Four words you don’t often see together: mouth-watering Brussels sprouts.
I can see it now, you’re raising an eyebrow and giving me the stink eye because your “b.s.” detector is going off. In fact, you probably didn’t even click on this post!?
*sings* I’m all by myself.
Or, maybe you share my excitement for this misunderstood vegetable. There are many of you out there! I know this based on my Instagram comments recently. In fact, one of you said the photo made your “mouth water” which served as inspiration for this recipe title!
I loathed these green, leafy orbs most of my life until that one glorious day when I roasted the heck out of them with some good oil and sea salt. I forgot to set the timer and consequently “over-cooked” them a bit, but as I stood there over the pan popping them into my mouth, one by one, I realized I hit the jackpot. Browned, almost caramelized bottoms, crispy, blackened leaves, and a tender yet “meaty” texture. Yes, I just said meaty texture. For a veggie, that is.
I also converted Eric into a Brussels sprouts fanatic with this method, and I’m sort of regretting it.
“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d eat an entire pan of Brussels sprouts.”
(That is a direct quote from Eric recently. What have I done?)
In this post I’ll divulge my go-to method for roasting these misunderstood sprouts, and I’ll share my favourite ways to flavour them. They really are the perfect canvas for creating all different kinds of flavours depending on your mood.
The elephant in the room: Brussels sprouts are a bit of a pain to prep (ok, I won’t sugar coat it, they are my nemesis!), however I timed it and 2 pounds takes me 10 minutes to trim so it could be worse?). You can’t go wrong coercing a helper to cut the prep time in half. Or why not just designate the entire task to your favourite relative? wink, wink. muhauha.
The Brussels prepared below are lovely as is, but I encourage you to try all kinds of different spices, glazes, dips, sauces, etc. Here are a few of my favourite flavours:
A drizzle of pomegranate molasses or balsamic reduction with pomegranate arils (very festive!) – you can skip the Harissa here.
Garlic infused – try minced garlic cloves, garlic-infused oil, garlic salt
Teriyaki sauce – pairs well with sesame seeds
Barbecue sauce (I’ve been known to use BBQ sauce as a dip!)
Coconut curry sauce or your favourite curry powder
Sriracha or other hot sauce
Hummus (we’re loving roasted red pepper hummus with these lately)
Ground toasted nuts or seeds like pecans or sesame seeds. I want to try hemp hearts too.
I really had fun with this photoshoot; I hope you enjoy! I thought it would be fun to start adding “glow tips” to some photos. Let me know what you think!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Mouth-Watering Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Yield
4 side servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is my current go-to method for preparing Brussels sprouts. I lightly coat them in melted coconut oil, season with sea salt and Harissa spice blend, and then roast until charred and crispy. Keep in mind that the amount of roasting time will vary depending on your oven and how fresh the Brussels sprouts are. It's best to keep an eye on the first batch. After roasting I love to drizzle the smallest amount of melted coconut oil on top and then toss them again - this just takes them over the top on the mouth-watering scale and it also rehydrates them after roasting. This recipe can be changed up so many ways too. For a festive twist, try drizzling Pomegranate molasses or Balsamic reduction on top (you can skip the Harissa for a more neutral flavour) and serve with fresh pomegranate arils. We also love dipping the sprouts in roasted red pepper hummus or a sweet Barbecue sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, outer leaves removed (6 cups prepped)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted or olive oil*, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon dry Harissa spice blend**
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- With a paring knife, trim off the ends of the sprouts, then slice in half lengthwise, and pick off any loose outer leaves. Place the prepped sprouts into a large bowl.
- Add the oil onto the sprouts in the bowl and stir or toss with hands until throughly coated. Add the Harissa and salt, and stir until combined.
- Spread the Brussels sprouts onto the prepared baking sheet in a uniform layer. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast the sprouts for 20 minutes, then flip with spatula, and continue roasting for another 5-15 minutes until browned to your liking. I tend to "overcook" these because I like them crispy and charred (I usually brown mine more than the photos show). Smaller sprouts will brown faster than larger ones.
- Drizzle with a teaspoon or so of melted coconut oil and quickly toss to coat. This infuses with flavour and moistens them a bit after roasting. Sometimes I also sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds if I have some on hand. Taste and add another tiny pinch of salt, if desired, and serve immediately - the hotter the better.
