Deliciously crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts with crumbled chestnuts and pomegranate seeds! Ready to eat in under 20 minutes!
They're an impressive but easy vegetable side dish for Christmas and best of all, you can use fresh or frozen sprouts! You might also like my cheesy Brussels sprouts gratin with bacon!
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Ever run out of hob space cooking Christmas lunch? These crispy air fryer sprouts and chestnuts are the solution!
Cooked entirely in the air fryer without needing to parboil, they free up essential space and taste amazing.
But they’re not just for Christmas! Enjoy this tasty, healthy side dish all winter, or year-round with frozen sprouts.
👩🍳 Looking for more sides that can be made in the air fryer? Try my crunchy air fryer roast potatoes and air fryer stuffing balls!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- With no parboiling required, these sprouts can be made entirely in the air fryer in under 20 minutes.
- Whether you're making them for Christmas dinner or as a healthy side dish any time of year, these sprouts can be made with either fresh or frozen sprouts.
- With no need to boil or roast in the oven, these sprouts can be made entirely in the air fryer, freeing up valuable space in your kitchen for other delicious Christmas recipes.
🛒 Ingredients
Brussels sprouts - if you're using fresh sprouts it's best to halve them. Leave frozen sprouts whole, as they tend to be smaller and more tender than fresh sprouts.
Olive Oil - a mild light oil is best.
Chestnuts - vacuum-packed chestnuts are crumbled into the air fryer halfway through cooking.
Pomegranate - pomegranate seeds are sprinkled onto the finished dish and provide a lovely flavour and colour contrast to the sprouts.
Pomegranate Molasses - a drizzle elevates this recipe to the next level! If you can't find pomegranate molasses, use a mixture of honey and balsamic vinegar.
Sea Salt - seasoning.
🔪 How to air fry Brussels sprouts
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F) and set your timer for 12 minutes.
Two: Place the prepared sprouts in a bowl and coat them in the olive oil then place them in the air fryer basket.
Pro tip. If you prefer very soft sprouts on the inside (rather than al dente), soak the fresh sprouts in water for 30 minutes prior to air frying. Make sure you dry the Brussels sprouts thoroughly before placing them in the air fryer basket!
Three: Air fry the Brussels sprouts for 6 minutes then take the basket out, give it a shake and crumble over the chestnuts. Return the basket to the air fryer and air fry for a further 6 minutes. If after 12 minutes they are still not quite as tender on the inside as you would like, air fry for an additional 2 minutes.
Four: Serve with pomegranate seeds, sea salt and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Top Tips
- If your fresh sprouts are very large, quarter them instead of halving them to ensure they cook evenly, in the time specified.
- There is no need to defrost frozen sprouts first (and no need to halve them either).
- It's best not to crowd an air fryer with food. This recipe uses 500g of Brussels sprouts which is just right for my 6 litre air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, cook them in two batches, or halve the recipe.
Advantages of air fryer cooking
An air fryer cooks food by blowing hot air around it, making the foods you air fry crispy in a short amount of time. It's a bit like a compact convection oven.
Another benefit of air frying is that much less oil is needed than if you were frying or roasting foods in a conventional oven or hob.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts are the perfect side dish to Christmas lunch, with slow cooker roast turkey and beef, air fryer roast potatoes, pan-fried Brussels sprouts, slow cooker red cabbage, honey roast parsnips and carrots, bread sauce, devils on horseback, and sausagemeat stuffing! It's no wonder we're always stuffed!
The air fryer Brussels sprouts also go well with slow cooker lamb breast, and pork chops.
You might also want to check out my crispy air fryer broccoli, and air fryer asparagus recipes too!
📖 Variations
- Swap the pomegranate molasses for a balsamic and honey drizzle.
- Crumble cooked bacon over the sprouts at the end of cooking for air fryer Brussels sprouts with bacon.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan over the Brussels sprouts for Parmesan Brussels sprouts.
