Perfectly Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts – Air Fryer Recipe

In just 8 minutes and with only 5 ingredients, you can create these delicious, Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, an air fryer recipe that will please even the toughest critic. The perfect blend of warm Brussels sprouts and those delectable crispy edges, all topped with melted parmesan and toasted panko breadcrumbs.

Simple Air Fryer Recipes

For Christmas, my husband gifted me a Ninja Air Fryer after I’d been eyeing it for some time. At first, I didn’t really understand the hype. I already have an Instant Pot plus a microwave and an oven. What else did I really need another small appliance for?

In the beginning, I used it strictly to crisp up frozen snack foods like mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets and taquitos. It became a little too easy to just whip up a few fried snacks just because I felt like it. So I had to put it into the cabinet in between use instead of leaving it out on the counter. I also forced myself to find some better recipes to use in the air fryer instead of just frozen snacks.

The first real “recipe” I ever made were these Air Fryer Pretzel Bites from Sustainable Cooks. A step up from the processed, frozen snacks I was making. These pretzel bites are delicious and really easy to make. The kids all love them (as do I) and they are fun to make on a rainy weekend afternoon. However, they were still a snack food and I wanted to challenge myself to make a few more simple recipes before I gave the air fryer my recommendation.

In addition to playing around with it, I ordered this Air Fryer Cookbook for Dummies and cannot wait for it to arrive in a few days.

Update – since posting this article a year ago, I can honestly say that I love the air fryer! It’s so convenient, fast and versatile. Some of our favorite recipes to create in the air fryer –

• The Easiest Air Fryer Salmon
• Greek Salad with Air Fryer Salmon
• 14 Meatless Meals for your Air Fryer, Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Restaurant Style Brussels Sprouts

One thing that I knew I wanted to try making was the type of Brussels sprouts that you can order in a restaurant. The type of appetizer where the Brussels sprouts are soft on the inside but still have those crispy, almost burnt edges. In restaurants they are typically served with bacon or in a cheese sauce. So I challenged myself to play around with the Air Fryer and try to make a restaurant style dish that was a little bit healthier.

After about 20 recipe revisions, these Perfectly Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts air fryer recipe was born. And if you are thinking to yourself that I must be sick of Brussels sprouts after all that testing, you’d be wrong. They are that good.

Tips for these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Like any new appliance, it can take some trial and error to perfect an air fryer recipe. These are my tips for this specific air fryer recipe –

• Many similar recipes say to quarter whole Brussels sprouts but I think that leaves them too undercooked in the end. I prefer to slice each Brussels sprout into about 5 pieces, just thin enough to cook all the way through but not so small that they burn.
• Mix the sliced Brussels sprouts, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl before placing in the air fryer. This will help ensure all the Brussels are lightly coated in the seasoned oil
• Halfway through the cook time, pull out the air fryer basket and lightly shake to mix them up. This will help the top layer not brown too quickly
• A tiny drizzle of olive oil once you add the panko breadcrumbs will help them get lightly toasted but it’s an optional step if you don’t want to add any additional oil
• Using a spatula to remove the cooked Brussels sprouts will help the crispy topping remain on top of the dish instead of getting mixed in

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Perfectly Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts – Air Fryer Recipe

This delicoius Brussels Sprouts Air Fryer recipe only takes 8 minutes and is topped with melted parmesan and crispy panko breadcrumbs.

Course Side Dish, vegetable

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword air fryer, brussels sprouts

Prep Time 3 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Brynn McDowell, RD at The Domestic Dietitian

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• Small Bowl
• Spatula

Ingredients

• 12-14 oz Brussels Sprouts
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil + 1 tsp
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs

Instructions

• Prepare the Brussels sprouts by cutting off the bottom and then slicing each brussels sprout into 5 slices. Place all sliced brussels sprouts (and any leaves that may fall off) into a small mixing bowl
• Drizzle the sliced brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine
• Place the brussels sprouts into the basket of your air fryer. Press the "air fry" button, set temperature to 390 degrees and timer for 5 minutes.
• Halfway thorugh the 5 minute cooking time, pull the basket out and lightly shake to mix up the brussles sprouts. Return basket to air fryer and finish cooking time.
• Pull out air fryer basket and top brussels sprouts with parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs and additional 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Return basket to air fryer and cook for an additional 3 mintues, until parmesan cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are lightly toasted.
• Remove brussels sprouts with spatula and serve

More Brussels Sprout Recipes

Brussels Sprouts seems to be here to stay and we are not mad about that at all. Some of our favorite Brussels sprout recipe include –

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Parmesan

This recipe is from our Mediterranean Diet Made Easy Cookbook and is so light and refreshing. Perfect for an original take on classic salad and a great example of how fresh flavors can transform ordinary ingredients.

Ultimate Turkey Burger with Spicy Brussels Sprout Slaw

Fantastic once the weather starts warming up and we can throw a big, juicy turkey burger on the grill.