Best Damn Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Looking for a quick and easy side dish to serve for dinner? Try these irresistible air fryer Parmesan ranch Brussels sprouts! They’re crispy, flavorful, and made with just a handful of simple ingredients. Whip up a batch tonight and enjoy a healthy and delicious addition to your meal.

Your air fryer is the perfect appliance for making so many delicious foods. With this recipe, we’re not actually making “fried” Brussels sprouts, but rather using the air fryer to make “roasted” Brussels sprouts. Have you had roasted Brussels sprouts before? If not, you’ve in for an awesome treat!

Why Make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts?

Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables that are in the same family of vegetables which includes broccoli and cabbage. Specifically, they are a member of the Gemmifera Group of cabbage and are known for their edible buds. Brussels sprouts can be cooked in a number of different ways, but by far, they are at their best when roasted. The flavors brought out from roasting can be described as savory, slightly nutty, and even a tad sweet – especially the smaller-sized sprouts. Your air fryer is the perfect appliance for the job!

How to Choose Brussels Sprouts

Picking out the right Brussels sprouts is actually quite easy. Most often, Brussels sprouts are found loose, or already removed from the stalk. They vary in size and can be as small as 1 inch in diameter, to as large as almost 3 inches in diameter – or about the size of an egg! The best Brussels sprouts are generally medium in size, have a good, compact and tight inner leaf, no brown or yellow leaves, and may feel slightly heavy for their size. The most important factor when cooking air fryer Brussels sprouts is to select sprouts that are all similar in size. You do not want a mixture of small and large. So take a moment and select the ones that are similar in size to ensure even cooking and best results.

Ingredients

The stars of the show are, of course, fresh Brussels sprouts. The main flavors will come from ranch seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Ranch seasoning can be found in most supermarkets either by the salad dressings or in the spice section. There are several brands with the most popular being Hidden Valley and McCormick. Trader Joes’s also has an excellent ranch seasoning. It’s a great seasoning that can be used for many other recipes as well. A little kosher salt and black pepper will round out the flavors. To bring it all together and help provide crispness, we’ll toss the brussels sprouts with vegetable oil.

Preparation

Preparing our air fryer Brussels sprouts for cooking couldn’t be easier. Wash the sprouts of any dirt or debris and dry thoroughly. Use a small knife and cut off as much of the stem as possible. If you’ve purchased Brussels sprouts loosely, the stems are likely to be minimal but you should still trim as necessary. Remove any loose, small, or damaged outer leaves. For this recipe, we’ll be cutting the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.

Add the Brussels sprouts to a large bowl and toss with the vegetable oil so they are all evenly coated. Next, we mix together the dry ranch seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and toss it in with the sprouts. Use your hands and make sure the Brussels are all evenly coated with all the mixture.

Air Fry at 350°(F) for 12 minutes

Place the Brussels sprouts in the air fryer tray or basket, depending on the style of air fryer. Make sure the Brussels sprouts are in a single layer and not stacked on top of each other. We want the air to be able to circulate around each sprout for optimal crisping. Now set the air fryer to the air fry setting at 350°(F) for 12 minutes. No preheating is necessary.

Shake the basket a couple of times during cooking. If using a tray model air fryer, open the door and quickly toss the sprouts as best possible with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Start checking the sprouts after about 10 minutes for doneness. The outside leaves should be good and dark and crispy – pretty close to a charred look. This is what we want. It’s that char that creates the magical flavor of roasted Brussels sprouts.

Ready to Serve

Once the sprouts are done, place them into a bowl to be served. They retain heat pretty well so they should stay good and hot. They already have all the seasoning they need so they’re ready to accompany any main dish.

Storage and Reheating

Storing and reheating our air fryer brussels sprouts is as easy as it gets. Let them cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat in the air fryer, set the temp to 325°(F) and air fry for about 4-5 minutes.

To reheat in a microwave, place the sprouts in a microwave-safe container and heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.

Goes Well With…

Brussels sprouts are great with many different main courses. They are great as a side-dish for your holiday dinners. They’re also great for a quick weeknight dinner dish.

Favorites include:

Oven Roasted Turkey Tenderloin

Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Best Damn Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Roast

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