These crispy Brussels sprouts are coated in a sweet and tangy glaze featuring honey, balsamic vinegar, and brown mustard. They are suitable for people with a wide array of dietary restrictions as they are naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and nut free. They can easily be made dairy free and egg free by using vegan mayo and cheese.
Why Brussels sprouts for my first post?
Many of my go-to dishes at my favorite restaurants involve Brussels sprouts. I love the contrast in texture between the crispy outside and the tender inside that Brussels sprouts have when cooked to perfection.
For a long time, I struggled to replicate this crispy texture when I roasted Brussels sprouts at home. I found that when I roasted Brussels sprouts whole or halved them and roasted them with the flat side down, the inner layers were more soggy than tender. When I roasted Brussels sprouts with the flat side up, the inner layers dried up as the Brussels sprouts finished cooking. Even when I roasted the Brussels sprouts with the flat side up half of the time and down the other half, the texture was not quite right. For me, the key to getting the perfect texture has been switching over to making Brussels sprouts on the stove. With sautéed Brussels sprouts, it is easy to get that crispy texture every time.
Tips for making extra crispy Brussels sprouts
Sautéed Brussels sprouts have been a game changer and I have learned a few tricks for making them extra crispy along the way.Here is a list of tips and tricks for making sautéed Brussels sprouts crispy every time.
- My first tips come into play before your Brussels sprouts even hit the skillet. Make sure that you preheat your skillet and warm your oil before adding your Brussels sprouts so that the Brussels sprouts don’t spend too much time sitting in room temperature oil. Additionally, make sure to thoroughly dry your Brussels sprouts after cleaning them.
- My next is to make sure that you are not overcrowding your skillet. Vegetables are rich in water and this water evaporates as you sauté them. If your Brussels sprouts are too close to each other when they are cooking and they are all releasing water into the air, there will be a lot of steam in the pan. Your end product might look more like steamed Brussels sprouts than sautéed Brussels sprouts. This might mean that you have to cook your Brussels sprouts in batches, depending on the size of your skillet and the number of people you are cooking for.
- Let you sprouts brown before flipping. This will take at least 3-4 minutes, possibly more depending on the heat source you are cooking them over. You will have some time to tend to ingredients for other meals as you wait for your Brussels sprouts to brown.
- If you are coating your Brussels sprouts in a sauce, don’t add sauce until the very end. Make sure the Brussels sprouts are already crispy before the addition of the sauce.
- If you like a little extra crunch, don’t throw away the outer leaves that fall off as you chop the Brussels sprouts. Just throw them in the pan with the rest of the Brussels sprouts and they will crisp up like little potato chips. I have seen many people throw these away, but to me these are the best part.
Honey balsamic Brussels sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole Brussels sprouts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp sliced green onion (about 4 stalks)
- 4 tbsp crumbled queso fresco
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp grainy brown mustard
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tbsp mayo (optional)
Instructions
- Quarter the Brussels sprouts and remove stems. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and slice green onions.
- Make honey mustard sauce by combining the honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and tbsp red pepper flakes. Add mayo if you prefer a creamy sauce.
- Preheat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Salt quartered Brussels sprouts and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.
- Add minced garlic to skillet and continue to cook for 2 minutes
- Coat Brussels sprouts and garlic in honey mustard sauce and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes
- Remove Brussels sprouts from heat and top with sliced green onion and crumbled queso fresco cheese
Other recipes you will love
This recipe for creamy parmesan Brussels sprouts is another one of our absolute favorite Brussels sprouts recipes. These Brussels are coated in a tasty sauce that is made with heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and garlic.
If you love Brussels sprouts then you should check out this recipe for Buffalo Brussels sprouts. This recipe is great for when you are craving some Buffalo sauce but do not want to go through all the work of battering Buffalo wings and dipping them in breadcrumbs.
These honey dijon Brussels sprouts are another one of our favorites! These crispy Brussels sprouts are cooked to perfection then coated in a creamy honey mustard sauce and topped with pickled onions.
