When I was young, there were a very few foods that I disliked.  One of them was brussel sprouts. At boarding school, they were boiled with no flavor and when you bit into the brussel sprouts, you would get a mouthful of slightly bitter brussel sprout juice followed by some mushy brussel sprouts!  It wasn't until I was an adult and tried crisp, roasted brussel sprouts that my once negative opinion of brussel sprouts changed!  This easy roasted bacon brussel sprouts recipe does everything to address my childhood issues with brussel sprouts!

The brussel sprouts are crisp and crunchy and flavored so well, they are like British crisps or potato chips.  The bacon rendering not only flavors the brussel sprouts but also gives a different kind of crunch to the the crisp brussel sprout leaves.

Tips for making easy roasted bacon brussel sprouts

Brussel sprouts.

Wash the brussel sprouts whole and then halve them.  Do not wash the brussel sprouts after cutting as the water goes between the leaves which prevents the brussel sprouts from crisping, because it steams rather than roasts the brussel sprouts.  Don't worry if the leaves fall off.  These individual leaves become very crisp and flavorful.  You may even want to pull additional leaves off the brussel sprouts if you love crispy things like I do!

Soread the brussel sprouts evenly in a single layer on the baking tray.  Avoid overcrowding as this will result in the brussel spouts being steamed rather than roasted so will not crisp well.

Bacon.

Thick cut bacon is preferable so that it won't burn and shrivel up during roasting, but will result in decent sized pieces. Separate the bacon into individual strips as they will clump together if they are not separated.  Spread it evenly throughout the brussel sprouts to allow the rendering (oil) to be uniformally distributed.

Roasting the brussel sprouts.

To minimize cleanup, place a piece of foil onto a baking tray.  DO NOT use a silicone mat. Silicone does not conduct heat well so the temperature will not get hot enough to crisp the brussel sprouts! 

No additional oil is necessary, the oil comes from the bacon rendering.  Flip the brussel sprouts half way through the cooking process to ensure uniform browning. 

If roasting multiple items at the same time, separate the oven racks so that the heat can circulate well or if you have a convection oven with a fan, turn on the fan to ensure even cooking. Enjoy this wonderful and easy side dish!