Monday, October 27, 2025
HomeFoodHeat Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple

Heat Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple

If you’re in want of a brand new facet dish for the autumn/winter seasons, this heat Brussels sprouts salad with bacon and apple suits the invoice. A bounty of flavors and textures comes collectively in a single skillet, and it’s dressed with a simple do-it-yourself maple citrus French dressing.

Brussels sprouts salad with bacon, apple, dried cranberries, pecan, and parmesan cheese.

As quickly as the primary leaves begin to fall, it’s time for all issues cozy, roasted, and slightly candy. This heat Brussels sprouts salad has every part you may need in a fall facet dish—crispy sprouts, salty bacon, candy crunchy apples, and a shiny, citrusy-sweet French dressing that ties all of it collectively.

Assume: traditional consolation meals… simply in salad kind.


Why You’ll Love This Heat Brussels Sprouts Salad

  • Savory-sweet steadiness: Salty, smoky bacon + candy maple syrup + shiny orange zest = complete taste magic.
  • Most texture: Tender Brussels sprouts, crisp bacon, crunchy apples, and toasted pecans make every chew fascinating.
  • Heat & hearty: It’s a salad, however cozy sufficient for cold nights (and completely worthy of your Thanksgiving desk).
  • Skillet recipe: Good when your oven’s busy with different dishes.
  • Vacation-ready: Elegant sufficient for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a cocktail party, but easy sufficient for a weeknight meal.
Brussels sprouts salad with bacon on plate with a piece of cornbread.

Elements You Want

Brussels sprouts, bacon, shallot, garlic, apple, pecans, and dried cranberries make up the bottom of this heat salad. All the pieces’s tossed in a easy maple-orange French dressing made with olive oil, contemporary orange juice, maple syrup, and a contact of Dijon mustard.

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on prime is elective, however provides a scrumptious of completion.

ingredients measured in bowls including salt, pepper, bacon, pecans, apple, half of an orange, and dried cranberries.

The best way to Shred Brussels Sprouts

There are just a few straightforward methods to shred Brussels sprouts, relying on what instruments you could have readily available. Use the slicing blade of a meals processor, or trim the bottom of the sprout and thinly slice by hand. For a fast shortcut, search for pre-shredded Brussels sprouts within the produce part of the grocery retailer.

It Comes Collectively in 1 Skillet

Begin by pondering forward: would you like the pecans in your salad toasted? In that case, add them to the skillet first and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes, stirring typically, till flippantly toasted and aromatic. Switch to a plate and put aside when you prepare dinner the opposite components.

Subsequent, prepare dinner the bacon till crispy. Switch to a paper towel-lined plate, then drain off a lot of the bacon fats, leaving about 1 Tablespoon behind. Return the skillet to the warmth and sauté a chopped shallot within the remaining bacon fats till softened.

After that, add the garlic, Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner till the sprouts prepare dinner down and start to brown, then take away from warmth and stir in a splash of contemporary orange juice.

cooked Brussels sprouts in pan.

(In the meantime, you may chop the bacon and slice the apple.)

Now it’s time to construct the salad with the toasted pecans, chopped bacon, apple, dried cranberries, cooked Brussels sprouts, and the dressing.


Maple Citrus Dressing

In a jar or small bowl, whisk collectively olive oil, orange juice, maple syrup, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Shake or whisk till totally emulsified.

When engaged on this recipe, we initially deliberate to make use of lemon juice. Nonetheless, we had run out, so we swapped orange in as a substitute. What a cheerful accident! The flavour turned out fantastically balanced and shiny, including simply the correct quantity of sweetness with out overpowering the salad.

Technically, since there isn’t a vinegar and citrus gives the acidity, this isn’t a real French dressing. However it delivers that very same tangy-sweet taste you anticipate from one.

citrus maple vinaigrette.

Shortcut tip: You can also make the dressing as much as 5 days forward. Retailer within the fridge and produce to room temp earlier than utilizing.

Can I make this vegetarian?

Positively! Skip the bacon and take a look at roasted candy potato or chickpeas for a hearty, meat-free model. Roast the candy potato within the oven, or prepare dinner drained chickpeas in slightly olive oil after toasting the pecans. Simply you should definitely add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet earlier than sautéing the shallot.

Can I exploit frozen Brussels sprouts?

Recent is greatest for this recipe since frozen sprouts are typically fairly gentle after thawing. For those who should use frozen, thaw fully, pat dry, and anticipate a much less crisp outcome.

