Garlicky And Cheesy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts

This crispy, garlicky, and cheesy air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe will become your new healthy home cook addiction. Not to mention, this delicious and easy to make recipe is the perfect side dish for any meal. Coated with fresh garlic and topped with nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese), it is a garlicky and cheesy vegan-friendly Brussel sprouts side dish that a true garlic fan could appreciate. From serving as a side dish with steak dinner to using it as pizza toppings, this healthy air fryer recipe is going to be your favorite way to whip up some Brussel sprouts.

The air fryer has been my favorite kitchen gadget lately. It is super easy to use, clean, and you can make a delicious crispy meal and side dish recipes within minutes. And of course, naturally, I had to give air fryer Brussel sprouts a try. And lucky for you (and you), an air fryer can hook us up with some crispy and delicious Brussel sprouts that are tender on the inside.

To make these healthy and delicious crispy garlicky and cheesy air fryer Brussel sprouts, you only need six ingredients to make this recipe. And within 15 minutes, you can have a delicious plate of goodness that's ready to be served. Not to mention, this air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe is vegan and gluten-free friendly.

Is Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Healthy

We all know brussels sprouts themselves are healthy vegetables to add to our diet. They are high in fiber, packed in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This makes them a nutritious addition to our diet.

An air fryer is a healthier way to mimic deep fryer texture because it uses way less oil and fat, making them a healthier method. While you can roast Brussel sprouts or sauté them, it is hard to achieve that perfect crispiness on the outside and tender on the inside. Oftentimes, with roasting, it is easy to burn and dry them out. If you time cooking time correctly with air fryers, you will have the perfect textured brussels sprouts. But, if for any reason you left them air fryer too long, they will turn to a darker brown color. If this is the case, don't eat them because burnt food can be toxic and carcinogenic.

This vegan-friendly air fryer Brussel sprouts recipe is healthier than deep-fried Brussel sprouts recipes or Brussel sprouts recipes with bacon. Deep-fried food and bacon are delicious but will pack your dish up with a ton of calories, fat, and cholesterol.

This air fryer brussels sprouts recipe uses less oil, is made with real fresh garlic, and sprinkled with vegan cheese (nutritional yeast). And if you are not on a vegan diet, sprinkle it with some shave parmesan cheese instead. A little fresh garlic and lemon juice will add a ton of bold flavor to your Brussel sprouts.

How Do You Air Fry Brussel sprouts?

• Cut and trim the sprouts. You can either slice them in half or quarters. How you want to cut is up to you. Quarter size sprouts will cook faster than half size in an air fryer because it has more surface area.
• Toss with seasoning and oil. You can go as simple as just salt, pepper, and oil. And if you want to go fancy, toss it with balsamic vinegar and other spices.
• Air fry at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Give your air fryer a good shake at 8 minutes to flip them over. Be sure not to over air fry, or it will leave you with burnt Brussel sprouts pieces.

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels Sprouts
1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
1/2 Small Lemon
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 Tablespoon Nutritional yeast
4-5 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
*1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (If you want it to be extra garlicky)
*1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
*1/4 teaspoon Paprika

*Optional Ingredients

Directions

1. Trim and slice the brussels sprout in halves.
2. In a medium to a large bowl, add about 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and mix it with salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and any other spices you like. Mix well.
3. Then squeeze half of a fresh lemon into the mixture.
4. Add your brussels sprouts into the mixture and make sure it is mixed well. You want to make sure the Brussel sprouts are coated with garlic.
5. Place brussels sprouts in the air fryer basket. Make sure you spread them so they can be air fried evenly.
6. Air fry at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Give your air fryer basket a good shake, or flip your air fryer over at 8 minutes. From there, you can determine if your brussels sprouts could use another two minutes or more.
7. Your brussels sprouts are done when they have a slight color to them. You don't want them to turn brown or dark brown, this is a sign you burnt them, and the brown part is not edible. Transfer your cooked brussels sprouts to a plate and sprinkle some nutritional yeast or parmesan.

Nutritional

Serving size: 2

Amount per serving: Calories: 126 calories. Total Fat: 1.8g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g. Cholesterol: 0mg. Sodium: 134mg. Total Carbohydrate: 25g. Dietary fiber: 9.7g. Total Sugar: 5.3g. Protein: 9.1g.

**The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Calculated without optional ingredients.**

Recipe Tips

• Additional Spices. If you want extra flavor, add paprika, black pepper, and/or more garlic powder to the recipe. But you don't have to add them, and they taste just as delicious. These extra spices will add some smokey and spicy flavor to your air fryer Brussel sprouts.
• Fresh garlic, garlic powder or both. Fresh garlic adds great pungent flavor, taste, and texture to the air fryer brussels sprouts. Plus, who doesn't love a little crunchy air fryer fresh garlic?! If you are a true garlic fan, you would appreciate adding additional ground garlic to the recipe to add more garlic flavor. The ground garlic will bind themselves to brussels sprouts and give them even more garlic flavor aside from the fresh garlic.
• Avoid over-crowd the air fryer basket. Air fryer creates a crispy texture by circulating hot air around the food. To achieve that crispiness, you have to give each piece enough space.
• Cut the brussels sprouts to a similar size. For consistency, try to cut your sprouts as similar size as possible.
• Use nutritional yeast. Using nutritional yeast in the recipe is a great healthy alternative ingredient to parmesan.

My Healthy Twist To Brussels Sprouts

Avocado Oil

Because we are air frying this recipe at 375F, you can use either extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Both avocado and olive oil have a high enough smoking point to handle this recipe's air frying temperature. While you can go without any, I find that a little oil will prevent your Brussel sprouts pieces from burning quickly while giving that crispy texture.

Nutritional Yeast

Whether you are on a vegan diet or are looking for healthier side dish recipes regardless, nutritional yeast is a good ingredient to swap for Parmesan cheese. If you never had nutritional yeast before, it has a very similar taste and texture to parmesan cheese. It is flaky, nutty, and it has an umami flavor. Both options have similar calories profile, but nutritional yeast contains no fat, cholesterol, or sodium, and it is lactose-free. It is the perfect addition to your brussels sprouts. Not to mention, nutritional yeast is packed with complete protein, an excellent source of vitamin B and antioxidants.

Money Saving Tips: Some of these ingredients are available through Thrive Market and Imperfect Foods. 

Cleaning Tip: With the use of fresh garlic, you could leave a slight mess behind. Learn how to clean your air fryer.