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Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
updated Jun 4, 2023
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How to get the very best Brussels sprouts by oven roasting.
Serves6 to 8Jump to Recipe
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Oven roasting brings out the best in all vegetables, including Brussels sprouts. The oven’s heat caramelizes the Brussels sprout’s leaves, turning them lacy and crisp while tenderizing their tough core. And that’s just with a basic sprinkling of salt and pepper! Once roasted, Brussels sprouts can be served as a side straight from the oven, or you can toss them with a few other kitchen staples to turn them into a showy number studded with bacon and glazed with honey.
Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts require three things: a hot oven, halved and trimmed Brussels sprouts, and enough time for the sprouts to transform into tender, tasty morsels. You’ll need a good baking sheet and some oil, salt, and pepper, but anything else is superfluous. Here’s how to get the very best Brussels sprouts by oven roasting.
Roasted Brussels Sprout Basics
A hot oven is essential for perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts, so give your oven plenty of time to preheat. While the oven gets hot, rinse the Brussels sprouts, then trim and halve them. Begin by removing the woody end and any yellow or brown leaves. Once trimmed, halve the Brussels sprouts from top to bottom, leaving the stem in place to hold the leaves together. Then toss the halved sprouts with oil and season with salt before roasting. The oil can be as simple as vegetable oil or as flavorful as
avocado oil
extra-virgin olive oil, nut oils, or regular
butter (although
ghee and clarified butter work well here).
Keep your sprouts fresh: The Best Way to Store Brussels Sprouts
Tricks for the Ultimate Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Of course, there are a few tips to help you turn out a perfect pan of Brussels sprouts. Here are the most important ones.
- Pick the right-sized Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts can be as small as gumballs or as large as clementines. Shop for sprouts that are about 1 1/2 inches wide, or about the size of a meatball. Make sure all of your sprouts are about the same size so they’ll cook evenly.
- Scale up or down: You can roast as many sprouts as you like, scaling the amounts in the recipe up or down. Just be sure there is some space between your sprouts on the roasting pan so they roast and don’t steam.
- Place the sprouts cut-side down: Trim and halve the sprouts and roast them with their cut side against the baking sheet. The cut side will caramelize beautifully while the outer leaves crisp.
- Keep the leaves: Don’t discard the outer leaves that fall away as you cut the sprouts. Roast them right along with the Brussels sprout halves; they turn into incredibly crisp little chips.
- Roast them until they are brown and delicious: Don’t shy away from toasty color on the sprouts — caramelization is also flavor. The cut sides and the outer leaves should both get brown and crisp.
- High heat required: Avoid mushy roasted Brussels by roasting at a high temperature. The minimum recommended temperature for roasted vegetables is 400°F.
- Cook simply and dress at the end: Some sauces, like soy sauce, can hide the Brussels sprouts’ color while cooking, while others, like barbecue sauce, can burn in the heat of the oven. To avoid either of these pitfalls, roast the Brussels sprouts as simply as possible (with just oil and salt) and toss with more flavorful sauces afterwards.
Seasoning Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Hot out of the oven, you can douse your roasted Brussels sprouts with any number of flavorful spices or sauces. Sometimes I put a few pats of butter and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning on the baking sheet while it is still hot and then toss to coat. My kids love maple syrup and mustard, while my husband would eat his weight in Buffalo wing Brussels sprouts. The sauce will make them less crisp, so be sure to eat them right away!
Seasoning Combination Suggestions
- Chopped apples and crumbled cooked bacon
- A few dashes of fish sauce and red pepper flakes
- Chile paste and chopped, salted peanuts
- Hot sauce and blue cheese crumbles
- Maple syrup, grainy mustard, and toasted pecans
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Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. (Image credit: Lauren Volo)
How To Roast Brussels Sprouts
How to get the very best Brussels sprouts by oven roasting.
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 pounds
Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons
oil or fat, such as olive oil (not extra-virgin), avocado oil, or melted ghee
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
Equipment
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Rimmed baking sheet
Measuring spoons
Spatula or tongs
Large bowl
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.
Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts. Trim the bottoms from the sprouts if they appear dry or yellowed, and peel away the loose outer leaves. Cut each Brussels sprout in half through the stem.
Toss with oil and season with salt. Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Add the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat again.
Transfer to a baking sheet and roast 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the sprouts to a rimmed baking sheet and arrange them cut-side down. Roast until the leaves are dark brown and crisp, and the bottoms of the sprouts are browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Season as desired. Serve immediately, or toss with additional salt or your favorite sauce or seasonings.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftover roasted Brussels sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Filed in:
Dairy-Free
easy
Gluten-Free
How To
Nut-Free
quick
