Sautéed Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Sautéed Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts with Bacon is a quick and easy side dish that’s full of flavor! With only 5 ingredients and a cast iron skillet, clean up and prep is a breeze!

Are you looking for a delicious yet healthy side dish that your whole family will enjoy eating? Then this Brussels Sprouts with Bacon recipe is perfect for you!

This recipe is bursting with flavor and has a little extra crunch thanks to those juicy yet crispy bacon pieces. It is a healthy dish that your whole family will look forward to eating! Even sprouts haters will love this delicious recipe!

If you love Brussel sprouts, you probably keep extra in the freezer like me. I’ve been playing around with recipes using frozen vegetables and I’ve perfected air fryer frozen Brussel sprouts. No need to defrost them before cooking!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon is even a perfect warm and flavorful side dish for those fall and winter nights.  It has all of the flavors you are looking for on those cool relaxing nights with the family.  Also, it is a great dish to try making for one of those thanksgiving dinners with the family since it pairs great with a nice big juicy turkey! 

Ingredients

These are the best Brussels sprouts that I’ve made in a long time! It’s an easy recipe with simple ingredients that you can get at your local grocery store.

• bacon
• butter
• fresh Brussels sprouts
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper 

How to make Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

1. For this sautéed Brussels sprouts recipe, you will first cook bacon in the skillet. Add bacon to a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. 
2. Then remove the bacon and place on a paper towel. Chop bacon once oil is absorbed.
3. Chop the Brussels sprouts in half, set aside. Trim Brussels sprouts if needed.
4. Next in the cast iron skillet with the bacon grease, add the butter and melt the butter over high heat.
5. Once butter is melted, place the Brussels sprouts in the skillet and cook. Stir occasionally until the Brussels sprouts are golden brown, around 5-8 minutes (smaller sprouts will cook quicker)
6. Next, add salt and pepper to the Brussels sprouts. Stir. Then add back the bacon to the skillet with the Brussels sprouts. 
7. Optional, sprinkle with red pepper flakes

Recipe Tips

• For an added pop of flavor you can add some red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese or balsamic glaze top before serving
• Also balsamic vinegar is a great addition to this dish as well if you like caramelized Brussels sprouts
• Cooking the Brussels sprouts in the pan with the bacon fat will give additional flavor, but if you’re trying to reduce your fat intake you can remove with bacon grease before adding the butter. 
• If you want to switch things up you can substitute bacon for a salty pancetta and add maple syrup
• ***If you add maple syrup or lots of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze just note these have sugar and I would not recommend eating a lot of these if you’re following a keto diet.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Re-heat in a cast-iron pan or in your air fryer for crispy sprouts

What to serve alongside Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts

This Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe is a great side dish for any of your favorite entrees. It pairs especially well with main dishes such as broiled chicken thighs, air fryer turkey breast, or a good old steak!

Here are some great recipes for entrees you can try with these Brussels Sprouts and Bacon:

• Instant Pot Beef Ribs
• Easy Instant Pot Beef Brisket
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast
• Sous vide ribeye steak

What makes Brussels sprouts healthy

For starters, Brussels Sprouts is a cruciferous vegetable that is rich in many essential vitamins and other nutrients that the body needs. Some of the vitamins and other nutrients that Brussels Sprouts are rich in include Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Carotenoids, and Folate. Brussels Sprouts are also high in Fiber. 

There have also been numerous studies conducted that have found a health benefit of Brussels Sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables to be their cancer preventing properties. These studies have found that there was a decrease in the occurrence of cancers such as colorectal, lung, breast, ovarian, and other cancers when there was an increased amount of cruciferous vegetables consumed in the diet.

Other studies have also found some benefits to heart health when individuals include cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels Sprouts in their diet. They have found that eating these vegetables can be helpful in reducing LDL levels. This is a benefit because having too much LDL cholesterol can cause it to buildup in the arteries which can restrict blood flow and can cause a heart attack or stroke.

To learn more about some more benefits of Brussels Sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables then check out this research article on Crucial facts about health benefits of popular cruciferous vegetables.