Golden & crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and ready to serve in less than 30 minutes – The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life!
This easy side dish is my family’s favorite vegetable recipe… EVER. And I’m betting that once you try it, it’ll be a favorite in your house too!
Guess how many ingredients are in this recipe? C’mon guess! Okay, I’ll tell you… four. Just four ingredients (and some seasoning)! Hello, simple side dish! You’re Welcome! 🙂
Who knew Brussels Sprouts could be so exciting? I mean really – Brussels Sprouts! For me, they always had a bad reputation. Something that was served to me steamed, or boiled to within an inch of its life.
But all that has changed with these crispy Brussels Sprouts – sprout skeptics step aside because these are amazing!
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking the sprouts in high heat, cuts bitterness by caramelizing them, creating crispness, and a sweet, nutty flavor.
- The crisp outside contrasts well with the tenderness of the inside.
- The nuttiness of the roasted garlic and the saltiness of the cheese is a delicious combination!
The Benefits of Eating Brussels Sprouts
Like so many a cruciferous vegetables (edible members of the cabbage family), Brussels Sprouts are very low in calories, high in fiber, and help with reaching your daily value of many vitamins, and minerals. They’re rich in vitamin K, high in vitamin C. They also contain small amounts of vitamin B6, potassium, iron, thiamine, magnesium and phosphorus.
So, with all of that in mind, we should all eat more Brussel sprouts, right? Once you try this recipe, you’ll make them a lot more!
Buying Guide
- Choose Brussels sprouts that feel tightly compacted and hard when squeezed.
- Choose bright green heads that are similar in size.
- Smaller sprouts tend to taste sweeter, while larger sprouts taste more cabbage-like.
- Untrimmed Sprouts are just as good as trimmed, and both should keep for several weeks refrigerated.
Preparing and Trimming
Start with cleaning the sprouts and then remove any loose leaves. Trim stems by cutting off the tough ends and halve the larger Brussels sprouts.
Leave smaller sprouts whole, but cut a cross symbol through the stem. The stem is the toughest part of the Brussels sprout and the cross allows them to cook at the same rate as the tender area.
How To Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Add the prepared Brussels sprouts to a sheet pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Add sliced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss to evenly coat.
- Roast at a high temperature until crispy and golden.
Step By Step Instructions
Place the prepared Brussel sprouts on a large roasting pan or a large baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
Add olive oil.
Add thinly sliced garlic to the pan evenly.
I use the gadget pictured above to slice my garlic. You just fill it with peeled garlic, twist and thinly sliced garlic pieces come out! It’s changed how I cook forever!
You can get one on Amazon (As an Amazon Associate, a small commission is made from qualifying purchases).
Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You can use pre-grated, but I promise freshly grated will be worth the extra time!
Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat well.
Roast at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden brown with a nice sear on the bottoms. Scatter with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Serve this delicious recipe with anything from holiday dinners to Breaded Chicken Cutlets with a side of roasted potatoes for an easy dinner everyone will love!
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions ❄
- Making Ahead – I recommend prepping in advance and then serving straight from the oven. Alternatively, cook in advance and rewarm in the oven at 350°F/175°C until heated through (about 5-7 minutes). You can also reheat them in a microwaveable dish in the microwave until warmed through.
- Storing Leftovers: Stored in an airtight container, leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
More Roasted More Side Dishes
Love Brussels Sprouts? Try my Brussels Sprouts with Bacon recipe! It’s to die for!
Erren’s Top Tips
- Dry your Brussels sprouts well. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll be. If washing, use paper towels to pat them dry or use a salad spinner to spin that liquid right off.
- For crisper sprouts, spread them out on the pan without too many touching. Overcrowding causes you to steam the Brussels sprouts instead of roasting.
- Cut the sprouts to be even sized pieces if you want them to have a similar texture.
- Be sure to start with a hot oven to help the sprouts crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Brown is good. If you’ve never cooked Brussels sprouts this way, at first glance you may think it looks burnt out of the oven, but once you taste it, you’ll know those little “burnt” areas are the best tasting parts!
- When using untrimmed Brussels sprouts, trim off the dry part of the stem at the base of the sprout and any loose outer leaves.
- For extra caramelized area place the sliced Brussels sprouts cut-side down at on the pan. This will give a larger browned surface area.
- Leave smaller sprouts whole to avoid overcooking.
- On smaller sprouts that don’t need to be halved, slice a cross in the stem (see the video). The stem is the toughest part of the Brussels sprout and the cross allows them to cook at the same rate as the tender area.
