Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
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Caramelized Brussels Sprouts are seasoned with honey mustard and fried to perfection in a cast iron skillet in just 30 minutes!
Sweet and crispy brussels sprouts make the perfect side dish for everything from holiday gatherings to barbecue cookouts. They're also a favorite veggie for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. You'll love the flavor and how easy they are to make any time of year!
Jump To
- Where Do Brussels Sprouts Come From?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Recipe Highlights
- Ingredient Notes
- What You'll Need
- How to Caramelize Brussels Sprouts
- How to Make Honey Mustard Sauce
- Variations
- Expert Tips
- What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts
- Recipe FAQS
- Storage and Freezing
- More Veggies to Love
- Recipe Card
- Reviews
Where Do Brussels Sprouts Come From?
Brussels sprouts come from the same species of plant as cabbages, and are grown for their edible buds. They were actually cultivated in the 16th century in Brussels, Belgium. That's why they're spelled with the letter 's' at the end, although many folks still call them brussel sprouts.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- great side dish that's full of flavor
- easy recipe with only 6 simple ingredients
- tasty dish for holiday dinners
- loaded with vitamin C and nutrients
- delicious recipe any time of year!
Recipe Highlights
Crispy caramelized brussels sprouts taste like sweet and tangy baby cabbages! Frying them in a cast iron skillet creates that extra caramelization everyone loves, and the flavor from the honey mustard sauce really makes this recipe.
These delicious veggies are cooked on top of the stove, which frees up your oven for bigger things. The stove top cooking method is especially nice on holidays when you don't have room for one more thing in the oven.
This is one of the best ways I've found to prepare this little vegetable. If you want to add a touch of smoke, toss in some crispy bacon for the perfect side dish! Or, try these Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts that are loaded with flavor!
Ingredient Notes
With only 6 ingredients, it's hard to find an easier and more flavorful vegetable side dish! See recipe card for quantities.
- brussels sprouts - look for firm sprouts without black or brown leaves
- honey - use any type of honey in this recipe
- stone ground mustard - this type of mustard adds tons of flavor
- minced garlic - buy minced garlic it in a jar or mince it from a garlic clove
- sea salt - a little goes a long way
- olive oil - extra virgin olive oil works best
What You'll Need
You'll need a large cast iron skillet...or one that holds the heat and puts a nice char on the veggies. The char is simply caramelizing the vegetables to create a crispy crust.
Using a sharp knife, trim the veggies at the stem end and pull off the outer leaves. Cut each one in half lengthwise through the stem, then set aside in a bowl. Make sure they're completely dry or they won't fry well.
How to Caramelize Brussels Sprouts
Place trimmed brussels sprouts in a cast iron skillet filled with hot olive oil. Position the cut side down so they are in a single layer. Fry them on medium heat until they're golden brown and crunchy...about 5 minutes.
Try not to move them around too much. Let them brown on one side, then flip to the other.
Toss them in my amazing honey mustard sauce recipe. Stir them around until the sauce soaks in. Sprinkle with sea salt and you've got easy caramelized brussels sprouts with tons of flavor!
How to Make Honey Mustard Sauce
Mix stone ground mustard with honey in a small bowl. Stir well and add a teaspoon of minced garlic. Drizzle sauce over veggies in skillet and let the blackened char begin!
Look at that caramelization! Those are some happy vegetables! And, you'll be REALLY happy once you taste them.
Variations
This is the best recipe just like it is, but feel free to add any extras you like...
- Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup instead of honey mustard.
- Make this same recipe in your air fryer if desired. Try these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon for a real treat!
- Add chopped bacon to the skillet and cook the sprouts in bacon grease for amazing flavor.
- Throw in some parmesan cheese and red onions with the addition of salty smoked bacon.
- Try Honey Butter Roasted Brussel Sprouts if you like your veggies more savory than sweet.
