If you’re going to eat Brussels sprouts, why not wrap them with bacon and smoke them?

These delicious nuggets are easy to make and so good! The salty bacon pairs well with the sweet nuttiness of Brussels sprouts. Serve them up with a lemon garlic dipping sauce, and now you have a side dish that can’t be beaten.

What you need

(Note: The full ingredient list with exact measurements is in the recipe card below—scroll down when you’re ready to prep!)

• Brussels Sprouts – Look for small to medium sprouts for the best balance of tenderness and crispiness. Trim the ends and remove any yellowed outer leaves before wrapping.
• Thin-Cut Bacon – Works best for wrapping since it crisps up evenly and doesn’t overpower the sprouts. Avoid thick-cut, which takes longer to render.
• All-Purpose Sweet BBQ Rub – Any store-bought seasoning blend with a balance of sweetness, salt, and savory spices enhances both the bacon and Brussels sprouts. Our ultimate rib rub works great.
• Maple Syrup – Brushed on near the end of cooking, it caramelizes beautifully and balances the saltiness of the bacon.
• Dipping Sauce – I share an easy recipe for a lemon garlic dip but you can use store-bought ranch, mayo or even BBQ sauce.

How to make Smoked bacon wrapped brussels sprouts

Preheat your smoker to 225°F. I used my Traeger Timberline with Bear Mountain cherry pellets for this smoke. If you don’t have a smoker, you can make these in the oven.

1.Prep the sprouts

Wash the sprouts and cut the tops off to remove the hard bit attached to the stem. This allows the sprout to sit flat.

Take half a slice of bacon and wrap it around the brussels sprout. I like to insert a toothpick right through the sprout to ensure the bacon stays in place.

Make sure you use thin-cut bacon, it’s easier to wrap around the sprout and also renders better, and gets nice and crispy.

Give each Brussels sprout a season with your favorite barbecue rub.

2. Smoke the Brussels sprouts

Place your bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts, seam side down, on a wire rack, pop them into the smoker, and cook for 30 minutes at 225°F.

3. Crispen up the bacon

After smoking for 30 minutes, increase the temperature of your smoker to 375°F. The high heat is needed to render the fat in the bacon and to make them crispy. You don’t want soggy bacon, people! 

About 5 minutes before you remove the sprouts, brush each one with maple syrup. 

4. Make the dipping sauce

While your sprouts are cooking, make the dipping sauce. Combine mayonnaise and sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and a dash or two of cayenne pepper.

This bright sauce has hints of garlic and just a kiss of heat from the cayenne. It’s the perfect complement to the Brussels sprouts and rounds out the dish.

Serve these smoked Brussels sprouts with

• Prime rib
• Glazed ham
• Smoked chicken
• Ribeye steak

Print

Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts wrapped in bacon with a honey garlic seasoning and maple glaze.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Jordan Hanger

Ingredients

• 16 oz brussels sprouts
• 1 pack thin cut bacon
• 1 tbsp bbq rub sweet rub like our ultimate rib rub
• ¼ cup maple syrup

Dipping Sauce

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tbsp garlic powder
• dash of cayenne
• chives to garnish

Instructions

• Heat your smoker to 225°F.
• Wash and cut the ends off the brussels sprouts.
• Take half a slice of bacon and wrap it around each brussels sprout, securing with a toothpick.
• Season each brussels sprout with Honey Garlic rub.
• Smoke brussels sprouts at 225°F for 30 minutes.
• Raise the temperature to 375°F and smoke for a further 45 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
• Five minutes before removing the brussels sprouts, brush with maple syrup.
• For the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and garnish with chives.

Video

Notes

Where can I get Honey Garlic rub from? Our shop, Smoked Kitchen’s Honey Garlic rub.

What’s the best wood to use to smoke with? Nothing too strong, we used Bear Mountain cherry  pellets.