This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This simple recipe for Honey Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts is the perfect thing for your holiday table! Brussels sprouts are roasted so that they’re tender in the middle but crisp on the outside before being finished with sweet honey, tangy balsamic vinegar, and salty bacon pieces for an addictive side dish guaranteed to win over sprout-haters in just 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
We know so many people have a love/hate relationship with Brussels sprouts, making them sometimes a controversial addition to the Christmas or Thanksgiving table.
Lots of people solve this by making a sprout salad or cooking shredded sprouts, but we think our favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts is so much easier: roasting them (don’t boil them!), then tossing them with the simple flavors of bacon, honey, and a good balsamic vinegar that you probably already have on hand!
Why you will love this recipe
- The sticky honey and balsamic glaze makes this a flavorful Brussels sprouts recipe everyone will love.
- By roasting the sprouts instead of boiling them, you’re guaranteeing tender middles while keeping a lovely crisp exterior.
- You can easily make these vegetarian by swapping the bacon for flaky sea salt, and vegan by switching the honey for maple syrup.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts – If you can buy the kind still attached to their stalk, do, as these will stay fresher for longer.
- Sunflower oil – Or any other neutral-tasting oil (vegetable, canola) for roasting.
- Diced bacon (lardons) – Smoked or unsmoked diced bacon will both work here depending on your preference.
- Honey – Runny is best, and if you don’t have any on hand, maple syrup will work here too.
- Balsamic vinegar – For the best results, choose a good quality one that is syrupy, not totally runny like red or white wine vinegar.
Substitutions and variations
Hot honey: Swap the honey for hot honey for a sweet-spicy kick, or stir a pinch of red pepper flakes into regular honey.
Bacon: Pancetta or diced thick-cut bacon works just as well as lardons. Turkey bacon also works, but it’s leaner, so fry it with a drizzle of oil.
Balsamic glaze: Balsamic glaze is thicker and sweeter than balsamic vinegar. If you use it, start with half the amount and drizzle more to taste.
Cheesy: Shave a little Parmesan over the top while the sprouts are still hot.
How to make honey, bacon, and balsamic Brussels sprouts
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Fry the lardons until crisp and set aside.
TWO: Remove the woody ends from the sprouts. Place the sprouts on a baking sheet, toss in a little oil, and roast at 392°F (200°C/180°C fan) for around 20 minutes until golden.
THREE: Once the sprouts are done, add the lardons, balsamic, and honey and pop back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Dry your sprouts: Pat them dry after washing. Any water on the surface steams them instead of roasting them.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Sprouts need space to brown and crisp. If you’re doubling the recipe, use two baking sheets.
- Add the glaze at the end: The honey and balsamic go on for the final five minutes only, so they turn sticky instead of burning.
- Serve right away: These are best straight from the oven, while the edges are still crisp.
Frequently asked questions
These sprouts are best eaten as soon as they’re made, but you can cook the bacon lardons ahead to make things a little easier on you!
Let us guess… you’ve doubled the recipe? If you do this, make sure you use two baking sheets to roast the sprouts. If you crowd them on the pan too much, their outsides won’t brown or crisp properly!
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you’re looking for more delicious ways with Brussels sprouts, you’ll love our Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Parmesan and our Easy Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon and Almonds. If it’s simple vegetable side dishes you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with our Easy Maple Butter Glazed Carrots, Simple Cheesy Baked Leeks, or our Easy Air Fryer Honey Glazed Parsnips, which would go really well with these sprouts!
Side Dishes
Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
Side Dishes
Easy Cafe de Paris Butter
Side Dishes
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Christmas Recipes
Easy Deep Fried Brie
If you tried this Honey, Bacon, and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Honey, Bacon, and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 14 oz Brussels sprouts, about 4 cups trimmed whole sprouts
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 7 oz diced bacon (lardons), about 1 1/4 cups
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C/180°C fan). Fry the lardons until crisp and set aside.
- Remove the woody ends from the sprouts.
- Place the sprouts on a baking sheet, toss in a little oil, and roast at 392°F (200°C/180°C fan) for around 20 minutes until golden.
- Once the sprouts are done, add the lardons, balsamic, and honey and pop back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Brussels sprout recipe with bacon and honey was a bit different to the usual, so I loved it. It was sweet and caramelised, I will defo make again!