Expert Tips
- dry sprouts completely before frying for best results
- try not to move them around too much so caramelization will occur
- keep the heat on medium because if it's too high they will burn
What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts
Try this recipe with Dutch Oven Pork Tenderloin, a nice pot of Dutch Oven Corned Beef and Cabbage, or Roasted Chicken and Cast Iron Beef Tenderloin. The flavor is hard to beat!
This easy side dish is the perfect accompaniment to meats such as Smoked Chuck Roast, an Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes recipe, and Smoked Chicken Legs. You can even serve this super veggie as a dipper with homemade Blue Cheese Dip or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
Recipe FAQS
You can find them in the grocery store all year long, but they're usually in season from late August to March. Look for the smaller ones with no brown spots that are bright green in color.
They actually grow on stems that look like small trees, with the sprouts clustered on each side of the stalk. That's much different than cabbage which grows as a single head.
Storage and Freezing
How to store leftovers? Keep leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Warm up leftovers in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.
Freeze leftovers on a sheet pan or baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container or freezer bags. Freeze up to 3 months.
More Veggies to Love
Enjoy these other flavorful veggie recipes to round out your holiday meals...
Tried this Recipe and Loved It? ❤️ Please scroll down and leave a *STAR* review!
Recipe Card
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts trimmed
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. stone ground mustard ad
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. garlic minced
- ½ tsp. sea salt
Instructions
- Prep the sprouts by trimming the ends of the stem and pulling off the top leaf. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise through the stem. Set aside in a bowl.
- Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet. Make sure sprouts are completely dry or they'll splatter in oil.
- Place the sprouts in olive oil with the cut side down.
- Turn up the heat to medium and fry sprouts until they're golden brown and crunchy (5 minutes).
- Try not to move sprouts around too much. Brown them on one side, then flip to the other.
- Mix mustard, honey and garlic together in a small bowl. Pour honey mustard sauce over sprouts in skillet and toss.
- Turn heat down to medium low. Stir sprouts until the sauce soaks in (5 minutes).
- Sprinkle with sea salt and serve warm.
Notes
- Be careful when frying in hot oil. If heat gets too high, turn down to avoid splattering.
- Can brussels sprouts be frozen? Yes, they freeze very well after being blanched. It's best to freeze them on a sheet pan or baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container or freezer bags. Freeze up to 6 months.
- How to store leftovers? Keep leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Warm up leftovers in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
Sounds Delish.. If I bake them @ 400, How long? Thanks.
Hi Tami. I've never tried baking them, but I'm going to guess that it will take the same amount of time...10 minutes.
This is the ONLY brussels sprouts recipe I will ever make!! SO delicious - everyone loves them and I will always double the recipe and make a little extra sauce!
Wow Jane! Thank you so much for this great review! So glad you loved these Honey Mustard Brussels! 🙂
Out of this world!
Thanks Lorna! I love these brussels sprouts too. The honey mustard makes them taste like candy! 🙂
This looks fantastic! I'm going to be boring and try for the baked version, but I still want to use that yummy sounding honey mustard dressing. When would you recommend I put on the sauce? When I bring the sprouts out of the oven or before I put them in? And I'm guessing cook 400 degrees? Any tips for this newbie? 🙂 Thank you rock star Debi!!! I know I can always count on your recipies to be DELICIOUS!!
Wow, Tracy! I love that you're baking your brussels! 400 degrees is perfect and I would put the sauce on before AND after. That way, you're guaranteed to get the caramelization going on!
Debi, we had a few left. When I say a FEW, about 10 halves, I could make a meal out of these! Next time I will double the recipe. ????
Awesome, Sharon! 🙂
I made these for dinner tonight and they are DELICIOUS! Brussel Sprouts are my favorite vegetable. The honey mustard garlic sauce is amazing., these will definitely be a regular dish at my house for sure! Thanks for sharing this recipe Debi.
** I served these with ranch chicken and jasmine rice. Yum!
Oh, I'm thrilled that you made these, Sharon. They are so yummy! Your dinner sounds amazing. Did you have any leftovers? 🙂