These pan-fried German Brussels sprouts with bacon are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. And not only that, this dish is pretty addictive.
These German Brussels sprouts with garlic are one of our favorite Brussels sprouts recipes.
My first experience with sprouts was not really a good one; I had cooked them to death, and I only had some mushy, pale things on my plate.
But then I discovered that there are other ways with Brussels sprouts as well; they don't have to be boring. You can either roast them or bake them with bacon and cheese. Or you can first cook them slightly and then fry them with garlic and spices. Some bacon on top, and there you have it: your new favorite Brussels sprouts side dish.
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Recipe ingredients
- Brussels sprouts: Fresh, unblemished ones. Wash them well and remove the outer leaves.
- Bacon slices: Thin ones. Alternatively, use pancetta or small chopped pork belly pieces.
- Garlic cloves.
How to make Brussels sprouts German-style?
- Clean the sprouts: Remove the outer leaves and remove the tip of the stem with the help of a small knife. Rinse well.
- If they are very large, you can halve them. I prefer to buy smaller ones when possible; the taste is the same, but I think they look better when left whole. If cutting them in half, cut them from top to bottom so that both halves still have a bit of stem at the bottom, which will help the leaves hold together.
- Cook: 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.
- In the meantime, fry the bacon in a non-stick pan until crispy. Remove and let drain on kitchen paper, which will help absorb the excess fat.
- Add the very well-drained vegetables to the pan, still containing the bacon fat.
- Fry for 2 minutes, stirring very often; add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring continuously to make sure that the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the crumbled bacon, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (generously), sprinkle with herbs if desired, and serve.
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.
More German side dishes
Recipe
German Brussels Sprouts
These German Brussels sprouts with bacon are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. And not only, this dish is pretty addictive.
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Servings: 2 -4 servings
Calories: 161kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts 450 g
- 6-7 very thin slices bacon
- 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.
- Boil Brussels sprouts: Place the sprouts into the boiling water, bring them to a boil again, and cook for about 7 minutes. The sprouts should be tender but not mushy. Drain well.
- In the meantime, fry the bacon slices in a non-stick pan. There is no need to add any oil. Place on kitchen paper, which will help absorb the excess fat.
- Fry sprouts: Add the well-drained sprouts to the pan, still containing the fat from the bacon. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook for 2 more minutes, constantly stirring, to avoid burning the garlic.
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 519mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g
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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? 🙂 Another so simple and delicious recipe! The family would love this on the Thanksgiving table.