Friday, October 24, 2025

Heat Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon and Apple


In case you are in want of a brand new aspect dish for the autumn/winter seasons, this heat Brussels sprouts salad with bacon and apple matches the invoice. A bounty of flavors and textures comes collectively in a single skillet, and it’s dressed with a simple home made maple citrus French dressing.

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

Suppose: traditional consolation meals… simply in salad type.


Why You’ll Love This Heat Brussels Sprouts Salad

  • Savory-sweet stability: Salty, smoky bacon + candy maple syrup + vibrant orange zest = whole taste magic.
  • Most texture: Tender Brussels sprouts, crisp bacon, crunchy apples, and toasted pecans make every chew attention-grabbing.
  • 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.

Substances You Want

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

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on prime is non-compulsory, however provides a scrumptious completion.

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

Find out how to Shred Brussels Sprouts

There are just a few simple methods to shred Brussels sprouts, relying on what instruments you’ve got 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 considering forward: would you like the pecans in your salad toasted? If that’s the case, add them to the skillet first and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes, stirring typically, till frivolously toasted and aromatic. Switch to a plate and put aside whilst you prepare dinner the opposite substances.

Subsequent, prepare dinner the bacon till crispy. Switch to a paper towel-lined plate, then drain off many 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. Cook dinner till the sprouts prepare dinner down and start to brown, then take away from warmth and stir in a splash of recent orange juice.

cooked Brussels sprouts in pan.cooked Brussels sprouts in pan.

(In the meantime, you possibly can 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 absolutely 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 contented accident! The flavour turned out superbly balanced and vibrant, including simply the correct quantity of sweetness with out overpowering the salad.

Technically, since there isn’t a vinegar and citrus supplies the acidity, this isn’t a real French dressing. But it surely delivers that very same tangy-sweet taste you count on from one.

citrus maple vinaigrette.citrus maple vinaigrette.

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

Can I make this vegetarian?

Undoubtedly! Skip the bacon and check out roasted candy potato or chickpeas for a hearty, meat-free model. Roast the candy potato within the oven, or prepare dinner drained chickpeas in somewhat olive oil after toasting the pecans. Simply make sure you add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet earlier than sautéing the shallot.

Can I take advantage of 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 count on a much less crisp consequence.

Can I serve this salad chilly or make it forward?

Whilst you can serve this salad chilly, it tastes greatest heat or at room temperature. Prep the parts prematurely: toast the pecans, prepare dinner the bacon and sprouts, and make the dressing. Retailer every individually (refrigerate all the things besides the pecans). Earlier than serving, carry the substances 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.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 rooster, turkey, or pork tenderloin
  • A bowl of creamy soup
  • Your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving feast
  • As a essential dish alongside cornbread or candy potato rolls


Print

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Description

It is a heat Brussels sprouts salad crammed with crispy bacon, candy apple, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries, all tossed in a vibrant maple-orange dressing. It is a flavorful, hearty aspect dish for fall or winter meals. You can also make it vegetarian, if desired. See recipe Observe 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 recent 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)
  • non-compulsory, for garnish: 2 Tablespoons freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Citrus Maple Dressing

  • 1/4 cup (57g/60ml) further virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) recent 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: Cook dinner the pecans in a big (ungreased) skillet over medium warmth for 3–5 minutes, stirring typically, till frivolously browned and aromatic. Switch to a plate or bowl and put aside.
  2. Cook 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. Cook 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. Cook 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 recent 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, recent orange juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss to mix.
  7. If desired, prime with non-compulsory 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 parts a day or 2 prematurely: toast the pecans, and prepare dinner the bacon and sprouts. Retailer every individually (refrigerate all the things besides the pecans). Earlier than serving, carry the substances 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 Spatula | Whisk
  3. Can I Serve This Salad Chilly? Whilst you can serve this salad chilly, it tastes greatest heat or at room temperature. See Observe above about making it forward.
  4. Can I Make This Vegetarian? Sure. Skip the bacon and check out roasted candy potatoes or chickpeas for a hearty, meat-free model. Roast the candy potato within the oven, or prepare dinner drained chickpeas in somewhat olive oil after toasting the pecans. Simply make sure you add a Tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet earlier than sautéing the shallot.
  5. Can I Double the Recipe? Sure, merely double all the substances 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. Find out how to Shred Brussels Sprouts: There are just a few simple methods to shred Brussels sprouts, relying on what instruments you’ve got 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 count on a much less crisp consequence.
  8. Greatest Apple to Use: Crisp, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Woman, or Fuji are greatest on this salad.

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