Tip:
*If using melted coconut oil, make sure that your Brussels sprouts are at room temperature before mixing in the oil. If the sprouts are chilled from the fridge, the oil will harden when mixing. Keep in mind that using virgin coconut oil will impart a very light coconut flavour. You can use flavourless refined coconut oil if you prefer.
**I found the Harissa spice blend at Whole Foods in the US (it’s the Whole Foods Market brand). It contains: paprika, caraway, chilis pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic, peppermint, sea salt. I’ve also been told that it can be found at Bulk Barn and Sobey’s in some Canadian locations. You can also find it online here.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Super pretty photos!!
I’ll stand by you! Broiled and baked sliced Brussels sprouts are a fave here. Especially added to salads :)
A simple and delicious side dish!
I never imagined that I could prepare Brussels sprouts in this recipe. I’ll try it this weekend
These look AMAZING! I wish I could get my family to eat Brussels Sprouts, but I guess I gotta look on the bright side: more for me hehehe ;)
I will try this recipe after Thanksgiving, when I feel guilty about all the crappy food I’ve had ;) Thanks for sharing!
Nice photos! Love it so much.
I love Brussels sprouts roasted in a miso mustard dressing (wasabi would probably work wonderfully too). I had them that way at Mana Food Bar when visiting Chicago and had to try recreating it when I got home. I am not kidding when I say I would go back to Mana for them when they’re in season (about eight hours by plane…).
Keep up the glow tips, they’re fantastic!! :) Haha, well you’re not one of the best healthy cooks out there for nothing, of course you’d find a way to cook brussel sprouts in a delicious way! I like the story about your husband, it is kinda awesome when you convert your SO to healthy food ;) Thank you so much for the recipe, can’t wait to try it!
Loved this recipe!!! Thank you:)
Oh, I just love brussels sprouts, thank you for the inspiration of new flavors!
https://crumblesandkaleblog.wordpress.com
Best brussel sprouts I’ve ever made myself! I’ve always wondered how restaurants get brussel sprouts to almost melt in your mouth and this recipe did just that! This will definitely be my go-to brussel sprout recipe :) I also added a few cloves of garlic and used avocado oil instead.
I highly recommend!!
Yum! I’ll have to try some of these flavors. I usually roast mine with olive oil and salt, then drizzle on some honey and lemon juice when they’re done. So good!
omg, I have to try this. I’ve never been able to make Brussels sprouts taste good to my standards. I’m going to try this tomorrow and if I like it then I am going totally share you recipe on my blog (with your credit of course) if you don’t mind! I love sharing food ideas!
Hi Angela,
I think the glow tips are a great addition to your recipes! Hope to see them in others.
Thanks for sharing this one, I think I’ll have a struggle introducing the flavors for Christmas.. everyone here is very dedicated to the “just boil ’em” method.
Will try them myself though :)
Your sprouts look amazing…I would like to try the recipe once I find some time to get to the grocery store. Once I get my act together, I would like to start a small indoor organic garden with a few items that I use often…like tomatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, and some fingerling potatoes. I love the smell of fresh herbs growing in the kitchen as well. Ewh and maybe some hydroponic watercress. That would be fun. Blessings.
TRY PC frozen baby brussel sprouts – I find them pretty good when it is off season.
I loveeee brussel sprouts and converting haters into fellow lovers using amazing recipes, and I bet this is one that will definitely convert too ;)
P.S. Love the tips you add in your photos! Now to find me some pomegranate molasses…
I just have one word for these, Fantastic!!
hi, so I discovered your blog by my mom who was recently diagnosed with cancer for the second time and I just wanted to say that you have wonderful respies! and your respies will be so helpful because she will have to go vegan and I am just so happy that I found your blog!!
I never ate Brussels sprouts growing up, because my mother had been forced to eat them when SHE was growing up, and she HATED them! I always assumed I’d dodged a bullet :-) But later I read that the real crime was overcooking them–that fresh, young sprouts, lightly steamed, were delightful. I dutifully tried them … and didn’t like them. But this is why I love your blog–your story of learning to like them yourself, and then converting Eric, made me believe this method was worth trying–and as always, you were so right! LOVED these! Also, we had some smoked maple syrup on hand (gift from a friend whose son makes his own!) and so we dipped them in that … yum.