• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Hangry Economist logo
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Healthy-ish
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
  • Lifestyle
    • DC/MD/VA Local Finds
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Lifestyle
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Us
    • Lifestyle
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Air Fryer BBQ Brussels Sprouts

    Published: Feb 21, 2023 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This air fryer BBQ brussels sprouts recipe is so easy, fast, and delicious. The brussels sprouts are coated with a BBQ-inspired rub, and they crisp and caramelize in the air fryer in the best way. They're the perfect weeknight or summer side dish.

    A bowl of crispy BBQ brussels sprouts.

    These air fryer brussels sprouts are spicy, sweet, salty, and delicious. The air fryer creates perfect little pockets of crispiness in less than 10 minutes with minimal cleanup. The BBQ-inspired seasoning is easy to throw together with spices you probably already have in your pantry.

    These BBQ brussels sprouts are perfect for spring and summer gatherings. Pair them with a piece of grilled meat, baked beans, and potato salad, and you have the perfect summer meal. They're also perfect for routine weeknight meals because they're so so easy.

    Jump to:
    • Key Ingredients and Substitutions
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer BBQ Brussels Sprouts Recipe

    Key Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Brussels sprouts
    • Light brown sugar- The brown sugar gives these brussels sprouts a sweet flavor, like any BBQ rub should. If you're following a Paleo diet, use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.
    • Oil- This is for coating the brussels sprouts. It helps the spices stick, and makes the brussels sprouts delightfully crispy. We use avocado oil, but regular vegetable oil works too.
    • Spices- paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and ground cayenne. If you really hate spicy stuff, leave out the ground cayenne.

    See recipe card for amounts.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Step 1: Make the BBQ rub. Add brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and ground cayenne to a small bowl. Mix to combine.

    A bowl of spices.

    Step 2: Add brussels sprouts, oil, and the BBQ rub to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to mix everything until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated with oil and spices.

    A mixing bowl with brussels sprouts, oil, and spices.

    Step 3: Add the brussels sprouts to your air fryer basket. Cook at 390°F for about 9 minutes. Stop the air fryer every 3 minutes to shake the basket and check doneness. Your brussels sprouts are done when they're tender and slightly crispy on the outside.

    Brussels sprouts in an air fryer.

    Top Tips

    • If your air fryer allows, line your basket with aluminum foil or air fryer liners for easy clean up.
    • Mix the brussels sprouts and spices with your hands. It's so much easier than trying to get everything all mixed up with a spoon. Just get messy.
    • You can make a double batch of this if you have a bigger air fryer than I do. I don't recommend shoving too many brussels sprouts into a small air fryer, because they won't crisp up as well. Ideally, they should be in a single(ish) layer on the bottom of your air fryer basket.
    • Don't skip the brown sugar. It's tempting to make this recipe slightly healthier by omitting it, but it makes the brussels sprouts caramelize so nicely, and gives them the sweet BBQ flavor. If you must make a healthier substitution, use coconut sugar instead.
    • Air fryer cook times vary based on your machine, so check your brussels sprouts every 3 minutes to ensure that they don't burn. Take them out once they're tender and slightly crispy.
    A close up of crispy air fryer BBQ brussels sprouts in a bowl.

    Frequently asked questions

    My brussels sprouts aren't crisping. What's wrong?

    These brussels sprouts are usually delightfully crispy. If yours don't crisp in the instructed cooking time, try cooking them a bit longer or add a bit more oil.

    How long do I cook brussels sprouts in the air fryer?

    We cook ours for 9 minutes at 390°F. We pause our air fryer every 3 minutes to shake the basket (to redistribute the brussels sprouts) and check for doneness. They're done with they're tender and slightly crispy.

    Can I make these brussels sprouts Paleo-friendly?

    Yes! Use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in the BBQ rub.

    More Air Fryer Recipes

    Looking for other great air fryer sides? Try these:

    • Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
    • Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Dates
    • Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
    Air Fryer BBQ Brussels Sprouts Recipe

    Air Fryer BBQ Brussels Sprouts Recipe

    Recipe by Mollie

    This air fryer BBQ brussels sprouts recipe is so easy, fast, and delicious. The brussels sprouts are coated with a BBQ-inspired rub, and they crisp and caramelize in the air fryer in the best way. They're the perfect weeknight or summer side dish.

    Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
    Pin
    Print
    Servings

    2

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    9

    minutes
    Calories

    130

    kcal
    Total time

    14

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon 1 light brown sugar

    • ½ teaspoon ½ paprika

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ salt

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ black pepper

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ onion powder

    • ½ teaspoon ½ garlic powder

    • ¼ teaspoon ¼ mustard powder

    • ⅛ teaspoon ⅛ ground cayenne

    • 8 ounces 8 brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved

    • 1 tablespoon 1 oil (we use avocado oil; vegetable oil also works)

    Directions

    • Make the BBQ rub. Add brown sugar, paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and ground cayenne to a small bowl. Mix to combine.
    • Add brussels sprouts, oil, and the BBQ rub to a large mixing bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to mix everything until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated with oil and spices.
    • Add the brussels sprouts to your air fryer basket. Cook at 390°F for about 9 minutes. Stop the air fryer every 3 minutes to shake the basket and check doneness. Your brussels sprouts are done when they're tender and slightly crispy on the outside.

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag and follow @hangryeconomist on Instagram

    Like this recipe?

    Follow @hangryeconomist on Pinterest

    More Recipes

    • Air fryer baby carrots in a serving bowl topped with green garnish.
      Air Fryer Baby Carrots
    • Brown butter sage ravioli in a bowl with peas and parmesan cheese.
      Brown Butter Sage Ravioli
    • Two purple rain cocktails garnished with lime.
      Purple Rain Cocktail
    • Strawberries, basil, and halloumi on skewers on a serving plate.
      Strawberry and Halloumi Skewers

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

    More about us →

    trending Recipes

    • A bowl of creamy red pepper and tomato pasta garnished with basil.
      Creamy Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta
    • Escabeche Vegetable Salad
    • A grilled cheese burger in a basket with chips and tomato slices.
      Grilled Cheese Burger
    • Coconut Water Mocktail

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Contact

    • Email us

    Copyright © 2022 The Hangry Economist

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Learn more here.

    The Hangry Economist
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.