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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Dried Cranberries is an easy Christmas side dish that will add colors and vibrancy to your holiday menu!
This is such a perfect Christmas recipe. Roasted Brussels sprouts taste great combined with the classic holiday ingredients, such as pecans and dried cranberries. Dried cranberries provide a nice, sweeter contrast to the Brussels Sprouts. And, there is a little bit of crunch from toasted pecans and chopped cooked bacon. This side dish is bursting with colors!
If you enjoy colorful holiday recipes, you will also love green beans with bacon and butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.
What I love the best about this Christmas Brussels sprouts recipe is that it fits so well with the traditional holiday side dishes, such as green beans, potatoes, and stuffing. It's a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve or any other holiday!
This side dish is packed with vegetables and nuts. It's healthy, gluten-free, and rich in fiber!
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon have become one of my favorite holiday recipes.
Other holiday side dishes
If you want to discover other colorful and vibrant holiday side dishes, check out these recipes:
- Garlic and Bacon Green Beans - crispy and crunchy green beans sautéed with garlic and bacon in olive oil and butter on the stovetop.
- Creamy and Crunchy Salad with Peas, Bacon, and Pecans - easy and beautiful side dish for the holidays!
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries - this vibrant recipe will work perfectly for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!
- Winter Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing - the holiday ingredient list includes red apples, pears, clementine oranges (or mandarin oranges), kiwi fruit, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds.
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate - perfect healthy holiday salad features Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing.
Christmas main courses
Brussels sprouts and bacon will pair well with any Christmas main course. I recommend that you try one of these recipes for your holiday dinner, especially the duck:
- Roast Duck is a perfect holiday main course! This Roast Whole Duck has tender and juicy meat, crispy skin, and it's glazed with the honey-balsamic glaze to give the duck a beautiful roasted look.
- Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce - this recipe will make a perfect main dish for any special night, an anniversary celebration, or holidays, especially Christmas or New Year's Eve.
- Lamb Chops with Cranberry Balsamic Reduction - this recipe features holiday ingredients, such as pomegranate seeds and pecans. Simple lamb chops marinade is made of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Roasted Cornish Hen is made with root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) and onions.
How to make Brussels sprouts with bacon
1) Start by cooking the bacon in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes. After the bacon is cooked, drain it of fat and chop it up into smaller pieces.
2) Next, prepare the Brussels sprouts by tossing them with olive oil and salt. Add them to a baking sheet.
3) Roast the Brussels sprouts in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
4) Finally, in a medium bowl, combine together roasted brussels sprouts, chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.
Tips and tricks
- To save time, roast both Brussels sprouts and bacon on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.
- Optionally, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the final dish. The dish should already have enough oil from Brussels sprouts and the cooked warm bacon.
- Soak dried cranberries briefly in hot water to plump them up. This will make dried cranberries juicier, softer, and more vibrant.
How to make it ahead
- If you plan to make this dish a day ahead, don't add nuts. Add nuts only when ready to serve (to make sure they are crunchy).
- Reheat this dish in a shallow pan, such as a sheet pan or a sheet cake pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the ingredients on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Reheat for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F. Then add toasted pecans, when ready to serve.
Serve this cold or hot?
- This dish is best served immediately, warm or at room temperature.
Substitutions
- Don't want to use pecans? Use pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pine nuts.
- You can use dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dried figs instead of dried cranberries.
- What is a good substitution for regular bacon? Use prosciutto, duck bacon, or turkey bacon.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
How to Roast Brussels Sprouts
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.
- In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and toss to combine.
- Place Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Roast in the oven at 400 F for about 25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be partially charred but not blackened.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Line the separate baking sheet with foil. Add the bacon slices in one layer. Bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is done. You can do it at the same time as roasting the Brussels sprouts.
- Drain bacon of fat and slice the bacon into small bites.
How to Toast Pecans
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pecans in one layer.
- Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.
Prepare Dried Cranberries
- For best results, briefly soak the dried cranberries in hot water. Bring a small pot of water to boil.
- Add dried cranberries to a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the cranberries and soak them for about 10 minutes. Drain.
Assembly
- In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, warm chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and soaked dried cranberries. Toss everything together. The olive oil from Brussels sprouts and fats from bacon should be enough to coat the ingredients. If desired, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to mix with the salad (optional).
Notes
- Drizzle with a balsamic glaze. Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. For example, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
- Drizzle with a very high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar is usually expensive but it does not need cooking down. Just use it as is. And, you don't need to use much.
- Or, use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette-based salad dressing.
- You can use white balsamic vinegar to brighten this dish!
Looking for more THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?
- Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yvonne, yes you can! Here are some tips:
1)
If you plan to make this dish a day ahead, don’t add nuts and cranberries. Add them only when ready to serve (to make sure they are crunchy).
