I used to hate Brussels Sprouts. I really did. But then I made these AMAZING, spicy asian-style Brussels Sprouts and I fell in love with them.
So with the fall in full swing and Thanksgiving right around the corner, I decided to give these little green balls a combination of a sweet AND savory flavor. We’re talking a Balsamic Maple sauce tossed with cranberries, bacon, shallots and almonds and then topped off with an incredible Balsamic glaze!
Not only are the flavors abundant and truly wonderful in the way they combine, this is a SNAP and takes NO TIME AT ALL to make in your Instant Pot
!Here’s How I Made It!:
Start off with some Brussels sprouts…
…and cut off the stems and halve them.
Then take some shallots…
….and dice ’em up.
Now it’s onto some bacon (leave it out if you wish to keep this vegetarian/vegan friendly)…
…and dice it up (if magical snaps don’t work for you, kitchen shears are best).
Finally, take some almonds…
…and chop those up too. In the meanwhile, turn your Instant Pot on to give it some heat.
Now make the sauce by taking some Balsamic vinegar….
…maple syrup…
…and mix it together. Set aside.
Once the pot’s hot, add in the bacon. Stir it around while cooking at first as it will want to stick to the bottom of the pot and then let it cook for a few until it has released the grease!
Now toss those shallots in to cook in the bacon grease.
After cooking the bacon and shallots, the bottom of the pot may have browned a bit…
…so add in a splash of the sauce…
…and deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot. It will quickly clear up.
Now add in the Brussels sprouts, almonds…
…and dried cranberries!
Now top it all off with that amazing Maple Balsamic sauce…
…give it a good stir, making sure everything’s coated with the sauce. Secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When done, stir everything again in the pot…
…and transfer to a serving dish.
Now take some AMAZING Balsamic Glaze (which is basically like a Balsamic vinegar syrup)…
…and squeeze it in a drizzle fashion all over the top.
Now not only does our Cranberry Maple Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts LOOK gorgeous, it tastes just as good as it looks!ENJOY!
Instant Pot Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts never got dressed up so deliciously. Balsamic, cranberries and maple syrup give it that wonderful element of sweet & savory. And if you add the bacon, it becomes a party (but it obviously won't be vegan anymore).
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs of Brussels Sprouts, halved with the bottom stalk cut off
- 4 strips of thick bacon, diced (kitchen shears come in very handy here. The bacon is also TOTALLY optional in case you’re a vegetarian or vegan. It just adds additional flavor)
- 10-20 almonds, chopped (use more or less to your liking)
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1/3 cup of Balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup of dried cranberries (they’re sort of like raisins)
- Balsamic glaze, for topping
Instructions
- Make the sauce by mixing the Balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together and set aside
- On the Instant Pot, hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. When it reads “Hot,” add the bacon and stir for 2 minutes until the bacon grease is released (stir often because the bacon will want to stick to the bottom of the pot at first). Then, add in the shallots and cook in the bacon grease (or use 1 tbsp of vegetable oil if not using bacon). Cook for another 2-3 minutes so the bacon is nice and cooked and the onion is lightly browned (the bottom of the pan will be pretty brown by now, so add in a splash of the sauce and deglaze/scrape the bottom of it with a wooden spatula or spoon)
- Add the Brussels Sprouts, cranberries and almonds to the Instant Pot and then top with all of the sauce. Stir until everything is mixed together and coated in the sauce
- Secure the lid and hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 2 minutes (3 minutes if you want them a little softer and 1 minute if you want them crunchier). Quick release when done.
- OPTIONAL: If you want them a bit crispy, place on a baking sheet and broil for 2-5 mins in the oven (you can do this in the Ninja Foodi as well)
- Place in a serving dish and drizzle some Balsamic glaze over the top just before serving
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
Want it vegetarian or vegan? Skip the bacon! Just add in 1 tbsp of butter (vegetarian) or 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (vegan) to cook the shallots in!
OPTIONAL: If you want them a bit crispy, place on a baking sheet and broil for 2-5 mins in the oven (you can do this in the Ninja Foodi as well)
Greg Kraatz
Made this yesterday, only cooked 1 min. Using instructions in your cook book. Turned out very very good. We ordered a second cook book for a friend. Thanks and please stay safe.
Joanne Chase
Could I make this in a regular pot, I don’t have a instant pot. The recipe sounds awesome!!
Thank you,
Joanne
Janelle
I’ve made this 3 times now using this recipe, I just don’t put the nuts and berries. They turn out amazing every time!
msSally
Can you make these ahead if taking to dinner somewhere else?
Jeffrey
You can! Just crisp them in an air fryer before serving for that nice final touch!
Diane Haines
Pure maple syrup or maple pancake syrup?
Jeffrey
Always pure, if possible