Air Fryer Smashed Brussel Sprouts is made with a simple seasoning under 15 mins. An excellent plant based side dish that you'll love making again & again. Crispy around the edges, these smashed air fryer Brussel sprouts are simply addictive.
Smashed Brussel sprouts air fryer
The best way to prepare brussels sprouts is to roast them in the air fryer. And this easy smashed brussel sprouts recipe is super addictive! You can get them on the table under 15 mins if you already have them steamed ahead. A fantastic way to enjoy brussel sprouts any day!
The air fryer's high dry heat will bring out all those delicious nutty and subtly sweet flavors, rendering the sprouts soft and tender in the middle and leaving the outer leaves super crispy and delicious.
We sprinkled some lightly toasted hemp seeds and nutritional yeast to give them an extra nutritional boost and to add a subtly cheesy flavor! So good!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.
- Brussels sprouts: We used fresh whole brussels sprouts. Steamed them in the instant pot and than smashed them with the help of a drinking glass.
- Seasonings: Sweet paprika, crushed black pepper, red pepper flakes (skip if you do not prefer heat) and Himalayan pink salt. The sweet paprika is missing from the ingredients photo above! I forgot to add it, but you can find it in the recipe video.
- Cooking fat: Extra light or light olive oil. Avocado oil is also a great choice.
- Garnish: Lightly toasted hemp seeds and nutritional yeast.
Tips for success
- Choosing perfect brussels sprouts: Choose brussels sprouts that are bright green with tightly packed leaves and feel firm when you squeeze them. Avoid any that are grey in color, yellowed, have spots, tender or are wrinkly. Fresh brussels sprouts are always green and tight without any discoloration or spots.
- Prep brussels sprouts: Rinse and drain them well. Steam them in the instant pot on high pressure for 2 mins followed by a quick pressure release. You can also cook them in the microwave oven on high for 5 mins. Place them in a bowl full of water and than cook in the microwave oven. You can also boil them over medium high heat on the stove top for 10 mins uncovered. Finally, wipe the sprouts dry with the help of kitchen towels once they are steamed or boiled.
- More seasoning options: This is a very simple recipe with so many possibilities! You can add garlic powder, cayenne pepper, tajin, turmeric powder, Italian seasonings, oregano, thyme to go with the smashed brussel sprouts in air fryer. You can also add a combo of cumin, coriander and chili powder to give them an earthy flavor. Pick your favorite seasonings combo and experiment with the flavor.
- Crispy smashed brussel sprouts: For perfect crispy texture smash the steamed brussel sprouts with the help of a drinking glass and aim for similar thickness. This will ensure even cooking. This is the key to the crispy texture.
- Do not overcrowd: Do not over crowd the air fryer. For perfect caramelization cook the sprouts in batches and always lay them in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. This will guarantee caramelization and give you delicious crispy roasted brussels sprouts.
- Flip sides or not: No need to flip sides of the sprouts half way through while cooking them in the air fryer. They would perfectly turn crispy without flipping sides.
How to make smashed brussel sprouts in air fryer?
Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.
Step #1 Prep sprouts & air fry
- Prep Brussel sprouts: Rinse the brussel sprouts, drain them, and steam them in the instant pot for 2 mins on high pressure followed by quick pressure release. Pat them dry completely with the help of kitchen towels.
- Season sprouts: Place the steamed sprouts in a bowl and toss them with oil and all the seasonings.
- Smash sprouts: Place a seasoned brussel sprout on a flat surface and press it down with the help of a drinking glass to smash it. Refer the photo above! Repeat this step until you are done smashing all the steamed brussel sprouts.
- Air fry: Pre-heat the air fryer at 350 F for 3-4 mins. Than layer the smashed brussel sprouts inside the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 8 mins for crispy smashed brussel sprouts and air fryer for 10 mins for extra crispy roasted smashed brussels sprouts. Serve immediately enjoy!
Oven method
- Prep, steam and season the brussel sprouts as mentioned in this recipe. Smash them one by one.
- Layer a parchment on a baking sheet. Place the smashed brussel sprouts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in a 425 F pre-heated oven for 15-20 mins or until the outer leaves become crispy. Serve immediately.
What flavors go well with brussel sprouts?
- Sweet flavor: Drizzle the air fryer brussel sprouts with maple syrup or agave for a sweet flavor. You can also garnish them with toasted pecans.
- Balsamic brussel sprouts: Toss the sprouts with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a dash of paprika before roasting them.
- Spicy flavor: Toss the sprouts with cayenne pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, crushed black pepper, salt and olive oil before air frying them. You can also drizzle extra spicy hot sauce while serving them.
- Earthy rustic flavor: Toss them in cumin, chili powder, cayenne & smoked paprika for an earthy rustic and smoky flavor.
- Everything bagel seasoning: Season the sprouts with everything bagel seasoning for more flavor.
- Best herbs: Herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary and parsley go every well with brussel sprouts. You can ass the as a garnish or add them as your seasoning before roasting the brussel sprouts in your air fryer.
Serving Ideas
You can serve roasted brussel sprouts air fryer recipe as a side dish with your choice of plant based proteins. We love to serve them as a side with the following soups, couscous and bean recipes:
- Instant pot 15 bean soup vegetarian.
- Instant pot lentil soup with potatoes.
- Instant pot Cuban black beans.
- Instant pot Moroccan Couscous.
