Braised Brussels Sprouts in Bacon and Shallots
If you love bacon and brussels sprouts, you’ll love our version of braised brussels sprouts. Enjoy! Update: Click here for more fabulous Brussels Sprouts Recipes.
Braised Brussels Sprouts Recipe
I think by now we’ve established that we like brussels sprouts. Between the balsamic roasted brussels sprouts recipe and the baked brussels sprouts with parmesan we have converted more than a few doubters to joys of this little cabbage-esque vegetable. It is one of our favorite rough-ages and over the years we’ve come up with recipes that allow these little bundles of goodness to shine and be enjoyed by many. Recently we’ve been preparing it in a way which makes everything better. Braised brussels sprouts with bacon is a fantastic side dish for all bacon AND brussels sprouts lovers.
This is a super simple recipe for braising brussels sprouts. Saute up a bit of bacon then add some chopped shallots for sweetness. After they have cooked and sweetened up a but, add in the green balls of joy, a bit of broth (we usually use chicken broth but feel free to use whatever kind you like or have on hand) and some soy sauce for seasoning and umami. Cover and braise until tender. Easy and delicious.
Video for braised brussels sprouts with bacon:
The savory and slightly salty bite of the bacon combined with the tender sweet brussels sprouts is divine. Particularly with the added sweetness of the shallots and the “tying-in” element of the soy sauce. The ingredients and technique are so simple it is hard not to love it. Especially because of the bacon, since we all know that bacon makes everything better. Now if our garden brussels sprouts would just start producing some for us to eat so we wouldn’t have to go out and buy them.
above: render bacon fat then add shallots
Add soy sauce and broth, then braise brussels sprouts in liquid
Note on cooking times: Brussels sprouts can very tremendously in size, ranging from the size of a large egg to as small as a 5-cent coin. Make sure to adjust your cooking times depending on the size that you end up cooking. Also, try to select all the same sizes for consistent cooking.
Update: Click here for complete list of delicious Brussels Sprouts Recipes.
Here’s some cheesy roasted brussels sprouts if you’re craving extra cheese.
Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) Brussels Sprouts (about), washed, cut in half (or quarters as long as they are about same size)
- 3-4 slices (slices) Bacon , cut into small pieces
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) minced Shallots (about 2 medium shallots)
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Soy Sauce or Worcestershire
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken broth
- sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium heat then add bacon. Cook up until bacon has rendered a good amount of the fat, about 5-10 minutes. Add shallots. Stir shallots well into the bacon, and cook shallots until they become fragrant and soft, but not burnt.
- Add brussels sprouts to the pan and allow them to sear for about 3 minutes. Then add soy sauce and broth. Stir evenly.
- Cover, and turn heat to low and allow brussels spouts to slowly braise in the liquid for about 15-20 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are tender. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste
mmmm. This is how I have my brussel sprouts too. I have tried the same recipe and added mushrooms as well. Needless to say with mushrooms, you do not have to add as much water as the mushrooms would absorb them all. But equally yummy. I used to hear the kids on TV groan about how they hated eating brussel sprouts, but I guess they never had it prepared with bacon! I love this recipe.
It was a recipe very similar to this that made my husband decide he liked Brussels sprouts, after all. I think this proves one of my essential cooking maxims: everything’s better with preserved pork products.
Tamar- Word to live by !: “…everything’s better with preserved pork products” .
Ohhhhh, thank you for this article and recipe. I too love brussels sprouts and am always delighted to have a new way to prepare them. I’m a huge fan of the roasted balsamic version too. You’re blog is wonderful. I’m so happy to fall upon it. And your photography is some of the best I’ve seen on a blog. It’s a work of art.
Food and stories go hand in hand, which is why food writing is such a popular vocation. As a partner over on Women’s Memoirs, I’d love to invite you to participate in our first writing competition. All it takes is a recipe and a story. You (and your readers) will find details here: http://womensmemoirs.com/contests/
Thanks again for your work.
Man oh man, pork belly prices must be doing well. Seems like bacon’s going into everything lately, but who can argue with that? My husband loves his brussels sprouts, so I like to try different ways of cooking them, so the rest of us can enjoy them as well. This sounds like a winner.
What is it about bacon and Brussels sprouts that goes so well together? It’s a favorite combination of mine. I like the idea of throwing in a little soy sauce, which I expect givesthe dish a little more complexity than straight salt. I’d be tempted to add a pinch of sugar too.
I think I’m going to have to pick up some Brussels sprouts on my way home today …
Jessica- the soy sauce is great because it adds great umami to the dish
These look delicious…I never thought of adding soy sauce but will definitely give it a try! Can’t wait to see the brussels sprouts from your garden. Hope you’re well:).
You have combines a few of my favorite things, shallots, bacon and brussels sprouts! I can’t wait to try this one! I’m downright giddy!
I like eating Brussels sprouts but have not yet tried making them myself. I think I’m going to try one of these recipes. No idea how to choose though!
Bacon makes everything better! I do love brussels sprouts so add bacon-divine….
Well… I really enjoy brussels sprouts, but maybe this will be the way to get my husband to eat them. Everything goes better with bacon, right? Beautiful shots, as always – but I LOVE the one with the folded cloth disappearing under the gorgeous copper colander. That shot alone would make a BS hater into one willing to give them a try!
🙂
Valerie
I fell in love with Brussels last year after believing I hated them for the first 30+ years of my life. Turns out, I had just never eaten them prepared well. I usually saute them, sometimes with bacon. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe — love the addition of the shallots and soy sauce. Sounds perfect.
I ‘ve made the parmesan dish and it was great. I’m sure bacon is just as good as cheese. hmmm bacon, oh yeah brussels sprouts too!
I LOVE Brussels sprouts…it’s my favorite vegetable! Bacon is definitely a classic pairing for it 🙂 This looks fantastic!
I love bacon with brussel sprouts! I’ve never tried it with soy sauce though, I’ll have to give that a shot the next time.
I love how some of the leaves detach and look as pretty as petals. I know, not adjectives or imagery many people associate with Brussels Sprouts, but it’s all about the marketing eh? And these shots would pretty much be the money shots of the whole campaign.
Have made it with bacon, but never added shallots. Looks absolutely delicious! Maybe would trick me into liking veggies. 🙂