These little green gems get a nice caramelization on them, turning them into luscious little bites of nutty goodness. Give this sauteed brussel sprouts recipe a try and have a delicious vegetable side dish in under 10 minutes! What's even better about this recipe? It's just so easy. Take a look at the recipe to find out more.
This sauteed brussel sprouts recipe is: Gluten Free, Paleo, Primal and Wheat Belly friendly!
THE PERFECT, EASY SAUTEED BRUSSEL SPROUTS RECIPE!
So there are really two camps out there: those who love brussels sprouts and those who really, really, really hate them. I have always been in the first camp, loving just about anything you can do with a brussels sprout. Shred them, steam them, bake them- you choose the cooking style and I'll figure out a way to make them. Over the years I have been trying to get Caroline (my wife) to eat them. Each time she would give them a try and I would walk away with a broken heart and a full plate. The good news is that I got to eat a lot of brussels sprouts and I could keep trying new ways of making them to see if one day I might break her.
Well, that day came. This sauteed brussel sprouts recipe was created really by accident. I didn't have enough time to bake the brussel sprouts that evening and needed to get them done quickly. Looking around the kitchen, I saw some bacon fat and thought that it might help out in a pinch. Next thing you know, these little beauties were caramelized to perfection and ready to eat. Absolutely delicious!
HOW TO COOK BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Learning to cook brussel sprouts is relatively easy. I say this because brussel sprouts are a very forgiving vegetable. It really takes some work to screw them up. I'll give you an example: last week we had company over and I was making sauteed brussel sprouts as the side dish. I was also cooking everything else at the same time and completely forgot about the sprouts. When I opened the pan, they were a little more toasty than I had expected... but they turned out really delicious with just a quick dash of balsamic vinegar. With any other vegetable I most likely would have had to toss them in the trash.
The hardest part of cooking brussel sprouts is the preparation. To prepare the sprout, cut off a very thin slice off the stem. Then remove any leaves that look damaged, spotted or soiled. Next, go ahead and slice them in half. Now we have a bunch of brussel sprouts that are ready to be cooked.
You can cook brussel sprouts many different ways. You can saute them (like we will do in this recipe). You can braise them in stock or wine. Brussel sprouts love to be roasted in the oven as well. Although you can steam the little green orbs, I find that this method leads to limp, relatively tasteless sprouts. I have boiled brussel sprouts in the past, but definitely don't recommend boiling if you are looking for a tasty side dish.
QUICK COOKING TIP: If you have bacon fat in the house, you don't need to refrigerate it. It will stay on the counter for weeks at a time. I keep it right next to the avocado and extra virgin olive oils. When a dish is missing "something," a little bit of bacon fat might be the ticket!
The next thing you know, you'll be pulling off the outer layers, slicing off a bit of the stem and slicing the brussels in half. Get out your trusty cast iron skillet... warm it nicely on the stove with some bacon fat melting, releasing the most delicious aroma into the kitchen. Next up, swish the bacon fat around in the pan to coat the bottom and then sprinkle salt and pepper across the whole pan, just into the liquid fat. Place the brussels face down, turn the heat up to medium-high and cover the pan. You're about to experience something wonderful!
After about ten minutes, peek inside and check that the sprouts are caramelizing. At first, I thought I burned them but they smelled so good it just couldn't be. Turns out they were not burned, just deliciously caramelized. Just flip one over in the pan to take a look to see how brown it is getting. You may find that the sprouts from the middle of the pan are further along than those on the outside. Go ahead an remove the ones from the inside and push the outside ring into the middle for some additional browning. To top them off, add just a little grated parmesan cheese. Just a sprinkle.
So here's the end to the story: I brought the sprouts to the table and put some on Caroline's plate. She said that they smelled really good, which was a first! Then she tried them, reached out and put some more on her plate. SUCCESS! From that moment the rest is history... the sauteed brussel sprouts recipe was here to stay.
If you have someone in your family who always says they can't stand brussels sprouts, maybe give this recipe a try. You might be surprised by the response!
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts Recipe
Looking for a recipe that will turn even the most staunch brussels sprout hater into a fan? This satueed brussel sprouts recipe is for you. Simple ingredients with outstanding results.
Ingredients
- 1.5 LBS Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
- 3 tablespoon Bacon Fat
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese, or more if you want!
Instructions
- Clean, trim and cut brussels sprouts in half
- Heat a large cast iron or other heavy bottom skilled on the stove over medium-high heat
- Add the bacon fat and olive oil, make sure it coats the bottom of the pan. It should look like quite a bit of liquid. The brussels sprouts will absorb all of it.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the bottom of the pan
- Lay the brussels sprouts cut side down, very close together
- Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes. Check for caramelization. Remove the brussels that are nicely caramelized and soft. Move any from the outside of the pan to the center, cover and brown for 2-3 more minutes. Remove from the pan.
Notes
If you want to kick it up just a bit, add in about ¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. I have mine in a spray bottle and just give it a quick spray, then mix it well. The acid really adds a nice element to the sprout!
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Amount Per Serving Calories 186
Did you make this recipe?
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PLEASE NOTE: The nutritional data is provided by NutriFox and may not be 100% accurate.
Final Thoughts on the Sauteed Brussel Sprouts Recipe:
Hopefully you had an opportunity to pick up some sprouts and give this recipe a try. I'll serve this to my family about once a week- it goes great with just about any grilled meats, BBQ Ribs, pan roasted chicken... You name it and for some reason it just works. If you want to kick it up just a bit, you can spray the sprouts with a bit of balsamic vinegar before serving. Wow, that makes them sooooo tasty. Enjoy!
Gray says
My favorite way to prepare brussel sprouts is roasted in the oven. Do you have any quick tips for cooking them and adding flavor.
Scott Groth says
Hi Gray:
I'm going to do a post soon on oven roasted brussel sprouts. I love them roasted. When I cook them in the oven, I typically separate a lot of the leaves, particularly the tougher outside leaves. Then, I mix in a large bowl with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. If you want, maybe a touch of honey? Then lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast to perfection. If you have some around, toss in some chopped up bacon too- super yum.
Scott
Kara Brightman says
Delicious and easy to make!! I love the addition of parmesan cheese too.
Scott Groth says
Hi Kara:
Yeah, it's a great combination of flavors.
Thank you for writing.
Have an excellent day!
Scott