Leftovers & storage
You can store the smashed brussel sprouts air fryer recipe for 5 days in the fridge in air tight containers. Follow the reheating directions shared below.
How to reheat
Microwave oven: You can reheat this crispy roasted brussel sprouts in the microwave oven until hot or warm.
Air Fryer: You can reheat the air fryer smashed brussel sprouts in a 350 F pre-heated air fryer for 2-3 mins.
FAQs
Your brussel sprouts won't get crispy if they contain excess moisture and if they are not roasted at the right temperature in the oven or air fryer. Drain the rinsed brussel sprouts very well and than wipe them dry with the help of kitchen towels before roasting them.
You can keep brussel sprouts crispy by immediately serving them. You can also reheat the leftovers in a 350 F pre-heated air fryer for 3-4 mins to turn them nice and crispy. Leftover roasted brussel sprouts tend to turn soft.
There's no need to soak brussel sprouts before cooking. Just wash & drain them well, discard any yellow or wilted outer leaves, you may trim the bottoms a little, but not too much otherwise the sprouts will fall apart.
You can cut the bottom of the brussel sprouts, but not too much, otherwise the sprouts will fall apart. You must leave a bit of the stem intact to hold the leaves together. Cutting the bottom of the brussel sprouts is always an optional step.
Prepare the brussel sprouts by rinsing & draining them well and than drying them with the help of kitchen towels. Than toss them in a bit of oil and your favorite seasonings and layer them in a single layer in the air fryer basket for roasting them in the air fryer or lay them on a baking sheet for oven roasting them. Do not over crowd and follow the correct cook time. The brussel sprouts will caramelize well and turn crispy on the outside.
You can get the bitterness out of the brussel sprouts by seasoning them well before roasting. You can, also drizzle maple syrup or agave on the roasted brussel sprouts before serving.
MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Air fryer mushrooms and onions.
- Air fryer carrots and potatoes.
- Hasselback sweet potatoes air fryer
- Air fryer roasted radishes.
- Air fryer baby gold potatoes.
- Butternut squash fries air fryer.
- Broccoli and cauliflower air fryer.
- Air fryer roasted beets.
RECOMMENDED
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! If you try this Air fryer smashed brussel sprouts recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I would love to hear how it turned out for you, or any changes you make.
Air Fryer Smashed Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussel sprouts
- ½ teaspoon paprika - **use sweet paprika.
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper - **you can also use ground black pepper.
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - **skip if heat intolerant.
- salt to taste - **we used Himalayan pink salt. Add salt according to your own personal taste preference.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - **use extra light or light olive oil.
Instructions
Prep brussel sprouts
- Rinse the brussel sprouts and drain them with the help of a colander or strainer.
Steam brussel sprouts
- Pour 1 cup water inside the steel insert of the instant pot. Place a steamer basket inside the steel insert and transfer the rinsed brussel sprouts into the steamer basket. Secure the lid of the pot, seal the valve and pressure cook on high for just 2 mins. Once the cooking cycle is over the instant pot will begin to beep. Perform an immediate pressure release by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting positon. Open the lid of the pot when the metal pin on top of the lid drops. Carefully pull out the steamer basket from the pot and allow the steamed brussel sprouts to cool down a bit. Read NOTES below to know how to cook brussel sprouts on the stove top or microwave oven, just incase you don't have an instant pot.
- Wipe the steamed brussel sprouts with the help of kitchen towels to completely dry them. Transfer them into a large bowl.
Season brussels sprouts
- Add the paprika, crushed black pepper, red pepper flakes, salt and olive oil into the bowl. Toss the brussel sprouts very well to coat them well with the seasonings.
Smash brussels sprouts
- Place one seasoned brussel sprouts on a flat surface. Press it down with the bottom of a drinking glass to smash it. Once done, place it on a plate. Repeat this step until you are done smashing all the brussel sprouts. Aim for same thickness for uniform roasting/cooking!
Air Fry
- Pre-heat the air fryer at 350 F for 3-4 mins. Place the smashed brussel sprouts inside the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 8 mins for crispy smashed brussel sprouts and for 10 mins for extra crispy smashed brussel sprouts. Serve them immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prep brussels sprouts: Rinse and drain them well. Steam them in the instant pot on high pressure for 2 mins followed by a quick pressure release. You can also cook them in the microwave oven on high for 5 mins. Place them in a bowl full of water and than cook in the microwave oven. You can also boil them over medium high heat on the stove top for 10 mins uncovered. Finally, wipe the sprouts dry with the help of kitchen towels once they are steamed or boiled.
- Make it spicy: Add ¼ or ½ teaspoon cayenne to make the recipe spicy!
- Cook time: We have tested this recipe using Bella air fryer, instant pot vortex and also using the instant pot air fryer lid. You might slightly have to adjust the cook time depending on your air fryer make, model or brand!
- Plant based garnishes: We garnished with lightly toasted hemp seeds and nutritional yeast.
jerry haselbarth says
Mine would not smash whole so I sliced them in half and then flattened them somewhat. Just used olive oil and garlic salt to season. Ate with a honey dip. Never cared for brussel sprouts before, but will make these again.
mtr_admin says
So glad you loved the recipe Jerry 🙂 I would just steam the brussel sprouts according to the recipe instructions and than try to smash them 🙂 The flattened sprouts really turn out so crispy and yummy 🙂 - Meghna xoxo