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These air fryer smashed Brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. Satisfy your cravings without compromising a nutritious diet.
Yep, these are easy to make! It takes a few steps just because you have to steam/boil your brussels sprout first. But once that’s done, the rest moves pretty quickly! These are perfect for a healthy snack or appetizer.
Should I Boil My Brussel Sprouts Before Air Frying?
Yes! If you don’t, they won’t fully cook in the center, leaving you with crispy outsides and raw insides.
Why Do My Brussel Sprouts Burn In An Air Fryer?
Typically, because you either haven’t cooked them first, or because you have the temperature too high. With brussels sprouts, the best approach is to lower the temperature and cook for just a tiny bit longer.
Can I Air Fry Brussel Sprouts Without Oil?
In theory, you could. But they won’t turn out as well. The outter leaves tend to burn more than crisp. But the good thing is, you don’t need to use a lot of oil to get things perfectly cooked.
Why Won’t My Air Fryer Smashed Brussel Sprouts Get Crispy?
If you are making them in the oven, it’s usually because the heat isn’t high enough. But in an air fryer, its probably because you haven’t cooked them long enough. And in the case of smashed brussels sprouts, it’s critical to make sure you smash them evenly so they all cook at the same rate. And lastly, keep in mind that every air fryer is slightly different. Yours may cook at a slightly different temperature than mine. So you may need to make necessary adjustments for your own appliance.
How To Make Brussels Sprouts Crispy
One way to ensure crispy air fryer smashed brussels sprouts is to dip them in beaten egg. My recipe here doesn’t call for it, but it’s one way to get a serious crunch from the finished sprouts.
Can You Make Frozen Brussel Sprouts In An Air Fryer?
Yes, it’s doable. And you can do a quick google search for actual recipes. But in my experience, I do not recommend it. You can certainly purchase them frozen and defrost them before using them, but every time I’ve tried to cook them from frozen, I get burnt outsides and raw insides. Maybe there’s a magic trick that other food bloggers know that I just haven’t figured out yet. Or maybe its just my air fryer. But if you really want to do this, I recommend looking up specific directions for it.
Recipe Variations
You can also add any of the following to change up the flavors from batch to batch.
- Balsamic vinegar– It’s best to drizzle or sprinkle this on after cooking.
- Parmesan Cheese
- Rosemary – I find that ground rosemary works best.
- Ground black pepper
Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprout Ingredients
Brussels sprouts– cleaned and trimmed as needed.
Oil – Any oil will work. But oil with a higher smoke point is best for air frying. Oil such as coconut oil or avocado oil. Olive oil may be healthy, but it has a very low smoke point.
Garlic granules – garlic powder works too.
Dried thyme – Ground or leaves. I used leaves, but ground thyme will adhere to the sprouts better.
Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but use whatever you normally use in the kitchen.
How To Make Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts
Wash and clean the brussels sprouts, cutting off any parts that are bad and trimming the stem area.
Place the sprouts into a steamer pot and cook until just soft. You should easily be able to pierce a sprout with a knife or fork.
Transfer the cooked brussels sprouts to a large bowl. Let them cool a bit.
Add the oil and spices to the mixing bowl.
Stir well to evenly coat the brussels sprouts in the spices and oil.
Pour the sprouts out onto a cookie sheet. Spread them out a bit to give them some room to spread when smashing them.
Using the bottom of a glass, smash each sprout to equal thickness. Don’t press them too flat or they will fall apart.
Carefully transfer your sprouts to an air fryer basket or onto an air fryer tray. (If you want to use egg for extra crispiness, crack an egg into a bowl and beat it. Then dip each smashed sprout into the egg before placing them into the air fryer.) Make sure they are in a single layer. You don’t want to stack these. Cook at 375 F. for 10 minutes. Check them at the halfway mark and flip any that may need to be flipped.
Serve with your favorite dip! In this case, I served these to Mini Chef with ranch dressing. He loved it!
Oven Instructions
Follow all prep as listed above, (including dipping them in egg if you want to do that), but leave them on the cookie sheet instead of placing them into an air fryer.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then flip them over. Bake for 5 – 10 more minutes. If they aren’t brown enough for you, you can turn on the broiler in the last 2 – 3 minutes. But watch them closely for burning.
Storage
If you have leftovers, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing
Freezing these is not recommended. They tend to fall apart once thawed.
Reheating Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts
To reheat, either place them in the microwave for a minute or so, or warm them in a pan with a tiny sprits of oil.
Recipe Supplies
If you need supplies, here are some recommendations. Click any of these images to be taken to that product on Amazon. (Affiliate links)
More Brussles Sprout Recipes
- Chicken And Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
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Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts Recipe Card + Video
Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Delicious, crispy brussels sprouts that make a delicious, healthy snack!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Air Fry Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 172kcal
CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!
Equipment
1 steamer pot
1 Baking sheet
1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb. brussels sprouts (cleaned and trimmed as needed)
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
Wash and clean the brussels sprouts, cutting off any parts that are bad and trimming the stem area.
Place the sprouts into a steamer pot and cook until just soft. You should easily be able to pierce a sprout with a knife or fork.
Transfer the cooked brussels sprouts to a mixing bowl. Let them cool a bit.
Add the oil and spices to the mixing bowl.
Stir well to evenly coat the brussels sprouts in the spices and oil.
Pour the sprouts out onto a cookie sheet. Spread them out a bit to give them some room to spread when smashing them.
Using the bottom of a glass, smash each sprout to equal thickness. Don't press them too flat or they will fall apart.
Carefully transfer your sprouts to an air fryer basket or onto an air fryer tray. (If you want to use egg for extra crispiness, crack an egg into a bowl and beat it. Then dip each smashed sprout into the egg before placing them into the air fryer.) Make sure they are in a single layer. You don't want to stack these. Cook at 375 F. for 10 minutes. Check them at the halfway mark and flip any that may need to be flipped.
Serve with your favorite dip! In this case, I served these to Mini Chef with ranch dressing.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5the recipe | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 926mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1748IU | Vitamin C: 193mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 5mg
