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Here’s How To Make Restaurant-Quality Brussels Sprouts At Home

October 10, 2022 by Joy the Baker 15 Comments

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how to make brussels sprouts at home

I spent too many years not eating Brussels sprouts because for too many years before that, I was eating baaad Brussels sprouts.  Brussels sprouts are essentially tiny cabbages.  They’re nutrient dense and very farty – a vegetable to be respected.

There was a time maybe seven years ago when Brussels sprouts had their glow up.  We were collectively obsessed and collectively shocked by our obsession.  This was the time before we were turning cauliflower into both rice and steak. Listen, every hot veggie gets their time.  But Brussels sprouts, most notably restaurant Brussels sprouts had more of a chokehold on my food brain than I care to admit.  There was some wizardry that restaurant kitchens performed to get crispy, bright and aggressively salted sprouts.  Now I realize that wizardry was actually just a deep fryer and of course we love tiny cabbages if they’re fried tiny cabbages!

The offering today, since we’ve reached sweater weather, is how to cook Brussels sprouts that taste as good as deep fried restaurant sprouts without the deep fry or the restaurant.  We’re making the best home Brussels inspired by The Splendid Table.

ingredients for brussels sprouts on a cutting board

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the very best Brussels sprouts at home:

•  a pound of Brussels sprouts, edges trimmed and sliced in half.

•  4 tablespoons of olive oil

•  sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

•  an acid like lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.

•  parmesan cheese

•  fresh parsley

•  extras include: dijon mustard, and brown sugar mixed with your acid.

brussels sprouts sliced in half on cutting board
browned brussels sprouts in a pan


This recipe for how to cook Brussels sprouts is all about technique.  The cliffnotes: use a cold pan with a lid and lots of oil to steam and brown the sprouts all at once.

No need to roast or bake the sprouts in the oven. We’re keeping it simple.

First: Trim the stem ends of the sprouts and cut them in half.  The cut side will create more space for that glorious browning and it’s always nice to see how Mother Nature made a whole ass cabbage to tiny and cute. Admire all the inner layers because vegetables are actually so cool.  All the little outer leaves that fluff off once the end is trimmed? Save those we’ll cook those, too.

Second: Grab a skillet – a pretty big one with a lid that fits cozy.  Nonstick isn’t important and I haven’t tried this recipe in cast iron though I suspect it works just fine.  Pour oil into the cold pan.  It will feel like a lot of oil and you might be tempted to use less oil but don’t.  Trust me on this one, ok?  Add the halved Brussels sprouts to the pan with oil, cut side down in a single layer.  Sprinkle the little leafy bits on top.  Put the lid on the pan.

Third: Place the cold pan with oil, Brussels, and the lid over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.  Don’t lift the lid. Don’t shake the pan – just let it all go. This is where the magic happens.  The Brussels sprouts will create steam as they cook and that lid is helping them steam to tender all while the oil is heating and browning those little babies to golden.  After 5-7 minutes, remove the lid, shake the pan around and allow the Brussels to pan fry uncovered for another 5 minutes.  Test with a fork to ensure the inside is tender.

Fourth: Remove the pan from the heat and toss in salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Be generous. Be very cheffy about it.

I’ll leave the recipe below so you can print it though it’s mostly just folding the technique into your dinner plans.  This dish is a great veggie side to a chicken dinner but I also eat them on their own over buttery rice.

Friends, let me know if this stovetop technique changed your life like it has mine.  Dramatic, yes – but sometimes the little things are the big things and I’m still not done celebrating the Brussels Sprout glow up.

Oh wait! If you’re down with the intensity of raw Brussels sprouts, try this Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with pineapple poppy vinaigrette! I mean the fiber alone – we’re healthy and wealthy.

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Here’s How To Make Restaurant Quality Brussels Sprouts At Home

★★★★★ 5 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 22 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 2 large or 4 small portions 1x
  • Category: dinner
  • Method: baking
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Description

The perfect crisp and tender Brussels sprouts. Perfect as a side dish with roasted chicken but also delicious on their own with buttery rice.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
  • juice of half a lemon or splash of red wine vinegar
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Trim the ends of the sprouts and cut them in half.  The cut side will create more space for that glorious browning and it’s always nice to see how Mother Nature made a whole ass cabbage to tiny and cute. Admire all the inner layers because vegetables are actually so cool.  All the little outside leaves that fluff off once the end is trimmed? Save those we’ll cook those, too.

