Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Bacon Aioli

You’ve come here for the Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe and you’ve come to the right place! The perfect combination of crisp, roasted Brussels sprouts mixed with a creamy bacon aioli sauce is a hit whenever and wherever we serve this recipe. Serve Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Bacon Aioli as an easy, always-good best brussel sprout appetizer or side dish that you’ll get requests to make again and again.

This recipe was originally posted December 2, 2016; Updated October 14, 2021.

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The Best Brussels Sprouts Appetizer to serve

If you’re stuck in a rut bringing the same old appetizers and dips to gatherings, then shake things up with this best brussel sprouts appetizer. Whenever we serve it at a holiday meal (either as a fun and different appetizer or as a delicious veggie side dish) we always come home with an empty platter and many requests for the recipe. Served with a so-simple garlic bacon aioli (the best-ever sauce for Brussels sprouts), roasted brussels sprouts are the veggie winner of the decade!

Perfect Pairings with Brussels Sprouts

If you haven’t had oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and you only know soggy, canned Brussels sprouts from days gone by, then you’re missing out. Now that we’re all properly cooking Brussels sprouts the way they are meant to be enjoyed, this veggie has become more popular than ever. Brussels sprouts make a great pairing with so many foods, including a variety of proteins, sauces, and grains. We discussed all the possible flavors to pair with our roasted Brussels sprouts and we kept coming back to a creamy, garlicky, bacon-flecked sauce. The bacon aioli that accompanies this recipe is perfectly designed to complement the toasty, slightly bitter flavor of the roasted Brussels. We know you’ll love it!

Ingredients To Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic Bacon Aioli

This roasted Brussel sprout appetizer or side dish is easy to make. The Brussels roast quickly, giving you just enough time to stir up the bacon aioli. Here’s what you need:

• Brussels sprouts – you will need 2 pounds of fresh Brussels sprouts, any size will work, but we prefer small to medium Brussels
• Avocado oil – or swap in olive oil
• Mayonnaise – we love the avocado oil-based mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen
• Lemon juice – use fresh juice from 1 small lemon
• Garlic – for this recipe, we like to press (smash) or finely mince fresh garlic cloves, but you can sub in 1 teaspoon garlic powder if that’s what you have on hand
• Bacon – cook or microwave 2 slices of bacon until crispy; we love the no-sugar, uncured bacon from Applegate or from Butcher Box
• Dijon mustard – this gives the aioli a perfect tangy taste; we love the Dijon from Primal Kitchen
• Thyme – use fresh thyme in the bacon aioli, or sub in 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

How to make roasted Brussels Sprouts

These Brussels Sprouts roast perfectly every time on a baking sheet in the oven. Simply toss them with oil, salt, and pepper directly on the sheet pan – no need to dirty an extra bowl. Here are the steps to make perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts:

This Bacon Aioli recipe is so good you can serve it in many ways. Read below for more serving suggestions. Here’s how easy it is to make.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Cut the tough stem ends off of each Brussels sprout. Slice each Brussels sprout in half. If Brussels sprouts are very large, cut them into quarters.
3. Place the Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle oil, salt, and pepper over the Brussels sprouts, tossing them around until coated. Spread them around in an even layer.
4. Roast the Brussels sprouts in the oven until browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir the Brussels sprouts quickly halfway through roasting time.

How to make Garlic Bacon Aioli

1. Cook 2 slices of bacon until very crispy in your preferred method: on the grill, in the oven, in a pan, or in the microwave. Crumble the bacon into pieces.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, crumbled bacon, Dijon mustard, and thyme. If desired, sprinkle a little bacon and thyme leaves on top of the aioli for a pretty presentation.
3. Store aioli in refrigerator until ready to serve. Any leftover bacon aioli can be refrigerated for up to one week.

Bacon Aioli: The Perfect Sauce for Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts are slightly bitter, crispy, and tender, making them a perfect match for creamy bacon aioli sauce. To serve the best Brussel sprouts appetizer that is always a hit at gatherings, just take a tray of Roasted Brussels alongside some toothpicks and small bowl of bacon aioli; even served warm or at room temperature, they will disappear quick! This easy Garlic Bacon Aioli can also be served with all kinds of grilled meats and other roasted veggies. Try it with:

• roasted turkey or grilled chicken
• sliced grilled steak
• roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans
• baby roasted potatoes or carrots
• cooked shrimp
• hard-boiled eggs
• raw veggies: cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, endive leaves, blanched green beans

When to serve roasted brussels sprouts with garlic Bacon aioli

Tired of making a beautiful salad or taking a vegetable side dish to gatherings that no one ends up eating? Instead, take this delicious, always-loved recipe for Roasted Brussels sprouts and just watch those veggies disappear! Here are some occasions that would be perfect for serving the best brussel sprout appetizer or side dish you can make:

• holiday gatherings – think Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter
• dinner parties
• romantic dinner for two (cut the recipe in half if just serving 2-4 people)
• weekend or weeknight side dish
• bridal showers and baby showers

health benefits of brussels sprouts

This recipe is so delicious and decadent that you may easily forget it’s also good for you! Brussels sprouts are a Brassicaceae vegetable (same as kale and cauliflower) that offer many wonderful health benefits. Brussels sprouts offer high amounts of vitamins A, C, K, which are always good for your heart health. They’re also a terrific source of fiber to help keep your microbiome and digestive system healthy. Being a high-antioxidant vegetable, Brussels sprouts can also help you keep inflammation low, which is a good choice for your long-term health.

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