Can I serve this salad chilly or make it forward?

When you can serve this salad chilly, it tastes greatest heat or at room temperature. Prep the elements prematurely: toast the pecans, prepare dinner the bacon and sprouts, and make the dressing. Retailer every individually (refrigerate every part besides the pecans). Earlier than serving, carry the components to room temperature and heat the dressing for just a few seconds within the microwave or on the range, then toss to mix.

Brussels sprouts salad with bacon, apple, dried cranberries, pecan, and parmesan cheese.

What to Serve With This Salad

This salad is tremendous versatile! Serve it with:

  • Roasted hen, turkey, or pork tenderloin
  • A bowl of creamy soup
  • Your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving feast
  • As a most important dish alongside cornbread or candy potato rolls


Print

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Description

This can be a heat Brussels sprouts salad stuffed with crispy bacon, candy apple, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries, all tossed in a shiny maple-orange dressing. This can be a flavorful, hearty facet dish for fall or winter meals. You can also make it vegetarian, if desired. See recipe Be aware for particulars.


Salad

  • 1/2 cup (60g) roughly chopped pecans
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced (or 1/4 cup (35g) finely chopped yellow onion)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 16 ounces (1 lb./454g) Brussels sprouts, shredded
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons contemporary lemon juice or orange juice
  • 1/3 cup (50g) dried cranberries 
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced and halved for bite-size items (I like to recommend Honeycrisp)
  • elective, for garnish: 2 Tablespoons freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Citrus Maple Dressing

  • 1/4 cup (57g/60ml) further virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) contemporary orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon (21g/15ml) pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper


  1. Toast the pecans: Prepare dinner the pecans in a big (ungreased) skillet over medium warmth for 3–5 minutes, stirring typically, till flippantly browned and aromatic. Switch to a plate or bowl and put aside.
  2. Prepare dinner the bacon: Add the bacon to the skillet and prepare dinner till crisp. Switch cooked bacon to paper-towel-lined plate, after which take away all however 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.
  3. Prepare dinner the greens: Add the sliced shallot and sauté, stirring typically, till softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, shredded Brussels sprouts, salt, and pepper. Prepare dinner, stirring often, till the sprouts prepare dinner down and start to brown, about 8–10 minutes.
  4. Take away from warmth and stir within the contemporary lemon or orange juice. Switch to a serving dish or bowl. 
  5. Chop the bacon into bite-size items. Add to the Brussels sprouts, together with the dried cranberries, apple, and toasted pecans. Toss to mix.
  6. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk collectively olive oil, contemporary orange juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss to mix.
  7. If desired, prime with elective parmesan cheese earlier than serving. Serve salad heat.
  8. Retailer leftover salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days.


Notes

  1. Make-Forward Directions: You can also make the dressing prematurely and retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 1 week. For the salad, prep the elements a day or 2 prematurely: toast the pecans, and prepare dinner the bacon and sprouts. Retailer every individually (refrigerate every part besides the pecans). Earlier than serving, carry the components to room temperature and heat the dressing for just a few seconds within the microwave or on the range, then toss to mix.
  2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone SpatulaWhisk
  3. Can I Serve This Salad Chilly? When you can serve this salad chilly, it tastes greatest heat or at room temperature. See Be aware above about making it forward.
  4. Can I Make This Vegetarian? Sure. Skip the bacon and take a look at roasted candy potatoes or chickpeas for a hearty, meat-free model. Roast the candy potato within the oven, or prepare dinner drained chickpeas in slightly olive oil after toasting the pecans. Simply you should definitely add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet earlier than sautéing the shallot.
  5. Can I Double the Recipe? Sure, merely double the entire components and use an extra-large skillet (or prepare dinner in batches). The bigger quantity of Brussels sprouts would require an additional couple of minutes to prepare dinner down and brown.
  6. The best way to Shred Brussels Sprouts: There are just a few straightforward methods to shred Brussels sprouts, relying on what instruments you could have readily available. Use the slicing blade of a meals processor, or trim the bottom of the sprout and thinly slice by hand. For a fast shortcut, search for a bag or container of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts within the produce part of the grocery retailer.
  7. Can I Use Frozen Brussels Sprouts? Recent is greatest for this recipe since frozen sprouts are typically fairly gentle after thawing. For those who should use frozen, thaw fully, pat dry, and anticipate a much less crisp outcome.
  8. Finest Apple to Use: Crisp, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Woman, or Fuji are greatest on this salad.

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