Grab a skillet – a pretty big one that has a lid that fits cozy.  Nonstick isn’t important and I haven’t tried this recipe in cast iron though I suspect it works just fine.  Pour oil into the cold pan.  It will feel like a lot of oil and you might be tempted to use less oil but don’t.  Trust me on this one, ok?  Add the halved Brussels sprouts to the pan with oil, cut side down in a single layer.  Sprinkle the little leafy bits on top.  Put the lid on the pan.

Place the cold pan with oil, Brussels, and the lid over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.  Don’t lift the lid. Don’t shake the pan – just let it all go. This is where the magic happens.  The Brussels sprouts will create steam as they cook and that lid is helping them steam to tender all while the oil is heating and browning those little babies to golden.  After 5-7 minutes, remove the lid, shake the pan around and allow the Brussels to pan fry uncovered for another 5 minutes.  Test with a fork for doneness.

Remove the pan from the heat and toss in salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Be generous. Be very cheffy about it. Optional extras: a spoonful of dijon mustard and brown sugar are glorious additions to the acid.


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  1. Elizabeth Avila

    January 13, 2023 at 3:20 pm

    Best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever made ! I followed the recipe exactly. Amazing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Bennie

    November 15, 2022 at 6:31 pm

    The instructions will not print out on this recipe when using the “Print” button. Could this be fixed please? Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Mary

    November 10, 2022 at 10:28 am

    Would this recipe travel well? Thinking of making as dish for Thanksgiving but will need to make ahead. Thanks

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    October 18, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    Delightful!! Made these tonight! Added mustard and since I didn’t have any red wine vinegar or lemon, I subbed a dash of rice vinegar and fish sauce. Weird but got the job done!! Will be making on repeat!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Megan

    October 17, 2022 at 3:05 pm

    Currently in my kitchen making this – I never comment on posts but I felt the need to today – this is the best simple brussel sprouts recipe i’ve ever made!! Not surprised since it comes from Joy, but it is stellar!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Gunnar

      October 20, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      Made these tonight in a cast iron skillet and they were fabulous! Would use medium heat rather than medium-high only because it heated up so quickly that the smallest Brussels were the smidgiest of smidges burned. Stuck the cast iron in the freezer for 10 minutes before putting it over the heat because I was feelin zesty and it was good af. So tasty! Been following since 2011–thanks for the delicious food over the years through my 20’s.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  6. Sabrina

    October 12, 2022 at 10:38 pm

    great, love Brussells and really appreciate not having to deep fry them, or really anything, so thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kristina

      October 15, 2022 at 7:35 pm

      So happy to know this method! I made these tonight for dinner and they were perfect and delicious! So easy. And faster than roasting. Thank you!!! ??

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  7. Wendy

    October 12, 2022 at 4:57 am

    Ok you posted about this method of making Brussels sprouts on Instagram like a loooong time ago and it changed the way I think about this veg! So happy to have it in a blog post with some extra details so I can share it with everyone I know!

    Reply
  8. Jen S

    October 11, 2022 at 11:22 am

    Yeah welcome to the enjoying Brussel Sprouts crowd! Honestly adding cheese to anything will make it more tasty. Or bacon. Bacon, butter, seasonings and cheese are the ways to enjoy a great pan fried Brussel Sprout I think.

    Reply
  9. Hillary

    October 11, 2022 at 8:13 am

    Yes! I’ve been making brussel sprouts this way and they are so easy and delicious! I mix the salt with lemon juice and pour on when the sprouts come off the heat. Haven’t added parsley yet, will try soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. P.J. Coldreen

    October 11, 2022 at 6:52 am

    It SOUNDS fabulous. Unfortunately, whenever I try to print it, and I’ve tried several permutations, the instructions do NOT show up. Not helpful. How can this be fixed, please and thank you.

    Reply
  11. Marsha Gibbons

    October 11, 2022 at 5:59 am

    No, I haven’t made these yet, BUT, I can tell they are going to be fabulous. I will be adding the sprinkle of brown sugar with the generous squeeze of lemon juice. The technique sounds amazing. Thank you!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Noreen

      October 27, 2022 at 1:05 pm

      Another fabulous easy recipe! Joy, do you know how I could make these with this cooking method but changing the flavor up with balsamic to get a sweeter version too? Thank you!

      Reply
  12. Laura

    October 11, 2022 at 4:48 am

    Yes! Joy!! A couple years (??) ago you posted something very similar to this on Instagram and it has been my go-to way to make Brussels since then. In that post, I believe you suggested putting salt in lemon juice and tossing the sprouts in it and they were oh-so-delicious. Thank you for memorializing this recipe in an official post with additional suggestions.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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