Air Fryer Frozen Brussel Sprouts
Make frozen brussel sprouts taste amazing with these super simple cooking techniques! Use the air fryer (or the oven) to make the perfect roasted frozen brussel sprouts! No cutting or prep required.
Why this recipe works
- Roasting frozen brussel sprouts is the perfect solution to meal prep. You can easily make a double or triple batch of oven roasted brussel sprouts (from frozen) at one time during meal prep!
- The best way to make brussel sprouts in the air fryer is to use frozen brussel sprouts. Since they are frozen, they tend to cook more uniformly and are less likely to burn!
- Go from frozen brussel sprouts to dinner in 14 minutes using the air fryer! This technique uses minimal oil as well!
- Serve roasted brussel sprouts with a drizzle of tahini and a sprinkle of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. This combo pairs perfectly with oven poached eggs, shredded chicken, salmon bites or as a snack!
- Whether you use the air fryer or the oven, this method to make brussel sprouts is vegan, gluten free, paleo, Whole30 and keto friendly!
Why should you buy frozen brussel sprouts?
Frozen brussel sprouts are a great pantry (freezer) staple! They are super inexpensive (usually about $1 per bag) and are very filling and satisfying once cooked!
Tips on cooking frozen brussel sprouts:
Whatever you do, do not steam these in the microwave. Ignore any and all package directions and instead roast the frozen brussel sprouts! My favorite 2 ways to roast frozen brussel sprouts is using the air fryer or using the oven.
What is the best way to cook brussel sprouts in the air fryer?
The best way to cook brussel sprouts in the air fryer is to use frozen brussel sprouts! This is because frozen brussel sprouts cook more evenly than fresh, and they don’t require as much attention as cooking fresh brussel sprouts in the air fryer. An added bonus: you don’t have to chop or slice these frozen brussel sprouts.
Fresh brussel sprouts are tough to cook in the air fryer because of all the little leaves at the base of the brussel sprout that pull away from the brussel sprout when cooking. These leaves start to burn and the air fryer basket needs to be shaken often, which can be time consuming.
How to prep frozen brussel sprouts
The beauty of making brussel sprouts is that there is no cutting or prep required! Simply empty the bag of frozen brussel sprouts into the air fryer and turn it on.
See step by step instructions for both air fryer brussel sprouts or oven bake brussel sprouts below.
How to cook frozen brussel sprouts in the air fryer
To see the step by step process check out this story on how to make air fryer frozen brussel sprouts!
Step 1: Open the bag of frozen brussel sprouts directly into the air fryer basket. Turn the air fryer to 390F and set it for 14 minutes.
Step 2: After 9 minutes, take the basket out of the air fryer and spray the brussel sprouts with olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Shake the basket well to distribute the salt. Place the basket back into the running air fryer.
Step 3: After the air fryer turns off, shake the brussel sprouts again and sprinkle with a pinch more salt. Serve hot.
Tips for cooking frozen brussel sprouts
The perfect cooking time for frozen brussel sprouts depends on the size of the brussel sprouts.
- For frozen brussel sprouts the size of a dime or nickel, follow the directions above.
- For frozen brussel sprouts the size of a quarter or larger, add 1 minute to the air fryer cooking time and 5 minutes to the oven roasting method.
If you want to add even more flavor to the brussel sprouts while cooking, instead of spraying them with olive oil or avocado oil, use a roasted garlic olive oil or roasted garlic avocado oil. You can add flavored olive oil into a spray bottle for easy coverage.
If you really want the inside of the brussel sprouts to get crispy, I would recommend using fresh brussel sprouts and following these instructions to make the best crispy brussel sprouts!
Make a double or triple batch for meal prep! Simply store cooked roasted brussel sprouts in the fridge for up to 4 days. You will want to get an extra large baking sheet if you plan on making more than 3 bags of frozen brussel sprouts at one time!
How to add more flavor to frozen brussel sprouts in air fryer
- Add a sauce or dip: Drizzle the brussel sprouts with lemon herb tahini, cashew ranch dressing, honey mustard dressing,, sesame ginger dressing or chipotle mayo
- Add your favorite spices: Sprinkle them with Everything Bagel Seasoning, Cajun seasoning, Italian Seasoning, or my favorite, a combination of crushed red pepper flake and garlic powder.
