Give Brussels sprouts the treatment they deserve with this insanely flavourful sweet chili garlic sauce. Honey, soy sauce, pepper flakes, and lots of garlic turn these misunderstood veggies into crispy little bundles of delight. Make Chili Garlic Brussel Sprouts in the air fryer or in the oven—your choice!
If you hated Brussels sprouts as a kid—we don’t blame you, we did too. But the air fryer transforms these humble veggies into a crispy, delicious side dish.
The key to good Brussels sprouts is to slather them in lots of flavourful ingredients—soy sauce, chili pepper, honey, vinegar, garlic—the works. And avoid overcooking them: the more you overcook, the more bitter and sulfurous it tastes.
Take a careful read through the ingredients list and instructions below to make sure your chili garlic sauce Brussel sprouts are as best as they can be!
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Ingredients + Substitutions
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Sweet Chili Garlic Brussels Sprouts recipe:
Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts are in season from October to March, and they last ages in the fridge. Plus they’re really easy to prep. Just give them a rinse and slice them in half and you’re ready to go.
Oil: Just a little bit, to get a nice crispy exterior on the sprouts.
Soy Sauce and Chicken Bouillon Powder: These ingredients add salt and umami to the Brussels sprouts. To easily make the chili garlic sauce gluten-free, swap the soy sauce for a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Garlic and Garlic Powder: Use a bit of both to boost the savoury flavour!
Honey: Yes, Brussels sprouts are less bitter these days than they were in the past, but they’re still pretty bitter. The honey soy mixture helps offset the bitterness. You can also substitute brown sugar. We don’t recommend using maple syrup as it is too runny, so your brussels sprouts will come out slightly soggy.
Rice Vinegar: The little bit of acidity cuts the sweetness of the honey and prevents the Brussels sprouts from tasting too one-note. Good substitutes are apple cider vinegar or lime juice.
Red Pepper Chili Flakes: Adds a peppery kick! If you’re not a fan of spicy food, use mild chili flakes like gochugaru or Aleppo peppers—these are not really spicy at all. We usually use regular crushed red pepper flakes which add a decent amount of heat.
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
We prefer using air fried Brussels sprouts for maximum crispiness. However, oven roasted Brussels sprouts taste awesome too. Just make sure your oven has the Broil function.
Step 1. Preheat air fryer to 375°F / oven to 400 °F. Slice each Brussels sprout in half.
Step 2. Toss the Brussels sprouts in oil, garlic powder, and salt until evenly coated.
Step 3. Air fry the Brussels sprouts for 10 minutes / roast them in the oven for 15 minutes.
Step 4. In the same bowl used to toss the sprouts, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
Step 5. Tip the cooked Brussels sprouts back into the bowl and toss with the sauce. Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 400 °F / set oven on broil at 500 °F.
Step 6. Add the sauced sprouts back into the air fryer / broil in the oven on the top rack for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly crispy. Be careful not to burn them!
Equipment
Air Fryer: I tested these sweet chilli garlic sprouts in the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia Air Fryer, but other air fryers work too. Just make sure it is 6-qt or larger so you have space to cook all the Brussels sprouts in a single batch.
Oven: Any oven will work as long as it has a Broil function that goes up to 500 °F (260 °C).
Storage
These chili garlic soy glazed Brussel sprouts are best served immediately. As they cool, they gradually lose their crunch.
Fridge: Refrigerate leftover cooked Brussels sprouts for up to five days.
Reheating: Tip leftover Brussels sprouts back into the air fryer basket, or onto a sheet pan. Air fry or broil on high heat for a couple minutes or until lightly crisped and heated through.
What to Serve with Chili Garlic Brussel Sprouts
These are my favorite dishes to pair with Chili Garlic Sauce Brussels Sprouts:
More Side Dish Recipes Using Garlic
Looking for other side dish ideas that use lots of garlic? Try these recipes:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Chili Garlic Sauce Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- Air fryer I tested this with the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia Air Fryer, but other air fryers will work too
- Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt or ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon honey see Note 1
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds *optional
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes use gochugaru or Aleppo pepper for a milder heat
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F / oven to 400 °F. Wash 1 pound Brussels sprouts and slice each sprout in half.
- Toss the Brussels sprouts in 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt until evenly coated.
- Air fry the Brussels sprouts for 10 minutes / roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
- In the same bowl you used to toss the sprouts, add the ingredients for the sauce: 5 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil.
- Transfer the cooked Brussels sprouts into the mixing bowl and toss with the sauce. Meanwhile, preheat air fryer to 400 °F / set oven on broil at 500 °F.
- Add the sauced sprouts back into the air fryer / broil in the oven on the top rack for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly crispy.
Notes
- Honey: Can substitute with brown sugar. I don’t recommend substituting maple syrup because it’s too wet and will prevent the brussels sprouts from crisping up.
- Leftovers and Reheating: These chili garlic Brussels sprouts are best served immediately. As they cool, they gradually lose their crunch. However, any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to five days. To reheat, tip leftover Brussels sprouts back into the air fryer basket, or onto a sheet pan. Air fry or broil on high heat for a couple minutes or until lightly crisped and heated through.
Eric says
My new favourite brussel sprouts recipe! Lots of flavour, not too sweet or salty, just right.
Kelly Zhang says
We totally agree! Thanks for the review Eric.