Smoked Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
A simple but versatile take on Brussels Sprouts that's bursting with flavor and so simple to make. Wrapped with bacon and seasoned with your favorite rub or spice blend, these flavor bombs are sure to be a hit and forever change the way you look at Brussels Sprouts.
- 3-4 cup Fresh Brussels Sprouts (Trim ends and remove and bad leaves)
- 1 lb Bacon (Cut in half)
- 4 tbsp BBQ Rub or Spice Blend (We used Nashville Hot for this recipe)
- 20-30 Toothpicks (Soak the toothpicks in water at least 30 minutes before cooking the sprouts)
- 1/2 cup Garlic Butter or BBQ sauce (Optional for basting)
- Prep your sprouts
Start by cutting off the dry, tough stem end of your sprouts and remove any wilted, loose leaves. Move the sprouts to a bowl of cold water and add 1 Tbsp of salt. Let them soak for 15 minutes but no longer than 30. While you're at it, take enough toothpicks for all of your sprouts and toss them in a bowl of water to soak before you throw them on the smoker.
This recipe really needs fresh Brussels Sprouts. Using frozen could work but you'll end up with a mushy dish that will likely be bitter. - Prep the bacon
For the bacon, you'll need half as many full slices as you have Brussels Sprouts. Cut the bacon into half pieces and lay them out on a sheet pan lined with parchment, wax paper, or foil.
Now would be a good time to get the smoker started. Set your favorite smoke machine to 250°so it can get to temp while we wrap our flavor bombs. - Season
Next, take your favorite spice mix, rib rub, or homemade seasoning and liberally cover one side of the bacon slices.
- Wrap your sprouts
Take your Brussels Sprouts out of the water and let them drain for a few minutes in a mesh strainer or colander. Don't worry about removing all of the water. The extra moisture will help them steam while they smoke.
Next, wrap each Brussels Sprout with a half slice of bacon and secure the wrap with a toothpick. You can simply pin the bacon together or do what I did and run the toothpick all the way through the sprout. If you choose the latter, you may want to have a towel handy to help push the toothpick through as the sprouts are rather dense when they're raw.
- Smoke 'Em
Last but not least, toss your sprouts on the preheated smoker, close the lid, and walk away for an hour. If you like, you can flip the sprouts after the first thirty minutes.
If you aren't going to sauce your Brussels Sprouts, give them a look after one hour. You will want to cook them for another 15-30 minutes to get the sprouts to the desired tenderness. Keep an eye on your bacon to make sure it doesn't get too crispy and check your sprouts by poking one with a fork to test for tenderness. When they're ready, they'll be slightly firm but easily pierced with a fork. - Sauce (Optional)
This is 100% optional but it will bring a lot of flavor to the party. If you went with a savory seasoning on your sprouts, a simple garlic butter would make a superb baste for your dish. While you're smoking the sprouts, toss a saucepan with butter and minced garlic on the grates to heat up. After an hour, baste your sprouts at the 60 and 75-minute marks. Finish on the place with a little more garlic butter if you like.
If you're going for a BBQ flavor, baste your sprouts with your favorite sauce around the 75-minute mark and let them ride another 15 minutes. Take the sprouts off and let them rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to set. Remove the toothpicks and throw them in a bowl to serve as a side or leave the picks in and serve them on a platter as finger food.
You can do an Asian twist by seasoning with Korean red pepper or other spice and glazing the sprouts with something like Sweet Tai Chili sauce or even Gochujang if you like a lot of heat. I used Nashville Hot on my first batch and they were delicious but they were a bit too hot. I glazed them with a sweet and tangy BBQ to offset some of the heat.