Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with olive oil and lemon are so delicious and really easy to make. They are the perfect side to any meal.
I think Brussels sprouts get a bad wrap because many people grew up with terribly cooked Brussels sprouts. Many people still do not know how to cook them to minimize their naturally bitter flavor.
This is my tried and true recipe for Brussels sprouts which is to caramelize them in a hot pan with olive oil and a little lemon at the end. It really brings out the delicious sweet flavor of them and is so good.
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.
I make lots of Brussels sprouts from Brussels sprouts pasta, Brussels sprouts gratin to Italian style Brussels sprouts. Although these all taste great, I always prefer my Brussels sprouts in this very simple way, caramelized with olive oil and lemon.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts. Trimmed and cut in half.
- 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. You may also want to read through our how to clean Brussels sprouts if it is your first time doing it.
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.
What to serve with Caramelized Brussels sprouts
There are so many great things to serve with caramelized Brussels sprouts but here is a list of some of my favorites:
- Chicken recipes that go well with Brussels sprouts: We love making our Chicken Tarragon or Ottolenghi's seeded chicken schnitzel or Easy Lemon Butter Chicken or our Chicken Saltimbocca
- Pork recipe that goes with Brussels sprouts: We love serving our Juicy Pork Chops and Baked Pork Tenderloin
- Pasta pairing: A simple Cherry Tomato Pasta is perfect with these simple Brussels sprouts.
More Brussels sprouts recipes
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!
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts With Olive Oil And Lemon
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 pint Brussels sprouts whole (not shredded)
- â…› cup of olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon tsp of kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, you want to prep your Brussels sprouts by rinsing them well and then cutting off the stalky ends.1 pint Brussels sprouts whole (not shredded)
- Next, slice your brussel sprouts in half paying attention to making sure they are all around the same size so they all cook at the same time.
- In a large heavy bottom pan, heat your olive oil on medium heat. Once pan is heated, add your brussel sprouts to the pan making sure they are not overlapping and that they are all touching the pan.â…› cup of olive oil
- You are going to be browning them and getting a nice caramelized outside.
- Cook them without touching them for about 4 minutes. You will hear some pops and discussion coming from the pan and that is ok!
- After 4 minutes toss them around with a spatula and you should start to see the nice browning happening. Press them all back down in the pan after tossing so they do not overlap and Cook for another couple minutes.
- Now, at this stage squeeze your lemon over the top and add your salt. The lemon will start to sizzle and begin steaming your brussel sprouts while the salt will start pulling the moisture from them.1 lemon
- Go ahead and toss around again and flatten out again.
- Just keep repeating this process every couple of minutes until the brussel sprouts are fork tender (about another 5 minutes).
- Add salt and pepper and mix well for one minute.1 teaspoon tsp of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
- Taste and add any additional salt and pepper and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Beth says
Came out delicious
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Mike says
Loved that this recipe has no sugar! The Brussels sprouts came out nice and crisp following this recipe. The key was leaving them alone to crisp up and the lemon at the end really makes it delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
Melissa says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Deb R says
These Brussels sprouts were really good!
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed them Deb!
Erica says
Served these at a function and they were an instant hit!
Eric says
The wife loved these, I made them as a side to porkchops and we didn’t think Brussel Sprouts could taste so good