Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pork Belly

You’ll love these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts, peeps! This here is an easy, flavor-filled side dish that screams comfort and deliciousness. Brussels sprouts are roasted in a perfect blend of spices and flavors like rich maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard…then tossed with hearty chunks of succulent pork belly!

Oh yasss, brussels sprouts –> ilysm! There was once upon a time that I didn’t want these things anywhere near my plate. It’s safe to say my tastebuds grew up and are no longer immature, ha! Real talk, if they’re on the menu when I’m dining out, I’m ordering them. Eek, y’all are going to loveee this recipe! Listen, this recipe is from a couple years back and I’m too geeked to have given everything a makeover. For your holiday festivities and beyond, let’s go!

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts 🤤

Even brussels sprouts-haters cannot deny the deliciousness of this recipe. Mmhmm, it’s true. Perfectly roasted sprouts with decadent pork belly all tossed up with a lip-smacking, flavorful sauce that clings to every bite. This roasted brussels sprouts recipe is the dreamiest, holiday table-worthy situation!

⇢ More recipes: braised short rib ragu, delicious southern candied yams, a scratch-made, green bean casserole you’ll enjoy, easy stovetop mac and cheese, saucy chicken piccata meatballs, and my moist lemon bundt cake ♡

Ingredients Needed For This Recipe

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Brussels sprouts: The main ting; I use *fresh* brussels sprouts for this recipe.
• Maple syrup: Love the rich flavor of pure maple syrup here. It gives these roasted brussels sprouts some good ole sticky sweetness, swoon.
• Olive oil: A proper roasting essential, use a good-quality oil, too.
• Balsamic vinegar: I like what balsamic vinegar does in this recipe. It adds a subtly sweet note with a pop of acidity to elevate the flavors.
• Dijon mustard: A kick of tangy goodness for a nice depth of flavor.
• Cajun seasoning: This type of seasoning is a blend that contains salt, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, and more. Brands such as, Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s, stay in my kitchen pantry. Seasoned salt also works!
• Pork belly: The use of pork belly in this recipe, wow. It’s super similar to commonly used bacon, only thicker and more meatier.
• For serving: pomegranate arils and/or freshly shaved parmesan, as desired.

How To Make These Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

⇢ Making these maple roasted brussels sprouts with pork belly is so easy! 🙌🏾

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and place the halved brussels sprouts on top, set aside.
2. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and cajun seasoning. Stir the mixture well to thoroughly combine, pour *half* of the mixture over the brussels sprouts and toss to combine until coated well.
3. Roast: Place in the oven to roast the brussels sprouts for 25 minutes.
4. Prepare the pork belly: Place the pork belly chunks into a large skillet over medium heat, no oil needed. Once hot, cook pork belly, about 7-10 minutes or until the pieces are no longer pink. Then set aside.
5. Bring it all together: After the first roast, add the cooked pork belly chunks directly onto the same baking sheet. Then drizzle the remaining maple mixture over everything and toss it all together until well combined.
6. Final roasting: Place back into the oven to roast for 10 minutes- until the brussels sprouts and pork belly are golden and slightly crispy.
7. Serve: Place the maple roasted brussels sprouts with pork belly onto a serving vessel. Garnish the dish with pomegranate arils and freshly shaved parmesan, if desired. Serve while nice and warm, enjoy!

Tips + Tricks, Notes, & FAQs About This Recipe

You may have additional questions about this brussels sprouts recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info you might find helpful:

• Can I use bacon? Thick-cut bacon is a good stand-in for pork belly. If using bacon, as noted in step #5, cook until no longer pink (no need to cook to a crisp as it will continue cooking when roasted).
• Maple syrup alternatives: The maple flavor is pure chef’s kiss in this recipe. However, feel free to replace with honey or agave nectar.
• Sourcing pork belly: This type of meat has a thick layer of fat that runs along the top of it, aka the fat cap. Grab pork belly with a good meat to fat ratio (you don’t want pork belly with barely any meat and it’s mainly fat, oof). Otherwise, you can trim the pork, if needed.
• Save pork fat: After cooking the pork belly on the stovetop, you can discard or save the rendered pork fat. It’ll be great to use up when making gumbo, maybe red beans and rice, or my creamy southern black-eyed peas– gahhh!
• Wanna make it vegan? Simply omit the pork belly from the recipe and you’ll still have incredible maple roasted brussels sprouts, yay.
• Don’t skip the extras! If you know what’s good, don’t skip the pomegranate arils and shaved parm, y’all. The tart kiss of pomegranate seeds with the salty, nuttiness of parmesan send this roasted brussels sprouts recipe into overdrive! The combination of everything= party in ya mouth! 😛

Why This Side Dish Recipe Works

Here’s why you’ll love these roasted brussels sprouts, friends:

1. Spectacular sides…Usually main entrees get all the buzz, but not when you have a swoon-worthy side item like this one. Tons of flair, textures, and super easy to make. A true low-effort dish with a high-reward! 😏
2. Hello flavorrr…The flavors within these maple roasted brussels sprouts are not lacking in the least. Big, bold flavors like maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and more create a wildly good sticky sauce that soaks into the sprouts. Plus, crisp yet tender hunks of succulent pork belly.
3. Holiday stunner…This recipe is perfect to serve up for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Easter Sunday, and other holiday-centered celebrations or your own special occasions/events.

These Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pork Belly are at the top of my list when it comes to side dishes, yummm. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

*This post was originally published on 11/13/2019 and updated as of 12/6/2022.

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