Roasted Brussels Sprouts Bacon Dressing
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Brussels sprouts halved and tossed with olive oil and salt. Bacon cooked crisp, drippings reserved for a punchy hot dressing with onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. Sprouts roasted until deep golden and crispy, then coated in bacon dressing, served immed.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
27 min
Total:
42 min
Servings:
8 servings
#vegetable side
#American
#bacon
#roasted veggies
#fall recipes
Halving sprouts matters. You get those crispy edges, not boiled mush that ruins plates and pride. Pancetta works even better than bacon if you can swing it—fatter, saltier punch. Toss raw sprouts with olive oil and salt before roasting makes them brown without drying out. I’ve learned stacking them kills crispness . So spread them out, treat the pan like a canvas, not a dump truck. While sprouts roast, that bacon fat? Don’t waste it. Onion, garlic plus vinegar and sugar? That’s your magic dressing. Thickened, sharp, sweet, layered. The hot dressing sizzles when it hits sprouts; don’t skimp on stirring. Serve quick, or salads turn limp and sad.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
- 6 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
About the ingredients
Try pancetta or thick-cut bacon if bacon is too smoky or lean. Olive oil is good but a nut oil or avocado oil adds a subtle twist if you want. Fresh garlic over pre-minced makes a big difference here; the aroma in the pan tells you when it’s time to move on—too brown equals bitterness. Yellow onion is a balance of sweetness and strength, but a shallot can work for milder flavor. Use apple cider vinegar for tang but white wine vinegar is an easy stand-in; give it a taste test before use. Brown sugar can be cut down slightly if you’re sensitive to sweetness since everything else is layered. Kosher salt works best; table salt can surprise you. Pepper fresh cracked for best pop.
Method
- Oven 425°F; if you want, heat a large rimmed sheet pan inside it while prepping sprouts
- Trim sprouts—cut off tough cores, slice each half through the stem. Big bowl, toss with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt evenly
- Pan medium heat, cook pancetta until very crisp, crackly. Scoop pancetta out, keep drippings in pan
- Spread sprouts cut-side down on the hot pan; don’t pile them or they’ll steam instead of roast. Look for golden, crunch edges after 20 - 25 min
- Meanwhile, drain bacon fat leaving 3 tablespoons, gentle medium-low heat. Add onions, stir often until soft, about 5 - 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 min until fragrant
- Pour in vinegar, sugar, mustard; simmer slow until syrupy and reduced, about 5 min. Salt and pepper—start light, adjust to your taste
- Sprouts done? Deep golden, edges blistered and darkened, smells nutty. Toss in skillet with pancetta and hot dressing. Coat thoroughly. Serve right off the stove
Cooking tips
Preheating the sheet pan helps get that instant sear on the cut sprouts—when you toss them on hot, they start crisping immediately, less time stewing. Don’t crowd the pan—stirring halfway through roasting can help even color if your pan is overcrowded. Watch those edges; golden brown is good. Black char? Toss those leaves, they’re bitter. When cooking pancetta, medium heat not only crisps but renders fat slowly, deepening flavor and avoids burning. Draining excess fat but leaving about 3 tablespoons creates the right base for your dressing—too fat and it’s greasy, too little and it’s dry. Onions soften when they become translucent and smell sweet. Garlic cooks fast—if the pan browns it, it’s too late. Simmer vinegar, sugar, and mustard until the sauce thickens and coats your spoon—that’s your signal. After combining sprouts with hot dressing, toss quickly but gently—don’t mash the sprouts. Serve immediately to keep textures intact; leftovers lose their snap but can be reheated with a toss in a hot pan for a minute.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Trim sprouts — slice off tough cores first. Halving seals crisp edges, no mush. Toss raw cut sprouts with olive oil and salt while pan preheats. Spread out. Crowding steams, ruins texture. Big pan surface key. Toss midway to check even roast. Watch those edges; golden means done. Black char? Toss leaves out. Crisp, not bitter.
- 💡 Cook pancetta slow on medium, not hot. Render fat gently, crisp but no burn. Keep drippings in pan, drain excess but keep 3 tablespoons base. Fat too much makes greasy dressing, too little dries the sauce. Onion softens when translucent, sweet smell signals time to add garlic. Garlic cooks fast, too brown bitter. Adjust stove heat carefully.
- 💡 Vinegar, sugar, mustard create dressing base. Pour in, simmer slow until syrupy, coats spoon. Not too thick or stays sharp. Taste early, salt and pepper light start, then adjust. Hot dressing sizzles hitting sprouts - don’t skip stirring. Toss gently but thorough coating. Mix in pancetta bits for crunch. Serve immediately for crisp textures.
- 💡 Pancetta sub: thick-cut bacon works, saltier, fattier punch. Oils? Olive oil default, but avocado or nut oil adds subtle flavors, test ahead. Garlic fresh better than pre-minced; aroma guides doneness. Onion type flexible - yellow onion balances sweet and strong, shallot milder. Vinegar swap with white wine vinegar ok. Brown sugar cut if sensitive, just a bit.
- 💡 Preheat sheet pan inside oven for instant sear on sprouts. Helps edges brown fast, less stewing. Stir halfway roasting if pan crowded to keep color even. Watch sprout bottoms crisp, don’t pile or steam forms. Pancetta cooking medium heat, fat renders slow, no burn ensures deep flavor. Hot dressing coats sprouts immediately, no mashing - toss quick but gentle.
Common questions
Why halve Brussels sprouts?
Halves get crispy edges, whole ones steam inside. Texture lost if too thick. Halves roasted proper are crunchy, smell nutty, edges blistered. Mushy means either crowded pan or too low heat.
Pancetta or bacon?
Pancetta fattier, saltier, crispier but bacon works fine. Thick-cut better than thin or smoky types. If too lean, dressing dries. Pancetta drippings richer for sauce base, but bacon fat ok substitute.
Dressing too greasy or dry?
Drain fat but leave about 3 tbsp. Too much fat makes dressing oily and heavy. Too little fat dries sauce, dressing won’t coat. Medium heat simmers vinegar-sugar-mustard to syrup; too thick? Thin with small splash water or more vinegar.
How store leftovers?
Cool quickly, store airtight fridge up to 2 days. Reheat skillet quick to regain crisp, stir but don’t mash sprout texture. Dress fresh if losing snap; dressing separate helps keep sprouts crunchy longer.