- For an extra kick of flavor, try adding try adding red pepper flakes or lemon zest before roasting and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.
- Be sure to taste and season well before serving.
FAQs
To cut the bitterness, be sure to start with a pre-heated oven. Hot and fast cooking is best, and a preheated oven will speed things up. Slower cooking seems to enhance the bitterness.
Unless very dirty, it’s not necessary. If they are very dirty, soaking them in cold water for 20 minutes will help remove excess soil.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels Sprouts Cleaned and trimmed
- 3 cloves garlic Thin sliced or chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper To taste
- 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil or for Keto, butter flavor coconut oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F
- If needed, clean and trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them in halves and place them in an oven safe dish. Make sure to dry them very well before cooking.
- Add the garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, followed by the olive oil. Toss to coat.
- Roast in the oven uncovered for 20-25 minutes until crisp, brown and caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside. Serve with more grated cheese.
Tips + Notes
- Dry your Brussels sprouts well. The drier they are, the crispier they’ll be. If washing, use paper towels to pat them dry or use a salad spinner to spin that liquid right off.
- For crisper sprouts, spread them out on the pan without too many touching. Overcrowding causes you to steam the Brussels sprouts instead of roasting.
- Cut the sprouts to be even sized pieces if you want them to have a similar texture.
- Be sure to start with a hot oven to help the sprouts crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Brown is good. If you’ve never cooked Brussels sprouts this way, at first glance you may think it looks burnt out of the oven, but once you taste it, you’ll know those little “burnt” areas are the best tasting parts!
- When using untrimmed Brussels sprouts, trim off the dry part of the stem at the base of the sprout and any loose outer leaves.
- For extra caramelized area place the sliced Brussels sprouts cut-side down at on the pan. This will give a larger browned surface area.
- Leave smaller sprouts whole to avoid overcooking.
- On smaller sprouts that don’t need to be halved, slice a cross in the stem (see the video). The stem is the toughest part of the Brussels sprout and the cross allows them to cook at the same rate as the tender area.
- For an extra kick of flavor, try adding lemon zest before roasting and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.
- Be sure to taste and season well before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Dec 5, 2017, but was republished with, step by step instructions, photos, cooking tips, and a video in September of 2018 and new information in 2020.
Rhonda L. says
Fast, Easy and Delicious! Followed the recipe instructions and went together so quickly. I didn’t have fresh parm on hand but the grated parm worked just fine. I did add a little cayenne pepper to the spices for an extra kick. Will definitely be making this again!
Erren Hart says
Hi Rhonda, I’m happy to hear you found a way to make the recipe work for you and that you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Heather Relva says
I used to buy the frozen bs’s, never again!!! OMG this was good!
Erren Hart says
I love to hear that! Thanks for stopping by and sharing!!
Betty says
I am going to make this for Easter dinner however how can I fix these and bring to the host house? Can they be put in a crock pot to keep warm?
Erren Hart says
You can do all of that, but they are best served fresh from the oven.
Mary from Michigan says
These were just fabulous!! The caramelized crunchy edges, the crispy parmesan cheese, and the garlic flavor were scrumptious!! I had to stop myself from eating them all. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!!
Erren Hart says
This makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback!
Abdulwahab Ghobashi says
The ingredients look fine to me. I used an electric oven. But the result was not as I hoped. Will try next time using oven tray instead of Pyrex glass dish.
Erren Hart says
That sounds like a good plan. I don’t recommend a glass pan for this recipe.
An Savova says
So tasty and so easy for preparing!
Thank you very much!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you An, I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Jenny B says
Can these be cooked in an air fryer?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jenny, I have never tried these in an air fryer, however, I’m sure it would work in theory. I can’t tell you how long it would take though. Sorry I can’t be of any more help. I hope you try it and let me know. Good luck 🙂
James Brown. says
Yes, 5 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Worked perfectly for mine.
Penny hill says
We never do sprouts, they are usually awful but I tried this recipe, first time ever doing sports for Xmas dinner, and my family lobed them. My one daughter is 22 and an extremely fussy eater, she ate them! They were a huge hit..I have some sprouts left and I’m making some more today. Thank you so much x
Erren Hart says
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for stopping by to share! 🙂
Mary Jane says
My family loves Brussels Sprouts, but one member is allergic to Parmesan cheese. What cheese can be substituted? Thanks for a great recipe.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Mary Jane, you can replace it with any other hard Italian cheese or omit it all together. I hope this helps 🙂
G says
Absolutely fantastic!! Thank you for this recipe.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you like it 🙂