These crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Glaze are Whole30 and Paleo compliant and make a great holiday side dish! This one pan dish comes together quickly and is full of delicious fall flavors including apples and pecans!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pan dish - Who doesn’t love a one pan dish? After making the balsamic reduction (which can be made ahead of time!) this recipe uses just one pan to cook up and serve this dish!
- Maple Balsamic Glaze - The balsamic glaze in this recipe is so delicious and pairs perfectly with all of the different flavors in this dish.
- Bacon! - Need I say more? Adding bacon will make a veggie lover out of anyone! If you love adding bacon to your veggies, check out this Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe and this Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon which is also great for fall and winter months!
- A great holiday side dish - This recipe comes together quickly and makes a great holiday side dish with all of the delicious flavors.
Ingredients Needed
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Ingredient Notes
- Bacon - check the ingredients to ensure the bacon is whole30 compliant. My Oven Bacon post talks about what to look for in Whole30 bacon and my favorite brands!
- Apple - I love using Honeycrisp apples for this recipe but your favorite kind of apple will work great!
- Pecans - these can be swapped out for pistachios or walnuts as well.
- Balsamic Vinegar - Make sure you’re using a high quality vinegar for the best flavor.
- Maple Syrup - while this adds great flavor to the balsamic reduction, it is optional and should be omitted for Whole30.
How to Make This Recipe
- Cook the bacon and onion in a pan over medium high heat just until onions are translucent.
- Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and continue to cook until brussels sprouts are tender and crisped to your liking.
- While the brussels sprouts are cooking, add balsamic vinegar and maple syrup (if using) to a medium sized pan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until vinegar has reduced to approximately ⅓ cup and is a syrup like consistency then remove from heat - it will continue to thicken while cooling.
- Add the diced apple to the brussels sprouts and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes until apples are softened to your liking. This step is optional as keeping the apples crisp is delicious as well.
- Stir in pecans and season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze just before serving and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ’s
This recipe is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the brussels sprouts in a pan (preferably a cast iron) with a small amount of avocado or olive oil until they are crisped back up to your liking.
Store the glaze separate from the sprouts for the best results when reheating. The balsamic glaze can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass airtight container for up to one week.
You can definitely use whatever pan is available to you, however, I love using a cast iron pan for cooking any veggies, especially brussels sprouts, because of how crispy it gets them!
The balsamic glaze can definitely be omitted from this recipe or it can be swapped for the Date & Dijon Dressing used in this Roasted Butternut and Beetroot Salad dish, which is also a fantastic holiday dish!
The date and dijon dressing is a much more mild and kid friendly option that is equally as delicious!
More Healthy Holiday Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon | Whole30, Paleo
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb Brussels Sprouts trimmed and halved
- 6 slices Bacon cut into 1 inch pieces, Whole30 compliant
- ½ Large Sweet Onion diced
- 1 Large Apple diced
- ⅓ cup Pecan Pieces
- 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup omit for Whole30
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook bacon and onion in a pan over medium high heat just until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add brussels sprouts and continue to cook until they are tender and crisped to your liking.
- While brussels sprouts are cooking, add balsamic vinegar and maple syrup (if using) to a medium sized pan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer until vinegar has reduced to approximately ⅓ cup and is a syrup like consistency then remove from heat.
- Add diced apple to the brussels sprouts and cook for an additional 2-5 minutes until apples are slightly softened.
- Stir in pecans and season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- I love using Honeycrisp apples for this recipe but your favorite kind of apple will work great!
- The pecans can be swapped out for pistachios or walnuts as well.
- A high quality vinegar will give the balsamic reduction the best flavor.
- You can use whatever pan is available to you for this dish, however, I love using a cast iron pan for cooking any veggies, especially brussels sprouts, because of how crispy it gets them.
- This recipe is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat the brussels sprouts in a pan (preferably a cast iron) with a small amount of avocado or olive oil until they are crisped back up to your liking.
- Store the glaze separate from the sprouts for the best results when reheating.
- The balsamic glaze can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass airtight container for up to one week.
- The balsamic glaze can definitely be omitted from this recipe or it can be swapped for the Date & Dijon Dressing used in this Roasted Butternut and Beetroot Salad dish, which is also a fantastic holiday dish!
- The date and dijon dressing is a much more mild and kid friendly option that is equally as delicious!
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