Brussels sprouts + bacon
The pairing that rehabilitated a difficult vegetable
American restaurant / British modern
The pairing of Brussels sprouts and bacon largely rehabilitated the vegetable's American reputation.
About this pairing
The pairing of Brussels sprouts and bacon largely rehabilitated the vegetable's American reputation. For most of the 20th century, Brussels sprouts were the canonical childhood horror vegetable — boiled to sulfurous mush in the British style. The modern restaurant approach (high-heat roasting halved sprouts to caramelized leaves, then tossing with crispy bacon, balsamic reduction, and sometimes maple syrup or shallots) appeared in mid-2000s American restaurants (David Chang's Momofuku version was particularly influential) and triggered a national menu trend. Bacon's role is structural: smoky umami, salt, rendered fat for cooking, crispy texture against the tender roasted sprout interior. The pairing also works with pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured pork belly, used in similar preparations), lardons (French cured bacon cut into batons), guanciale (Italian cured pork jowl, even more flavorful than pancetta). Beyond the trend that started a decade and a half ago, the pairing is now genuinely canonical: Brussels sprouts with bacon appears on countless American restaurant menus and home dinner tables as a standard vegetable side. Modern Dutch-bred cultivars are dramatically less bitter than the older varieties that gave the vegetable its difficult reputation, which makes the pairing work even better than it would have for prior generations.
Pairing details
Flavor chemistry
Brussels sprouts contain glucosinolates (sulfur-containing compounds that produce both bitterness and the characteristic brassica funk); bacon contributes salt, smoke (phenolic compounds from curing/smoking), and fat that suppresses bitterness perception. The Maillard reaction during high-heat roasting caramelizes sprout sugars and creates sweet-nutty notes that balance the residual bitterness. Bacon fat coats the sprout leaves and carries flavor throughout the dish.
Featured varieties
1 variety that feature prominently in this pairing. Tap any variety for its full editorial profile.
Editorial notes
The technique matters as much as the ingredients. High-heat roasting (425°F minimum, often 450°F+) is essential — the goal is browned caramelized leaves, not steamed soft sprouts. Cut sprouts in half, toss with rendered bacon fat (not oil), and roast cut-side down for 18-25 minutes without disturbing. The bacon should be crisp; the sprouts should be deeply browned on the cut face.