2)
Reheat this dish in a shallow pan, such as a sheet pan or a sheet cake pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the ingredients on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Reheat for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F. Then add toasted pecans and cranberries, when ready to serve.
Served this for Canadian Thanksgiving and it was a hit.
Scott, I'm glad you've enjoyed this for Canadian Thanksgiving! Thank you for the comment and the 5-stars! 🙂
Forget the olive oil! Toss those sprouts in the bacon fat.
Mix a little light olive oil.with equal bacon grease for heart health.
Barbara, I also prefer to cook bacon and drain bacon grease as much as I can. And use olive oil or vegetable oil for roasting the veggies.
Love this recipe! My favorite way to do fresh brussel sprouts!
Karen, I am so flattered this is one of your favorite recipes. Thank you for taking the time to comment and the 5-stars! 🙂
WHEN I CLICK ON THE RECIPE ... IN WHICH I WOULD NEVER USE ANIMAL FLESH.... I GET A DAMN AD.
I tried this tonight with steak and fried okra, it was very good but I got my pecans a little over roasted.
Karen, this is a great side dish to serve with steak! Glad you liked it! And, yes, you have to be very careful roasting the pecans - they get dark and burned really fast, but they taste so much better roasted than raw!
I am going to make this for thanksgiving, is it intended to be served warm or cold?
It can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. But not refrigerator cold.
Making
this recipe today and realized the pecans I bought are already roasted. Should I still roast in the oven?
No, if you purchased roasted pecans or flavored pecans - just use them as is, without roasting.
I enjoy brussel sprouts and this recipe, though tasty, seemed to overwhelm the sprouts. I will substitute the sprouts for butternut squash or yams next time to see if those are more balanced for my palette.
Butternut squash or sweet potatoes would be delicious in this recipe!
This was so amazing and delicious! I made it for Easter and served with Spiral Ham! it looked just like yours.
Cynthia, your comment made my day so much better! I am glad you made it for Easter and that it was a beautiful presentation! 🙂
These are the best brussel sprouts ever! I add some store-bought balsamic reduction and some grated parmesean cheese when adding the pecans, bacon and dried cranberries before I mix it all together. I can eat this cold, hot, room temp or whatever! Such a great recipe! Thanks!
Nancy, I am so flattered by your comment! Thank you! I am very happy you enjoyed this recipe! What a great idea to add store-bought balsamic reduction!
Loved it. Wish I had pecan halves like the recipe stated instead of pieces; I think that would have made a difference in the texture. I’m going to have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch on top of some shredded red cabbage. I think that’s going to make the most of the little that’s left from dinner tonight.
Anna, I am glad the recipe was enjoyed! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback - I appreciate it! 🙂
Could this be made in an air fryer?
Yes, you can roast the Brussels sprouts in the air fryer. I've never done it myself, but I've had people commenting on my other recipes with roasted Brussels sprouts and saying that they used an air fryer for the veggies.
Can frozen Brussels sprouts be used in recipe
Elva, You can either thaw frozen Brussels sprouts and slice them in half, or roast them whole from frozen (without even defrosting them). In either case, I would toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper - just like I did in this recipe (even if they are frozen, but you can thaw them first and slice each one in half, too).
When you use frozen Brussels sprouts, I would roast them in the preheated oven at a higher temperature (at 425 F or 450 F) for about 20 or 30 minutes - without the parchment paper, obviously (so that it doesn't burn). It's also especially important with frozen Brussels sprouts to spread them out on a baking sheet so that they have enough space between each other and don't steam. I would also use a lower oven rack so that they roast faster and check them after the first 15 minutes and depending on how browned they get on the outside, maybe toss them over to the other side for even roasting.
Their texture will be softer and not as crispy as if you're cooking fresh ones, but it will still be delicious!
By far my FAVORITE salad! Have shared this recipe as everyone loves it.
Connie, your comment made my day! Thank you for taking the time to share this positive feedback! 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! I have all of the ingredients, but the only dried cranberries I have are Craisins. Will those work? I can’t wait to try it out on Christmas Eve.
Yes, craisins will work great! I've used them in this recipe - they are delicious!
Easy and really awesome! Loved the trick with the cranberries, soaking them! Will cook regularly!
Leigh, I am so glad you've enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 Thank you for the comment and the 5-star review!
Hi Julia! I’ve made this perfect side dish several times and it was emptied before everything else! Absolute perfection; thank you so much!
And yes, I have tried this with cranberries, raisins, cherries (dried and fresh), even different nuts. For vegans, just cut out the bacon. This is simple to make, and full of flavor; you’ll get the pickiest eater to eat Brussels sprouts.
Toni, I love your comment! I am very glad you've made this several times with different variations! Thank you for such a positive and enthusiastic comment and the 5-star review! 🙂