Pan-fried German Brussels sprouts with bacon - the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and so delicious you'll want them all year round.
These German Brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic are one of our favorite Brussels sprouts recipes.
My first experience with Brussels sprouts wasn't exactly a good one - I had cooked them to death and ended up with some mushy, pale little things on my plate.
But then I discovered that there are other, much better ways to cook them. They don't have to be boring at all!
You can Roast Brussels sprouts with Potatoes, make Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, or cook them just slightly before pan-frying them with garlic and spices. Add a bit of bacon on top, and there you have it: your new favorite German Brussels sprouts side dish.
Ingredients: 4 + salt & pepper | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2-4 | Difficulty: Easy
Jump to recipe
Recipe ingredients
Brussels sprouts: Fresh, unblemished ones. Wash them well and remove the outer leaves.
Thin-sliced bacon slices: You will need 4 to 6 slices; I find 4 are quite enough, but if you like bacon, feel free to use more. Check out this amazing Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, too.
Garlic: Thinly sliced cloves.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make German Brussels sprouts?
Step #1: Clean the sprouts: remove the outer leaves, trim the stem ends with a small knife, and rinse well. If they're large, halve them from top to bottom so the leaves stay attached.
Step #2: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add the sprouts to the pot, bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Drain well.
Step #3: In the meantime, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until crispy.
Step #4: Let drain on kitchen paper, which will help absorb the excess fat.
Step #5: Add the very well-drained sprouts to the pan, still containing the bacon fat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Step #6: Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously to make sure that the garlic doesn't burn. Add bacon, parsley, and seasoning.
Store and reheat
Store: Let the Brussels sprouts cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, pan-fry them for a few minutes until hot and slightly crispy again, or warm them in the oven at 180ยฐC/350ยฐF for about 10 minutes.
Avoid the microwave if possible - it makes them soft instead of crisp.
How to serve?
I have served these delicious German-style Brussels sprouts with lots of different roasts, for instance, the Oven Slow-Cooked Turkey Leg or Red Wine Turkey.
We also had this side dish with steaks, like Beef Tagliata, Pork Chops in Milk Marinade, or a good Beef Balsamic Roast.
I also served them as a main dish for dinner with a slice of bread on the side.
German Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts 450 g
- 4-6 very thin slices of bacon Note 2
- 2 garlic cloves
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- some fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add some salt.
- Clean the Brussels sprouts by removing their outer leaves. Cut the tip of the stem using a small knife. Rinse the sprouts. Halve the sprouts if they are too large. Cut them from top to bottom so that each half still has half of the stem, which will help the leaves hold together. Leave the Brussels sprouts whole if they are small.1 lb Brussels sprouts
- Boil Brussels sprouts: Place the sprouts into the boiling water, bring them to a boil again, and cook for about 5 minutes. The sprouts should be tender but not mushy. Drain well.
- Cook the bacon slices in a non-stick pan. There is no need to add any oil. Place the slices on paper towels, which will help absorb the excess fat.4-6 very thin slices of bacon
- Fry sprouts: Add the well-drained sprouts to the pan, still containing the fat from the bacon. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for 2 more minutes, constantly stirring, to avoid burning the garlic.2 garlic cloves
- Serve: Remove the pan from the heat, crumble the bacon on top, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chopped parsley and serve.fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper + some fresh parsley
Notes
- Brussels sprouts: I had a bag of 1.6 lb sprouts before cleaning and ended up with about 1-1.1 lb after cleaning them.
- Bacon: Four slices should do it, but if you like you can use six.
William Mitton says
I will be trying your recipe, sounds wonderful.
My wife was from Berlin, and there were a couple of differences to this favorite of ours.
The sprouts were trimmed and sliced in half as you describe.
We Steamed the sprouts in a basket instead of boiling, and removing them
when about 2/3rds done and setting aside.
The bacon was cooked separately drained, and crumbled.
Butter is added to a frying pan until starting to bubble, and the sprouts are
folded into the butter gently until heated through. Crumbled bacon is added,
and a pinch of ground nutmeg to taste. Serve, and enjoy.
Adina says
It sounds good, William. Thank you for the feedback.
mjskitchen says
And what isn't better with bacon? ๐ Another so simple and delicious recipe! The family would love this on the Thanksgiving table.