A sweet and savory Maple-Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta, apple, and sage. This oven-roasted Brussels sprout is the perfect side dish for any weeknight dinner or holiday meal.
Are you looking for delicious holiday side dish recipes? Try this Maple-Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta recipe. The brussels sprouts are seasoned perfectly with aromatic fall spices and herbs. It's a great Brussels sprouts family recipe that anyone will enjoy.
Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Apple Ingredients:
In this recipe, the Brussels sprouts are seasoned with only 3 ingredients; maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and sage leaves. They are cooked together in the oven with Honeycrisp apples and pancetta. Then topped with toasted pecans to add more crunch to the dish.
I love using pecan nuts, apple, sage and maple syrup in the same recipe. They are just so good together. I think, all the ingredients used in this recipe really compliment each other and create a great balance of sweet and savory flavors.
To add sweetness to the Brussels sprouts, I used that combination of Honeycrisp apple and maple syrup. Because the apple is naturally sweet, I only had to add a small amount of maple syrup to the dish.
The cooking process of this Brussels sprouts recipe is so easy. Everything is done in the oven and there is no need to cook the sprouts in the skillet prior to roasting.
Brussels Sprouts:
Brussels Sprouts are one of my favorite leafy vegetables. They are delicious if roasted, boiled, steamed, or microwaved.
Brussels sprouts are known for having a bitter flavor but they can have a delicious nutty and sweet taste when cooked properly.
In my opinion, roasting is one of the best ways to bring out these wonderful flavors. Brussels sprouts are healthy too as they are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious addition to your diet.
Pancetta
The pancetta used in this recipe adds a nice sweet and salty flavor to the dish. Pancetta is the Italian version of bacon and is made by seasoning a pork belly side with salt and lots of pepper. It's cured but not smoked. For that reason, pancetta tastes similar to bacon but without the smokey flavor.
I purchased the pancetta at Trader's Joe. It is all-natural, has been cut in small diced and comes in a 4 oz package. Or you can find a similar product and at Amazon.com
If you can't find Pancetta in your area feel free to use bacon as a replacement ingredient. I've made Brussels sprouts with balsamic and bacon before and it was delicious!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Apple
Ingredients
- 12 oz brussels sprouts (wash, trim and cut in half)
- 1½ Honeycrisp apples (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 oz pancetta (small diced)
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 10 large fresh sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt (use less or more salt according to your liking)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pecans (toasted)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Blanch the brussels sprouts in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Shock them in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except pecans. Toss to coat and transfer to a jumbo (extra large) baking sheet, in a single layer.
- Roast in the upper third of the oven, stirring once halfway through roasting until sprouts are brown on edges and tender for about 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Remove from the heat and serve with toasted pecans.
Emily Liao says
I love the sweet and saltiness of this dish! And the Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
What a delicious side dish - a tasty way to serve brussels sprouts for sure! May have to give these a go sometime soon.
Amy Desrosiers says
I love brussels sprouts and would love to try these! I think the addition of the pancetta is especially appealing.
Jeannette says
This is such gourmet way to spice up my brussel sprouts! I know it'll be such a hit with the family, especially with all the extra flavour from the pancetta in there. Thanks for sharing!
Anjali says
Oooh I love roasted brussel sprouts in the fall!! This is the perfect recipe for my holiday menu planning!
Lizet says
Thanks for the recipe. I've made it a couple of times already. Although I make half with pecans and the other half without for my boys 🙈
Making it again this weekend.
Elaine says
Healthy and delicious recipe - what else to wish for, right? Great way to enjoy brussels sprouts!
Rika says
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Elaine!
Jerri says
Very easy and delicious recipe but is a bit labor- intensive. I will make it again but will add some type of binder, like a sauce, because the nuts fall away from the sprouts. I would like to taste the sprouts, apples, and nuts together, instead of one at a time.
Rika says
Hi Jerri,
Thanks for trying and sharing your feedback with me. Maybe you can add a small amount of maple syrup and melted butter to the toasted pecan then mix the pecan with the other ingredients at the very last minute of roasting.
Best,
Rika