Can you make frozen brussel sprouts in the oven
Cooking frozen brussel sprouts in the oven is so simple! No need to cut the brussel sprouts in half, just roast them whole.
- Step 1: Start by preheating the oven to 450F. Place parchment paper or a silicone liner on a baking sheet. Add the frozen brussel sprouts (at least 2 bags) onto the baking sheet. Put baking sheet in the preheated oven.
- Step 2: After 20 minutes of roasting at 450F, take the brussel sprouts out of the oven. Spray them with olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir around the pan well to distribute the salt evenly. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: After 10 minutes of additional cooking, remove the brussel sprouts from the oven and sprinkle again with salt. Serve hot!
If you love cooking vegetables in the air fryer, you should try
- Air fryer broccoli tots
- Air Fryer Smashed Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Zucchini
Air Fryer Frozen Brussel Sprouts
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- 1 bag frozen brussel sprouts (10-12 ounce bag)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt
- olive oil spray or avocado oil spray
Instructions
- Open the bag of frozen brussel sprouts and pour it into the basket of the air fryer.
- Put the basket into the air fryer and turn the temperature to 390F for 14 minutes.
- After the brussel sprouts have been cooking, for 9 minutes, pause the air fryer, remove the basket and spray the brussel sprouts with olive oil or avocado oil and 1/4 tsp of salt. Shake the basket well to distribute the salt.
- Place the basket back into the running air fryer. Let continue to cook until finished. Once done, sprinkle with another small pinch of salt.
Equipment
Notes
- For frozen brussel sprouts the size of a dime or nickel, follow the directions above.
- For frozen brussel sprouts the size of a quarter or larger, add 1 minute to the air fryer cooking time and 5 minutes to the oven roasting method.
- Drizzle the brussel sprouts with tahini
- Sprinkle them with Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 450F
- Add the frozen brussel sprouts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Place the baking sheet full of frozen brussel sprouts in the oven for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, carefully remove the baking sheet. Spray with olive oil or avocado oil and add 1/2 tsp salt. Stir the brussel sprouts with a spoon.
- Place the baking sheet back in the oven for 10 minutes. When done, sprinkle with more salt if needed and serve hot.
So excited to try this. The recipe might be clearer if it said “after 9 minutes ….” then I would have understood the total cook time was 14. Took me a bit reading the comments to understand the recipe and timing.
Almost fingerfood and I can see dipping sauce possibilities here!!! Whoot!!!
I appreciate you taking the time to make that suggestion Jill! I have updated the instructions per your request! Thank you for making me see that my original instructions were not clear (sometimes you can get tunnel vision when writing these).
I have an instant pot air fryer too, used the small frozen Brussels sprouts bag and the inside was still too mushy :/
The outsides were fine and crispy
I wonder if I should cut them in half – half way through cooking next time
That would certainly help if you are finding they are not cooked well enough all the way through! Let me know if you try that!
Amazing! I actually love them. My first attempt, with fresh ones in the oven, was not quite successful. I made a creamy cashew and mustard sauce to go with them!
Worked great and was super simple!
Great recipe! Thank you. I did Frozen Brussles at 390 for 14 minutes with the instant pot air fryer lid! Worked great. I used the olive oil spray to spray the basket, and then used avocado oil and just coated them with that and some pink salt! Came out very tasty. I used Yumm Sauce as a dipping sauce!
Hi! I’ve been trying the frozen ones in the air fryer, and although the outsides look perfect, they are really mushy inside. Any ideas? Thanks!
Hey Emily! Typically the frozen brussel sprouts I use are smaller in size making them less mushy inside when cooking in the air fryer. However I have found that larger brussels sprouts often need more time to cook.
I set mine for 14 at the right temp and then when I set my timer for 9 minutes. When I went in there, I guess it didn’t start counting down til after it was preheated I guess. Will it work if I preheat first?
Hey Brittany! I don’t have to preheat our air fryer so I’m not sure what model you have. You will want these to cook for 14 minutes at full heat (so you may need to preheat your model first?)
Do you drizzle with tahini after or before cooking?
After cooking!! Hope you enjoy them!
Hey Anna! Drizzle with tahini after cooking right before serving.
Hi. No one ever mentions the preheat step on air fryer recipes. I’m new to air fryer. Is this step just assumed or do I put sprouts in without preheating? Thx!
Hey Karen, no need to preheat the airfryer in this recipe!