Brussel sprouts get a bad reputation. Who hasn’t been force fed steamed plain brussel sprouts and wondered to themselves, “who could possibly enjoy this vegetable?”. As it turns out, it’s all about the marinade and cooking method to turn this feared food into something you’ll want to include in many more meals to come.
I grew up eating boiled frozen brussel sprouts with butter and salt. To nobody’s surprise, I must confess: they weren’t my favorite. As an adult I’d tried them at restaurants from time to time (and when someone else would order them) and found results to be hit or miss. Ultimately, it really comes down to the individual. Brussel sprouts can be hard to figure out at first, but if you keep at it and try different sauces, marinades, and cooking method, you can probably find something you enjoy. My fiancé is low key obsessed with brussel sprouts, so I’ve learned multiple ways of making them in order to keep things exciting. These Baked Balsamic Brussel Sprouts are just one of my recipes I know and love, and I hope you will too!
Ingredients
- Brussel sprouts
- Olive oil
- Honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coarse dijon mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
This ingredient list is super simple and you likely have most of these items already hanging around your kitchen. If you absolutely must, you can use a different kind of oil, and if you are one of those people who can’t stand mustard then go ahead and leave it out, otherwise likely all you’ll have to pick up from the store are the sprouts!
How to Make these Brussel Sprouts
The method is pretty simple. All you need to do is preheat the oven to 425°. While it preheats, prepare the sprouts! As they grow, brussel sprouts can hold dirt in their layers of leaves, to you want to peel off the first layer of leaves, cut off the bottom of the sprout if it looks too rough, then cut it into either halves or quarters. That division will simply depend on how big the vegetable is, so use common judgement and try to end up with two cups of similarly sized pieces.
Get all your sprouts on a lined baking sheet and toss around with the other ingredients. If it’s your first time making this recipe, consider mixing the marinade ingredients separately so you can taste and adjust before tossing it all together. After the brussel sprouts are laid out across the sheet and the oven is preheated, pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You may want to stir them around a bit halfway through the bake time for better crispy coverage. Before serving, you can also broil them very briefly.
What to Pair this With
These can go with just about anything. I like to eat them as they are alongside some crispy air fried potato wedges and a protein source of any kind. If you want, they also work with a variety of dipping sauces like honey mustard or spicy mayo. I do recommend eating them quickly as I personally don’t enjoy them cold.
Baked Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups brussel sprouts, peeled and cut into halves or quarters
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp coarse dijon mustard
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. While it heats, prep the sprouts.
- Peel the outer layer of the brussel sprout, then, depending on the size, cut it lengthwise into either halves or quarters. Lay them on a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle and drizzle on all the remaining ingredients, then toss with your hands until well combined.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring the sprouts around about halfway through. If they don't look as crisp as you'd like, set them to broil on high for 1-2 minutes before eating. If they are getting crisp too fast, lower the heat 15° or so.
Notes
- I find that if you want this dish to turn out crispy, it's best to broil on high just a minute or two before serving. Keep a close eye on the oven though, or you're food will end up burnt!
- This marinade is made of some intense flavors. If you're making this for the first time, I suggest mixing the marinade in a small bowl first and tasting it in case you want to make any adjustments.
2 thoughts on “Baked Balsamic Brussel Sprouts”
I admit to liking brussels sprouts plain. (I could have been one of the folks who made you eat them that way!) But every time you serve brussels sprouts, they’re exciting.
I love this take on Brussels Sprouts! So crispy and fun.