Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts roast up crispy-edged and caramelized with garlic and a balsamic drizzle in under 20 minutes.
Brussels sprouts spent decades getting blamed for what people did to them. Boil a small cabbage until it smells like a municipal problem and, yes, nobody is going to ask for seconds. Air fryer Brussels sprouts go in the opposite direction: trim them, halve them, coat them with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then cook them at 375°F until the cut sides caramelize and the outer leaves get crisp. Halving is important because that flat face gives the sprout a broad surface that can actually brown instead of merely becoming hot and green.
And keep the loose leaves that fall off while you trim them. Those little scraps turn into dark, chip-crisp pieces that somehow disappear before the actual vegetables reach the table. After 12 to 15 minutes, with a good shake halfway through, the sprouts get finished with balsamic glaze and grated Parmesan. The balsamic brings sweetness and acidity against the browned edges, while Parmesan adds salt and savoriness. It is a side dish with enough contrast to convert at least some of the people still carrying emotional damage from a school-cafeteria steam table.
