Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe on Gruyere Toasts | Feed Me Phoebe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my roasted brussel sprouts not crispy? ›

Why Are My Brussel Sprouts Not Crispy? Spread them out into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid overcrowding. If they're too close together, they'll steam instead of roast which stops the crisping process.

Unlike other vegetables, Brussels sprouts can be parboiled (even a day ahead) to reduce the roasting time without hurting their texture.

Like all cabbages, Brussels are unavoidably fibrous and dense. You must overcome this by either cooking them in salty water until fork tender (blanching), or by roasting at a high (over 425F) temperature for upwards of 20 minutes. To guarantee great texture, do both!

Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender.

Place the Brussels in a large saucepan over a high heat for a couple of minutes, then, once the pan is nice and hot, cover with boiling salted water. Boil for 5 minutes, or until just tender but with a little bite. Taste to check – they should be slightly undercooked.

Place the sprouts cut-side down: Trim and halve the sprouts and roast them with their cut side against the baking sheet. The cut side will caramelize beautifully while the outer leaves crisp. Keep the leaves: Don't discard the outer leaves that fall away as you cut the sprouts.

If you want deliciously crispy brussels sprouts, you're already off to a good start with thoroughly drying them after they've been washed. You can achieve savory crispy brussels sprouts whether you're cooking them in the oven or on the stovetop in a pan.

Slice off and discard the bottom end of each Brussels sprout, as well as any wilted or discolored leaves. Slice vertically to halve the Brussels sprouts. Then place the halves cut-side-down, and thinly slice horizontally to shred by hand.

Why are my roasted Brussel sprouts not crispy? Sounds like they got overcrowded on the pan! Whatever you do, don't crowd the pan, or you'll end up with steamed Brussels sprouts instead of roasted. You may need to use two sheet pans!

The flavor components that contribute to a bitter flavor are concentrated in the center of the Brussels sprout. If you slice the the veggie in half, it helps to release some of those compounds during the cooking process. Smaller is better when it comes to tenderness and flavor.

Why are my roasted brussel sprouts dry? ›

Not using enough oil.

We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven. Follow this tip: For every 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of oil.

Like soggy steamed Brussels, Brussels sprouts that are dry and chewy are no good either. This could be caused by using too little oil for roasting. You need a nice coating of oil—enough to make the heads shiny or if they're cut, enough oil to get inside the folds of some of the leaves.

However, keep in mind that roasted brussels sprouts get a little smelly the older they get. So maybe make these a day ahead of time at most. Reheat in the oven, in a skillet, or in the microwave. The microwave is the fastest but will leave them a bit soggy while the skillet and oven work best for warming.

Prepare the vegetables: leave them whole or cut them in half if large, then blanch them in salted boiling water until crisp-tender (al dente), about 4 min. Drain well, then serve.

Steaming Brussels sprouts preserves more of the nutrients and antioxidants than any other cooking method. And they turn out tasting like crisp-tender, sweet little nuggets. Plus they're just about the quickest veggie side dish you can cook.

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

About 30 years ago, a Dutch scientist identified the chemicals that made brussels sprouts bitter. He selected seed varieties with lower levels of the bitter chemicals and bred new high-yielding varieties that tasted less bitter.