I’ll be honest — I spent a long time thinking Brussels sprouts were just something you tolerated. Bitter, soft, kind of sulfurous. Then I stopped boiling them and started blasting them at high heat until the cut sides get almost burnt-looking, and everything changed. These are nothing like the Brussels sprouts you grew up dreading.
The method is simple. High heat, single layer, cut-side down so the flat surface gets maximum contact with the hot surface. That’s what creates the caramelized, almost nutty crust. And the glaze — just soy sauce, honey, a splash of rice vinegar, and sesame oil — coats the hot sprouts and clings to all those crispy little crevices. It’s got a little sweetness, a little salt, a tiny bit of funk from the sesame. It works.
You can make these in an air fryer or a toaster oven and get genuinely excellent results from either one. If you’re using a toaster oven, convection mode is your friend here — it circulates the hot air and mimics what an air fryer does. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade, a toaster oven with convection makes a noticeable difference for roasting vegetables. And if you’re doing these in the air fryer, make sure your basket isn’t so small that you’re stacking the sprouts — I’ve seen recipes that say it’s fine and it really isn’t. Cook in batches. It takes an extra few minutes and it’s worth every second.
One last thing: pick up a proper toaster-oven-sized baking sheet if you’re going the oven route. The flimsy pan that comes with most toaster ovens warps at high heat and doesn’t brown things evenly. A quarter-sheet pan fits most models and does the job properly.
Air Fryer or Toaster Oven Brussels Sprouts That Actually Get Crispy
Brussels sprouts roasted until deeply caramelized and crispy-edged, tossed with a punchy honey-soy glaze and finished with toasted sesame seeds. Ready in under 25 minutes and genuinely addictive.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep the Sprouts
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Trim the dry ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut each one in half through the stem end. If any outer leaves fall off, keep them — they fry up into little crispy chips and they're the best part.
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Pat them dry with a paper towel. This is non-negotiable. Any moisture on the surface will steam them instead of crisping them, and you'll end up with something sad and soft.
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Toss the sprouts with the olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly coated. Set aside while your appliance heats up.
Make the Glaze
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In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. That's it. Set it near the stove so it's ready to go the second the sprouts come out.
Air Fryer Method
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Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for about 3 minutes.
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Arrange the sprouts cut-side down in a single layer in the basket. Don't crowd them — cook in two batches if you need to. Crowded sprouts steam. Single-layer sprouts crisp.
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Air fry at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket once at the halfway point. They're done when the cut sides are deeply golden-brown and the outer leaves look almost charred at the edges. That's what you want.
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Immediately transfer the hot sprouts to your mixing bowl, pour the glaze over them, and toss to coat. The residual heat will thicken the glaze onto the sprouts in about 30 seconds.
Toaster Oven Method
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the convection roast setting if you have it — convection makes a real difference here. If your toaster oven is standard, 425°F still works fine.
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Spread the sprouts cut-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet or the toaster oven pan. Give them room; don't pile them.
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Roast for 16 to 20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. Flip them once around the 10-minute mark. You're looking for the same thing: dark golden cut sides, crispy outer leaves, tender centers when you press one with a fork.
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Pull them out and immediately toss with the glaze in a bowl, same as above.
Finish and Serve
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Transfer to a serving plate or just eat them out of the bowl — honestly that's what usually happens. Scatter sesame seeds and sliced scallions on top. Serve right away. They do lose their crunch if they sit in the glaze too long, so don't wait on these.
Notes
Dry sprouts are the whole game. If yours are even a little wet from rinsing, spend an extra minute patting them. I've tried skipping this step exactly once. Never again.
For a slightly more savory-leaning version, swap the honey for a teaspoon of brown sugar and add a tiny squeeze of sriracha to the glaze.
Leftovers reheat surprisingly well at 400°F in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. They won't be quite as crispy as fresh but still miles better than microwave-reheated anything.
Buying pre-trimmed Brussels sprouts from the bag saves a few minutes and works perfectly here.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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