Why is it that roasted Brussels sprouts are always the first side dish to disappear on Thanksgiving? I guess when people experience the crispy, caramelized bits with honey and balsamic, there's no resisting.
Vegan | Gluten-Free | Low Carb | Paleo | AIP | Refined Sugar-Free
Roasted fresh Brussels sprouts only need a little sweetness and acid to take them up a notch--I like honey to mellow the bitterness and balsamic to add a tangy, caramelized flavor. When selecting Brussels sprouts, look for tightly packed, firm, green heads and err on the larger side because that way you can get the leaves to brown nicely. Smaller sprouts are sweeter but have a tendency to cook too quickly when roasted.
Roasting is my favorite meal prep technique for an AIP vegetable side dish and these techniques apply to many vegetables. For more ideas, try roasting cauliflower florets and then making my cauliflower puree.
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🍯 Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh (not frozen) Brussels sprouts
- extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- sea salt
- white or dark balsamic vinegar
- honey (be sure to only add this ingredient AFTER roasting as honey should not be heated as it can burn)
🔪 Instructions
Use a chef's knife to remove the stems and cut the Brussels sprouts in half. It's ok if the sizes are a bit different because I find that getting some extra crispy pieces is desirable.
Directly on a parchment lined baking sheet, toss the halved sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle the salt at a great height for even coverage. Roast, stirring every 5 minutes until tender, brown, and you see some of the small leaves getting crispy, about 20 minutes total.
💭 Top tip
Instead of relying on a timer to tell you when your Brussels sprouts are done, use your judgment and only pull them out of the oven when they have brown, crispy leaves on the outside (see below).
Drizzle with oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Toss to coat evenly.
Taste and adjust salt, honey, and balsamic to your taste buds. Enjoy!
📋 Recipe
This is an AIP version of my Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Citrus, which contains miso (not AIP-compliant). While I've changed the oven temperature to shorten the cook time, the most important detail (tossing every 5 minutes) is my favorite technique and guarantees perfect Brussels sprouts every time.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey {AIP}
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts halved, stems removed
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and make sure your oven rack is in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Directly on the parchment-lined sheet, toss the Brussels sprout halves with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the salt. Roast on the center rack, tossing every 5 minutes until tender, brown, and crispy--about 25 minutes.
- Drizzle the roasted sprouts with the remaining tablespoon of oil, the balsamic vinegar, and the honey. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Too bitter? Add more honey. Too bland? Add more salt and vinegar.
Notes
Nutrition
📖 Variations
Pork Belly: If you enjoy pork, consider roasting some diced pork belly with the Brussels sprouts. One year I did this for Thanksgiving and was met with rave reviews. For the pork belly variation, you should pre-cook the pork belly until slightly brown then proceed with the recipe (omit the oil altogether as the pork belly will provide plenty of lard).
air fryer: You can easily make this recipe in the air fryer and get a similar result.
bacon and maple syrup: If you'd like to swap the honey for bacon and maple, you can simply toss diced bacon with the halved sprouts (reduce the salt so as not to over-salt) and then toss with the balsamic and maple syrup at the end.
lemon-garlic sauce: This is a bright-tasting, extra saucy version where you roast as instructed and then toss with my lemon garlic sauce just before serving. SO GOOD!
Spice Things Up: If you've reintroduced pepper without issue, feel free to spice things up with some freshly ground black pepper or red chile flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave plenty of space around the Brussels sprouts and spread them out in a single layer to avoid too much steam. You can even preheat your baking tray if you'd like to get them extra crispy.
No. Brussels sprouts tend to get less bitter after roasting, so there's no need to boil them first.
Parchment paper is a better option for roasting because small amounts of aluminum can leach into food when cooking.
Yes. You can roast the sprouts according to the recipe and refrigerate them overnight. When serving, simply reheat in the oven at 425℉ to warm through. Serve hot.
sara says
Love the texture of the Brussels sprouts. Increased the balsamic vinegar and honey a bit.