Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic and New Year’s Resolutions

Free up the oven for holiday meals or any time you want a quick and savory autumn vegetable side dish. Fresh Brussels sprouts cooked in a cast iron skillet are greens that actually stay green with a crisp nutty flavor complimented with a healthy bite of garlic.

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic and all those resolutions left unresolved.

You have not heard from me because I vowed to post every day for ten days straight and failing that I have not posted at all. I’ve thought about it, taken a stray photo or two, berated myself, vowed to do better, and done nothing. Because nothing is safe- yes, read that both ways. And in the course of the last sentence a day has passed and I am left in wonder that I am a stranger to myself after all these years.

Tip and tricks for brussel sprouts the way you like them

These are my go to Brussel Sprouts, the recipe I’m asked to make every Thanksgiving but is easy enough for any day.

I prefer my greens to taste like greens. When asked how I would cook this or that vegetable the answer is almost always salt, pepper, olive oil. These brussel sprouts have one additional ingredient and one possible substitution but yeah— salt, pepper, olive oil. So simple and good I eat them out of the pan like popcorn.

The amounts of everything are left to personal preference, the only two tricks here are pan temperature (a slower lower heat makes for more tender sprouts, higher heat produced crispy crunchy. So all things in moderation, medium heat is usually best) and cooking the garlic in the oil first, removing and putting back.  If the brussel sprouts are particularly large I’ll sometimes quarter them but halves are easier to flip so that both sides are nicely browned.

Do you love Brussel Sprouts?

If you are here I assume you do. Have you ever had them on pizza? My cast iron brussel sprout pizza with lemony white sauce is my favorite way to use up leftover (or sometimes I will make them from scratch just for pizza)

For everything you want to know about brussel sprout nutrition this guide from Australia is great though obviously if you are in the northern hemisphere the grow dates are upside down

Yes, I know, it’s Brussels Sprouts

Some other cast iron side dishes of the vegetarian variety

easy sautéed mushrooms: chanterelle, shiitake, or cremini

spicy sweet potatoes w/cilantro sauce

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic

ingredients

• fresh Brussel sprouts- trim the stems, remove outer leaves as necessary, wash and cut in half or quarters if the spouts are exceptionally large (bigger than 2 inches diameter)
• 1-3 cloves garlic- thinly sliced
• about 1 tablespoon of olive oil or bacon grease (or a combination of the two, both are delicious, you could also use butter if you wanted to, I like to keep it vegan when cooking these for a crowd on Thanksgiving)
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Use a pan large enough to fit all the brussel sprouts in a single layer- for two cups I use a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
2. Preheat the pan over medium low heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the garlic and cook until tender but not yet browned (about two minutes)
3. Remove the garlic from the pan leaving the oil and increase the heat to medium. Add the brussel sprouts and cook until tender and nicely browned on both sides, flipping halfway through the cooking process. This should take about five minutes a side, if they are browning within the first 1-2 minutes the heat is too high. Some of the leaves will ‘pop’ off and get crispy- leave them in or snack on them before you plate up.
4. When the sprouts are browned to your liking decrease the heat again and add the garlic back in the pan. If the brussel sprouts are still too crisp for you cover the pan and cook on warm for another few minutes until they reach the desired softness. Cook until the garlic is just browned and serve hot. (Sometimes I’ll make these 30 minutes to an hour ahead, turn off the heat and add the garlic- then reheat until the garlic browns when I’m ready to serve.)

Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic

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Prep Time 4 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 12 mins

Course Appetizer, Gluten free, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine cast iron

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups brussel sprouts- cleaned trimmed, and cut in half
• 1-3 cloves garlic- thinly sliced
• about 1 tablespoon of olive oil or bacon grease
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• use a pan large enough to fit all of the brussel sprouts in a single layer- for two cups I use a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
• preheat the pan over medium low heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the garlic and cook until tender but not yet browned (about two minutes)
• remove the garlic from the pan leaving the oil and increase the heat to medium. Add the brussel sprouts and cook until tender and nicely browned on both sides, flipping halfway through the cooking process. This should take about five minutes a side, if they are browning within the first 1-2 minutes the heat is too high. Some of the leaves will ‘pop’ off and get crispy- leave them in or snack on them before you plate up.
• When the sprouts are browned to your liking decrease the heat again and add the garlic back in the pan. If the brussel sprouts are still too crisp for you cover the pan and cook on warm for another few minutes until they reach the desired softness. Cook until the garlic is just browned

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