This Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts recipe is the easiest way to turn a healthy vegetable into a flavorful side. Garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese are slowly cooked together to create a rich, roasted-style flavor with almost no effort. This recipe is simple enough for busy weeknights, but special enough for holidays.
Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)
- Prep time: 5 min
- Cook time: 3 hours on low
- Main Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, Parmesan cheese, lemon
- Servings: 10
- Best for: Easy weeknight side dish, holiday side dish, potlucks
- Why it's effortless: No cutting or cooked prep involved. Toss-and-go
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This simple garlic parmesan Brussels sprouts dish is a healthy, tasty, and elegant side. It is a great balance for labor-intensive, calorie-laden holidays like Thanksgiving. After the easy prep, your slow cooker turns this unique vegetable into a savory, tender veggie with slightly caramelized edges.
Why you'll love this easy crockpot garlic Parmesan Brussels sprouts recipe
- No stovetop or oven ~ There is zero splattering or boiling over. A welcome bonus when you need to free up oven space on busy holidays like Thanksgiving.
- No cutting ~ Cooking straight from the freshly prepared, cleaned bag of sprouts means almost no prep time.
- Family-friendly ~ The rich garlic-parmesan flavor turns everyone into Brussels Sprouts fans. It makes a perfect Thanksgiving side!
📝Ingredient shopping list
Dairy
- Parmesan Cheese ~ grated. Half will get mixed in, and the other half melted on top.
Produce
- Brussels Sprouts ~ pre-cleaned Brussels sprouts are easiest. Leave them whole.
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic ~ minced
Pantry Items
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black Pepper
🎥Watch how to make it
Step-by-step instructions
Brussels sprouts
Place Brussels into a well greased slow cooker
Seasonings
Add half the Parmesan cheese and all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook
Remaining Parmesan
Once cooked, top with remaining Parmesan cheese, cover, and allow to melt.
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Variation suggestions
Try changing up the seasonings on this low-calorie side dish for a different flavor profile:
- Bacon ~ Crumble some cooked bacon on top for a savory addition
- Craisins ~ Add some dried cranberries for a sweet addition to this savory dish
- Spice ~ Top with red pepper flakes to dial up the heat
- Swap the Cheese ~ Switch Parmesan with Asiago or Pecorino Romano for a different flavor profile.
Good To Know
Sprinkling the olive oil over your Brussels sprouts first will help the other flavors stick better.
Slow-cooked Brussels sprouts will not get crispy all over. Some of the outer leaves that touch the sides and bottom of the slow cooker might. If you prefer a truly crispy finish, pop them in the air fryer or under the broiler for a few minutes right before serving.
Yes, Brussels sprouts are full of fiber and nutrients. They are naturally low in calories.
I do not like how frozen Brussels sprouts turn out in this recipe. They release a lot of water and turn mushy. Fresh is important for this recipe.
Yes, you can cut them in half. However, this will change the cooking time. I prefer to use whole sprouts to make this a hands-free, longer cooking time side dish.
Brussels sprouts are ready to serve when you can insert a fork with little effort. They should be fragrant and soft, but not mushy.
How to store and reheat
- Refrigerate leftover Brussels sprouts in an airtight container or bag up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or air fryer at 400°F for 2-4 minutes until just warmed through. Leftovers are also delicious served cold.
- Freezing is not recommended.
Pro tip
Only reheat what you plan to eat. Reheating Brussels sprouts multiple times will cause their texture to deteriorate.
Expert tips for the best slow cooker Brussels sprouts
- If your sprouts taste bitter, try drizzling with some maple syrup to balance the flavor.
- Be sure to use fresh Brussels Sprouts for this recipe.
- Brussels sprouts release moisture as they cook. This helps them become tender faster. The first time you make them, start checking your slow cooker around the 2-hour mark if you prefer them on the firmer side.
- Easy dinner idea: Use a slow-cooker liner when making this dish. You will have almost zero clean-up to deal with
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
- The most important step is to always make sure your slow cooker is plugged in and turned on!! 🙄
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts
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Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- 4 qt slow cooker
- Mixing Spoon
Ingredients
- 32 Oz Brussels sprouts Do not cut
- ¼ Cup Olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- To a greased slow cooker add 32 Oz Brussels sprouts, ¼ Cup Olive oil, 2 tablespoon Lemon juice, 2 tablespoon Garlic, ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon Salt , and ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Stir to coat
- Cook on low for 2-3 hours or high for 1.5 - 2 hours
- Open lid and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Replace lid and allow cheese to melt for about 15 minutes
Final Step
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Notes
- To keep things extra lazy, I buy pre-cleaned bags of Brussels sprouts
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated Parmesan cheese are my first choice, but the bottled/pre-grated kinds are what I use most week nights.
- Please see above for serving and substitution ideas.
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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