Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to boil Brussels sprouts before roasting? ›

Brussels sprouts are quite dense little vegetables, so parboiling them gives you a headstart on the cooking process. It is especially helpful for dishes involving grilled or roasted Brussels sprouts, because it softens them in the middle.

Why Are My Brussel Sprouts Not Crispy? Spread them out into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid overcrowding. If they're too close together, they'll steam instead of roast which stops the crisping process.

Not only can soaking make the centers more malleable, but the water that's absorbed into them will create a steaming action, whether you choose to roast, saute, or make your Brussels sprouts in your air fryer. The steam can help to ensure the cooking is even throughout the Brussels sprout.

A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up. This is why it's so popular to render bacon fat and cook Brussels sprouts in it, then add the bacon bits back in at the end.

Individual sprouts: Brussels sprouts sold by the pound are what you find most often at the market. They need to be trimmed of their dry ends and yellowed or damaged leaves before halving and cooking.

Not using enough oil.

The other secret to ridiculously crispy Brussels sprouts is tossing them in plenty of oil. We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven.

Place Brussels sprouts cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the tops and bottoms of the sprouts are caramelized and brown, but the centers are creamy, about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy immediately!

Add the brussel sprout halves to a bowl with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, red chilli powder and salt. 4. Spread them on a baking tray with no parchment paper, with the center FACE DOWN. Bake or airfry at 400F for about 20-25 minutes.

Some people cut a cross in the base to make sure they cook evenly, but with smaller ones it's not necessary, as it can cause them to go mushy. Larger ones can be cut in half. To boil, put into a pan with some salt, cover with boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook, covered, for 5-10 mins.

To prepare brussel sprouts, you should rinse them well or even soak them if you have enough time. Trim the bottoms and outer leaves off, then cut them in half to prep them for roasting.

Can you roast Brussels sprouts ahead of time and reheat? ›

To make these Brussels Sprouts ahead, slightly undercook them the day before—they should still be a little crunchy and slightly raw looking in the very center. Reheat (which will finish the cooking) just before serving in a large skillet on the stove or in a buttered, covered baking dish in the oven.

To guarantee great texture, do both! Trim and halve your brussels, then blanch and thoroughly dry them, and then roast at a high temperature until the outer leaves are starting to blacken. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids. The rub is that glucosinolates help protect sprouts against pests.

Unlike other vegetables, Brussels sprouts can be parboiled (even a day ahead) to reduce the roasting time without hurting their texture. That means the sprouts can be popped in the oven while the meat is resting before carving. Of course, if the main course is grilled or pan-cooked, the oven will be free for roasting.

Like soggy steamed Brussels, Brussels sprouts that are dry and chewy are no good either. This could be caused by using too little oil for roasting. You need a nice coating of oil—enough to make the heads shiny or if they're cut, enough oil to get inside the folds of some of the leaves.

Tame the texture.

Like all cabbages, Brussels are unavoidably fibrous and dense. You must overcome this by either cooking them in salty water until fork tender (blanching), or by roasting at a high (over 425F) temperature for upwards of 20 minutes. To guarantee great texture, do both!

To ensure that the Brussels sprouts aren't raw or hard in the center, it is best to quickly precook them before throwing them on the grill. You can do this by blanching them in boiling water for 5 minutes, steaming them, or microwaving them. To microwave, place in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water.

Boiling them renders them easier to digest, making the nutrient-rich sprouts more tolerable for sensitive digestive systems. Additionally, the boiling process significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses associated with raw sprouts, ensuring safer consumption.