Recipe
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Chestnuts
Crisp-edged Brussels sprouts, salty pancetta and soft, nutty chestnuts make a savoury festive side, with golden leaves and plenty of contrast in every forkful. Ideal alongside a roast dinner.
Ingredients
Method
15 mins prep20 mins cook35 mins total
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C if your model requires it. Trim the sprouts, discard damaged outer leaves and halve them, quartering any particularly large ones. Pat dry so surface moisture does not prevent browning.
Toss the sprouts with the olive oil and black pepper. Leave out the salt for now, as the pancetta will season the finished dish.
Spread the sprouts loosely in the basket, avoiding a tightly packed layer. Air fry for 12–14 minutes, shaking or turning after 7 minutes, until the edges are colouring and the centres are nearly tender. Cook in batches if your basket is small; each batch will need its own cooking time.
Meanwhile, put the pancetta cubes in a small frying pan over medium heat, without extra oil. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring regularly, until cooked through and golden at the edges. Lower the heat if they brown too quickly. Lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Gently mix the ready-cooked chestnuts and cooked pancetta through the nearly tender sprouts. Air fry for another 4–6 minutes at 180°C, shaking gently once, until the chestnuts are hot and the sprouts are tender with crisp edges. Check early if the loose leaves are getting dark.
Taste before adding any salt. Transfer to a warmed dish and serve immediately. If cooking in batches, divide the chestnuts and pancetta between the batches and allow extra time overall.
Notes
Use ready-cooked chestnuts: Choose peeled, cooked vacuum-packed or tinned chestnuts, draining tinned ones well. Raw chestnuts need separate preparation and are not a direct substitute here.
Basket size: The 35-minute total assumes the sprouts fit comfortably in one large basket, with pancetta cooking in parallel. Smaller air fryers require batches and a longer total time.
Control the colour: Air fryers vary. Shake the basket gently, check the sprouts early and lower the temperature slightly if the outer leaves darken before the centres soften.
Season at the end: Pancetta can be very salty. Taste the combined dish before adding the optional salt.
About this recipe
Brussels sprouts need enough space and a light coating of oil to brown well in the air fryer. Halving them exposes the centres to the heat, while a shake halfway through helps the loose leaves and cut edges colour evenly. Ready-cooked chestnuts are added near the end so they warm through without becoming dry.
The pancetta is crisped separately in a small frying pan, then tossed with the sprouts and chestnuts for the final few minutes. This makes its cooking easier to control and stops small cubes falling through the air-fryer basket. Serve straight away alongside a roast, keeping the seasoning restrained until you have tasted the salty pancetta.
