These roasted balsamic brussels sprouts are crispy and packed with flavor. They are roasted to perfection and then tossed with honey and balsamic vinegar. This is the perfect side dish for any gathering or when you want something easy to make during the week.
I will say that I wasn’t always the biggest fan of brussels sprouts because they tasted kind of like cabbage which I did not like as a child. Well, when I had them roasted, they became one of my favorite green veggies to eat. They are so easy to make and don’t take much effort which is right up my alley, and they make the perfect side dish for meal prep since you can cook a couple of pounds quickly and easily. Oh, did I mention that they taste great?
In this recipe
In this recipe
Like most of my favorite go to recipes this one doesn’t have many different ingredients. Which makes it perfect for when you are shopping since you will probably have almost everything in your kitchen.
Brussels sprouts: they are the star of the show. You want to get ones where the leaves are tightly packed with little browning.
Balsamic vinegar: this will add a rich flavor and an acidic bite. Since you will not be cooking the vinegar, this is a good time to use your favorite ones. See below for more on types of balsamic vinegar.
Chili powder: this will add some smokiness to the brussels sprouts.
Types of balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar comes in two types when you are not considering white balsamic. The first is Traditional Balsamic Vinegar DOP and the other is Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP. The biggest difference it how long the vinegar takes to age. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar DOP is aged for a minimum of 12 years but can exceed 25. When you find vinegars like this, they tend to be much more expensive. It is more viscous and is generally used for finishing but not when cooking/baking.
Balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP only needs to be aged 60 days. This is when you will normally find it more frequently in your grocery store. These tend to be thinner and are great for salad dressings and to cook with. These tend to be cheaper than their DOP counterparts. When I make a glaze, such as with my Balsamic Glazed Baked Salmon, I will use this type as it reduces down nicely and heat doesn’t impact the vinegar as much as the DOP counterpart.
Preparing the brussels sprouts for roasting
If there is a lot of the stalk remaining on the ends of the sprouts, then you will want to cut half of it off. Then you will want to cut them in half lengthwise. These never cease to happen with me but some of the outer leaves will fall off when they are cut in half. That is normal and should be expected. If the leaves are tightly packed, you may only have a couple of the leaves come off. If the leaves are more loosely packed, then you might lose a few leaves.
Roasting brussels sprouts to perfection
When you are ready to roast these little bad boys then you will want to make sure that they can all lay flat in one layer. If they stack on top of each other then they will not cook evenly and actually steam the brussels sprouts on the top instead of roasting. It is important to make sure that they get flipped halfway through, this will allow each side to cook evenly and crisp up both sides.
How to knock out balsamic brussels sprouts in 30 minutes
Start out by preheating that oven of yours. Then slice up the sprouts. This takes me about 3 minutes depending on how big they are. When you have the really little ones it might take a bit longer to cut but the trade off is that they will cook faster. Then once all of the brussels sprouts are sliced, toss them in a bowl and add the olive oil, chili powder, salt and garlic powder.
Toss to evenly coat them and dump them out onto the sheet pan and get them to roasting. Flip halfway through and you are good to go. Once they are done put them back in the bowl and toss with vinegar and honey. If you use the same bowl, you will be able to pick up any remaining oil and seasoning that was left in the bowl.
Looking for other roasted side dish recipes?
Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- Lined sheet pan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 pounds brussels sprouts halved
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, 220°C or gas mark 7.
- In a mixing bowl add the brussels sprouts, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder and salt and toss to evenly coat.
- Pour onto a lined sheet pan and roast for 20-25 minutes tossing the brussels sprouts halfway through cooking.
- Once they are done put the brussels sprouts into a mixing bowl, drizzle with the honey and balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat them evenly.
Nutrition
