon of maple syrup, and you’re in business.

I can’t promise that oil free Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts will be as crispy as if you used oil, but I can guarantee that they will be delicious.

How to Eat Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Serve these up as a side dish with your favorite plant-based protein and a starch. They’re terrific with BBQ Tofu and mashed potatoes or with beans and rice or quinoa.

You can also pile these crispy Brussels on top of a grain bowl, and you’re in business. Start with quinoa, rice, or any other whole grain, then add beans, tofu, or nuts/seeds. I like to top off this kind of bowl with a great sauce, like my All-Purpose Coconut Curry Sauce or 5-Minute Peanut Butter Sauce.

Ready to cook some perfect vegan Brussels sprouts? Watch the recipe video at the top of the page, or get the written recipe below!

Perfect Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside air fryer Brussels sprouts, ready in about 15 minutes.
4.91 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Air Fryer, Vegan
Keyword: air fryer brussels sprouts
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 110kcal
Author: Becky Striepe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Brussels sprouts – sliced lengthwise into 1/4″ thick pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil OR maple syrup*
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • In a bowl, toss together the Brussels, oil or maple syrup, vinegar, and salt.
  • Air fry at 400F for 8-10 minutes, shaking (and checking their progress) after 5 minutes and then at 8 the minute mark. You’re going for crispy and browned, but not burnt!

Notes

* Use maple syrup for an oil free option. Just note that if you ditch the oil, the finished product won’t be quite as crispy as the version with oil. But it’s still delicious!
* Calorie count is for the recipe with oil, because it’s my favorite way to make these!

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal
Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter or tag #ggveg on Instagram!

About Becky Striepe

(rhymes with “sleepy”) is a vegan food writer and cookbook author. She been vegan since 2006 and developing simple vegan recipes since 2008.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kevin

    April 20, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    Perfect! And delicious. This will be my go-to Sprouts recipe from now on. I am going to try a few of the things other commenters mentioned, such as the garlic

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      March 22, 2019 at 11:05 am

      I haven’t tried with frozen, but I have done frozen cauliflower and okta in the air fryer with great success, so I don’t see why not. If you do it definitely report back!

      Reply

  3. Annissa G

    March 11, 2019 at 9:09 pm

    I added a touch of tahini to this just because I love my plant fats! Really good, even though I did burn mine a little. Thank you so much for this recipe:)

    Reply

  8. Michelle Lyons

    January 9, 2019 at 4:37 pm

    Absolutely delicious! I bought halved sprouts from Walmart and followed the recipe to a T. Cooked for 8 min shaking them at 4min mark.

    Reply

  11. Michelle LCHF

    December 5, 2017 at 7:33 pm

    I just did it with the bag of SHAVED brussel sprouts they were awesome..
    Followed the recipe the rest of the way.

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      May 2, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      You’ll love it! We do a Field Roast with root veggies in the IP for holidays, and I love the idea of air fryer Brussels to go with!

      Reply

  14. Cindi

    April 13, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    This was really good! I might try frying at a slightly lower temp for slightly longer, as the middles were still (barely) on the tough side. My maple syrup wasn’t looking too fresh, so I used honey instead… And then I had a bunch of left over garlic from the main….so I stuck the whole cloves in with the sprouts….So good its almost wrong for something that healthy to be so yummy!

    Reply

  15. Stephen

    March 23, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    mine got burnt around 8 minutes but the sprouts themselves weren’t cooked through (too tough). any suggestions?

    Reply

      • Stephen

        March 23, 2017 at 11:46 pm

        They were big so I sliced them in half and then in half again. The only thing I didn’t mention early is that I only used 1 tsp instead of a tablespoon. I wonder if not enough oiled caused them to burn; I tried googling but didn’t find anything on that.

        Reply

        • Becky Striepe

          March 24, 2017 at 8:09 am

          Hmm. So I’d say slicing in quarters might be part of the problem, but it should work with less oil if you follow the no oil directions. If you cut the oil, you need to up the other liquid. Did you do that?

          Reply

          • Stephen

            March 24, 2017 at 8:35 pm

            I did 1 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of vinegar before. Was a smaller serving size as it is just me. Will try again only doing halves with more oil.

            Do you think the amount of brussels sprouts in there affects cooking? As I’m experimenting I’m not eager to have an entire pound go bad.

    • Leslie Ng

      June 20, 2017 at 7:34 pm

      Anyone try microwaving the sprouts to cook the middle then transferring to the air-fryer? Do you think that would work?

      Reply

      • Vickie Lopez

        July 11, 2017 at 12:51 am

        I was wondering the same thing! I air fried my brussels sprouts and while they were crisp and tasty, the insides were still a bit chewy and not as soft as I’d like. I’m going to try microwaving them for a few minutes before I try this again. When I roast them in the oven or stir fry them, I usually microwave them for about 3-4 minutes first and they come out perfect.

        Reply

        • Anonymous

          June 29, 2018 at 5:05 pm

          Mine also were burning at 9 minutes and still hard. Will throw them in microwave even though I’ll lose the crunch.

          Reply

          • Becky Striepe

            July 2, 2018 at 7:48 am

            I’m sorry to hear that! If you have bigger sprouts, slicing into thirds instead of halves has been very effective for me. Sprouts can vary so much in size!

  16. JoAnne Mc

    February 17, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    How would these cook using frozen Brussels Sprouts? The fresh ones aren’t always in season but we sways have frozen veggies on hand.

    Reply

    • Becky Striepe

      February 17, 2017 at 6:01 pm

      That’s a good question! I haven’t tried this using frozen. If you do it, let me know what happens! They’d definitely cook, but not sure about whether you’d have to adjust the time or about how crispy the results would be.

      Reply

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