Name: Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pint or bag of Brussels sprouts whole (not shredded); 1/8 cup of olive oil; 1 lemon; 1 heaping tsp of kosher salt; 1/4 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts are an easy and simple Brussels sprouts recipe that anyone can make and it tastes so delicious. The Brussels sprouts are caramelized in the pan with olive oil and finished off with a bit of fresh lemon juice. From trimming the Brussels sprouts to cooking them, this delicious side dish is ready in 30 minutes.

About this recipe:

I think Brussels sprouts get a bad wrap because many people grew up with terribly cooked Brussels sprouts. Many still do not know how to cook them to minimize their naturally bitter flavor.

In this recipe, allowing the Brussels sprouts to caramelize in a hot pan with olive oil really brings out the delicious sweet flavor. The addition of lemon juice and salt make sure there is no bitterness.

If you like a sweeter taste to your Brussels sprouts, you can add a simple balsamic reduction over the top once they are done cooking.

These sautéed Brussels sprouts not only taste amazing but it has the perfect crispy and charred outside with a firm bite on the inside. No mushy Brussels sprouts anymore.

I make lots of Brussels sprouts from Brussel sprouts pasta to Italian style Brussels sprouts, and though these all taste great I have to say this recipe is my favorite. I always prefer my Brussels sprouts in this very simple way, caramelized with olive oil and lemon.

A very simple pan sear of the Brussels sprouts with some lemon and olive oil.

Here is what you need to make this recipe:

Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts are loaded with so much nutrition like calcium, vitamin K, Vitamin C, fiber, and so many others. You can read more about Brussels sprouts benefits here.
Lemon. Lemon is the acid in the recipe that is going to help cut the natural bitterness in the Brussels sprouts.
Olive oil. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil.
Salt and pepper. I like to use kosher salt in all my recipes. If you are using table salt I recommend switching to Kosher salt because it makes a much better seasoning when cooking.

These are all simple ingredients and very manageable. You want to make sure you use good quality olive oil since there are only a few ingredients in this recipe.

Every ingredient's flavor will really stand out.

Also, when you are making these sautéed Brussels sprouts, you want to exercise lots of patience and let those sprouts sit uninterrupted

How to make caramelized Brussels sprouts

Pre-heat your olive oil in a large flat bottom pan over medium-medium high heat.
Prepare and trim your Brussels sprouts.
Add your Brussels sprouts to the hot pan making sure they are all touching the pan. If you need to, cook the Brussels sprouts in batches to ensure each one touches the pan so it can caramelize.
Sauté for 5 minutes.
Now flip them over.
Cook another 5 minutes.
Add your lemon and seasoning and cook for a few more minutes or until a fork can pierce the Brussels sprouts.

Buying prepared Brussels sprouts versus prepping your own

I have a few tips for preparing Brussels sprouts which makes all the difference in the world in the final product. I am not a fan of already prepared Brussels Sprouts (the ones cut in half already.)

The Brussels sprouts you buy already prepped at the store are dried out and the tough stem piece at the bottom is left on. Because of this, I do prefer to clean and trim the Brussels sprouts at home.

Another thing I have also noticed on more than one occasion that there will be a little gray on the outside of the Brussels sprouts. That is definitely not what I want to eat.

Here is how to trim Brussels sprouts for cooking

After rinsing them I cut the tough stems off the bottom.

To clean and prepare your Brussels sprouts the first thing you want to do is rinse them well. After this, I like to remove the outermost layer of the Brussels sprouts if it looks dirty.

Once you do this you will cut off the woody end (just the tip) because this will not become tender during cooking. This is the part they leave on when you buy the "cleaned and trimmed" ones at the store.

It is not what I want to bite into.

Tips to make the perfect caramelized Brussels sprouts

To cook really crisp Brussels sprouts with a nice caramelized outside, you need to make sure you do not over crowd the pan and you are working with a good hot heat. You will want to work with a very large flat bottom pan when you make these.

This will ensure that every Brussels sprout are making contact with the heat and not steaming.

The next thing you want to do is be patient. You need to let these Brussels sprouts get nice and caramelized in the pan so resist the urge to flip them constantly.

I will leave my Brussels sprouts on the pan for a good 5 minutes on a medium high heat before I try to flip them over. If you are nervous that you are burning them, go ahead and flip one of them to check.

The last thing is do not salt your Brussels sprouts until the very end. Salting the vegetables during cooking draws out their juices.

Vegetables will not caramelize in liquid.

When the Brussels sprouts have direct contact with the bottom of your saute pan, they will get a nice golden color on them.

What to serve with Sautéed Brussels sprouts?

There are so many great things to serve with sautéed Brussels sprouts but here a list of some of may favorites:

Chicken Tarragon
Pork Chops with Záatar Cream sauce
Pasta Aglio e Olio
Ottolenghi's seeded chicken schnitzel
Easy Lemon Butter Chicken
Chicken Saltimbocca

Here are some more Brussel sprouts recipes you may like:

I have converted haters with this Brussels sprouts recipe and now I have it requested by our guests when they come to visit. Give this a try and I promise you will love it too!

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5 from 9 votes