Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan
- February 18, 2025
- Last Updated: February 18, 2025
- 0 Comments
- Side Dishes
Sick of skipping brussel sprouts because you don’t know how to cook them? These air fryer brussel sprouts with parmesan are perfectly crisp and 100% flavorful – a great side for your favorite entree!
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I admit – I didn’t really eat brussels sprouts growing up. They weren’t a common vegetable in our household.
But now, as a dietitian and mom, I have more appreciation for introducing my kids to a variety of vegetables.
And these air fryer parmesan brussel sprouts are the way to do it!
Out are the mushy brussels sprouts and in are crispy air fried brussel sprouts.
I’m telling you – these crispy parmesan air fryer brussel sprouts are the best side dish.
They have an unmistakable texture, flavor and mouthfeel. You just want to keep eating them!
Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
- Quick – We all want quick vegetable recipes that are tasty! Cooking brussel sprouts with parmesan in the air fryer is a hit, and they’re ready in 15 minutes, much quicker than the oven. That’s almost as long as it takes the oven to pre-heat!
- Perfectly crispy – My favorite attribute of air fryer brussel sprouts with parmesan cheese is how perfectly crispy yet cheesy they are. It enhances the overall texture and flavor a hundredfold.
- Easy side dish – I’ll usually put brussel sprouts in the air fryer while I’m working on the main entree, such as baked cheesy chicken breasts. These parmesan brussel sprouts pair well with chicken, turkey, pork, beef, tofu…anything!
- Great way to try new veggies – If you struggle with offering vegetable recipes to toddlers, this could be a fun new one to try! Make sure to serve it with a “safe” food, or in other words, a food that your toddler has already been exposed to and likes.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need – only 5 key ingredients plus spices.
- Brussel sprouts – see below on how to cut them for the best results.
- garlic – Fresh garlic will taste the best, but minced garlic is a great shortcut.
- grated parmesan cheese – Freshly grated will taste best (I love this thing!) but pre-shredded works in a pinch. Measure with your heart.
- cornstarch – This secret ingredient just helps make the coating a bit thicker. I love using it!
- avocado oil – You can also use olive oil but I love the flavor of avocado oil and lemon juice.
- salt
- pepper
- paprika
- lemon
- air fryer – In terms of equipment, make sure you have an air fryer. This is the one I have – I absolutely love the double stack!
Optional – We’ve also made these air fryer garlic parmesan brussel sprouts with bacon – another great add!
AIR FRYER ESSENTIALS – I love to keep some go-to’s on hand for my air fryer recipes. Here’s what I recommend using:
Fast Instant Read Thermometer – You’ll use this more than you know! It works for meat on the grill or stove or oven, too. It’s super fast and the large screen is easy to read.
Reusable Air Fryer Liners – I love these for easy cleaning!
Plate Gripper – This is great for HOT things when they come out of the air fryer. Take care and don’t burn yourself.
Tongs – Tongs can be helpful for transferring seasoned items and then hot items after cooked in the air fryer.
How to Make Parmesan Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer
First, make sure to wash your brussel sprouts. If you have a salad spinner, it’s great for having them dry quickly.
Remove the outer layers of your brussel sprouts and then cut/quarter them into fourths or even smaller.
I prefer to cut each one a little thinner and smaller than fourths because they will cook more evenly.
Avoid large pieces – If the pieces are too big, they won’t cook fully and may taste undercooked.
Add your sliced brussels sprouts to a large mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the parmesan cheese.
Mix well so they are evenly covered.
Transfer to an air fryer pan. Make sure not to crowd the pan or they won’t cook evenly!
Air fry at 380 for 6 minutes.
Add about 1/4 cup of the shredded parmesan cheese and then cook for another 5-6 minutes, until it reaches your desired crisp level.
Personally, I like to add some more cheese and a lemon squeeze before serving just to emphasize the flavor one last time.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to cut your brussel sprouts appropriately – meaning you’ll have to cut them into fourths. The smaller they are, the quicker and more evenly they cook. To do this, cut your brussel sprouts in half vertically, and then turn them 90 degrees to cut them in half again. Now you have them in fourths. If they are still too big and thick, you can half them again.
- Make sure not to crowd the brussel sprouts in your air fryer pan – You want them to have space to breathe and cook evenly.
- Check the instructions for your air fryer – you may need to modify the cooking time accordingly by increasing or decreasing a few minutes.
TRY some of these other EASY AIR FRYER recipes!
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussel sprouts, cleaned and cut* see note for how to cut
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parm cheese, divided + extra for topping
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Pinch of paprika
- Squeeze of Lemon, as needed
Instructions
- Wash your brussels sprouts and remove any outer layers. When cutting the brussels sprouts, you want the pieces smaller than quartered. I prefer to cut each one a little thinner and smaller than fourths because they will cook more evenly. Avoid large pieces – If the pieces are too big, they won’t cook fully and may taste undercooked.
- Add brussels sprouts to a large mixing bowl with rest of the ingredients, except the parmesan cheese. Mix well so they are evenly covered.
- Transfer to air fryer pan. Make sure not to crowd the pan or they won’t cook evenly.
- Air fry at 380 for 6 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of the shredded parmesan cheese and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
- Take out and add remaining shredded parmesan to serve and another squeeze of lemon
Equipment
Nutrition
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