- Sprinkle the cooked sprouts with freshly chopped parsley for a colourful garnish.
- Haven't got an air fryer? Make crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts in your oven!
🥡 Storage
Store - best eaten fresh, straight from the air fryer. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat - leftovers can be reheated in the microwave until piping hot. You'll lose some of the crispness, but they'll still taste great! You can also reheat them in an air fryer.
Freeze - I don't recommend freezing the cooked sprouts as they will become soft and mushy once thawed. If you have lots leftover why not make bubble and squeak?
❓ FAQs
There is often a bit of confusion about how to spell the name of these tiny green cabbages. Many people use the spelling Brussel sprouts, omitting the “s” at the end of the word Brussels. Brussels sprouts are actually named after the Belgium city of Brussels so that’s why you actually should spell it with the “s” at the end.
Roasting sprouts at a high heat is the best way to avoid mushiness. That’s why the air fryer does such a great job of cooking them. Crispy on the outside and tender in the middle!
More easy vegetable side dishes
More easy air fryer recipes
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Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g Brussels Sprouts fresh or frozen
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 100 g Chestnuts vacuum packed
- 1 Pomegranate
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 180℃ (350°F) and set your timer for 12 minutes.
- If you're using fresh sprouts, trim off the roots, discard the loose outer leaves and cut them in half. Frozen sprouts can remain whole.500 g Brussels Sprouts
- Pro tip. If you prefer very soft sprouts on the inside (rather than al dente), soak the fresh sprouts in water for 30 minutes prior to air frying. Make sure you dry the Brussels sprouts thoroughly!
- Place the prepared sprouts in a bowl and coat them in olive oil before putting them in the air fryer basket.2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Air fry the Brussels sprouts for 6 minutes then take the basket out, give it a shake and crumble over the chestnuts. Return the basket to the air fryer and air fry for a further 6 minutes. If after 12 minutes they are still not quite as tender on the inside as you would like, air fry for an additional 2 minutes.100 g Chestnuts
- Serve with pomegranate seeds (cut the pomegranate in half then hold each half over the sprouts, seeds facing down and tap the skin with a wooden spoon, squeezing a little to release the seeds), sea salt and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.1 Pomegranate, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, 1 tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses
Notes
- If your fresh sprouts are very large, quarter them instead of halving them to ensure they cook evenly, in the time specified.
- There is no need to defrost frozen sprouts first (and no need to halve them either).
- It's best not to crowd an air fryer with food. This recipe uses 500g of brussels sprouts which is just right for my 6 litre air fryer. If your air fryer is smaller, I suggest cooking them in two batches, or halving the recipe.
- Swap the pomegranate molasses for a balsamic and honey drizzle.
- Crumble cooked bacon over the sprouts at the end of cooking for air fryer brussels sprouts with bacon.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan over the brussels sprouts for Parmesan brussels sprouts.
- Sprinkle the cooked sprouts with freshly chopped parsley for a colourful garnish.
- Store. The crispy air fryer sprouts are best eaten fresh, straight from the air fryer. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave until piping hot. You'll lose some of the crispness, but they'll still taste great!
- Freeze. I don't recommend freezing the cooked sprouts as they will become soft and mushy once thawed. If you have lots leftover why not make bubble and squeak?
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
Danielle Wolter
I have never tried brussels sprouts in the air fryer and I loved how these came out!
Dannii
I love making brussel sprouts in the air fryer. Perfectly crispy every time!
Jessica Stroup
Quick, easy, and delicious! The brussles spouts turned out perfect!
Gina
One of the few remaining vegetables I had yet to try in the AF. No surprise though - they came out great! Love the crispy exterior and the pomegranate twist is perfect for the holidays!
Aimee Mars
What a great flavor combination with molasses, pomegranates, and chesnuts! You're right, this is perfect for Christmas and I love a good brussels sprouts recipe.