These balsamic Brussels sprouts are first roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper and then doused (ok, maybe judiciously drizzled) with balsamic vinegar.
You may think you’ve previously known how to appreciate roasted Brussels sprouts. Yet you haven’t. Not yet. Even the sworn Brussels sprouts loathers among us swoon to the transformation that occurs when you slide Brussels sprouts in the oven and the crisped outer leaves are juxtaposed with the tender inner core. Because when roasted, Brussels sprouts transform into something that’s profoundly lovely and entirely contrary to the sodden, stinky, overcooked steamed small cabbages of our childhood. But you can’t truly understand Brussels sprouts bliss until you’ve experienced them with the added loveliness of being doused with the pleasant tang of balsamic vinegar.–Renee Schettler Rossi
☞ Contents
Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts cut in half, half, ends trimmed, outer leaves removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or more, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, gently toss the Brussels sprouts, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Turn the Brussels sprouts mixture on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast until crisp and golden brown on the outside and tender on the inside, 20 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes to help ensure they’re evenly roasted.
- Remove from the oven, immediately drizzle the sprouts with vinegar to taste, and toss until coated. (Unless you want to retain the crisp edges on the roasted Brussels sprouts, then simply drizzle and refrain from tossing.) Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot, room temperature, even cold.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Everyone needs to try these balsamic Brussels sprouts at least once! They’ll make converts of Brussels sprouts haters and Brussels sprouts lovers will scarf them down like candy, even when made with less-than-stellar quality summer (out-of-season) Brussels sprouts! Homey but a little gourmet at the same time.
The roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the veggies and the balsamic vinegar finishes them off with a little sweetness and a hint of acidity. They’re good right out of the oven and, when tossed with crisp bacon, they make an excellent room-temperature side dish for a picnic or buffet.
I love Brussels sprouts and was especially excited to try this recipe. It took very little time to prep the ingredients, toss everything to coat, and plop the sprouts on a parchment-lined pan and slide them into the oven. I shook the pan a couple of times during roasting and after 20 minutes they were nicely browned and crisp on the outside and fork-tender on the inside. I tossed the sprouts into a bowl and tasted one before adding the balsamic vinegar and they were fabulous! Sweet, tender, and crisp.
I was a little concerned about the amount of balsamic vinegar called for in this recipe [Editor’s Note: The recipe originally called for 2 tablespoons of vinegar, not just 1 as currently listed based on our testers’ comments] thinking that 2 tablespoons might be too much. I added it and tossed the sprouts with some additional ground pepper. I tasted another sprout and it was indeed very bracing with that amount of vinegar. I didn’t think the flavors of the sprouts came through as well after this addition. I also roasted a small pork tenderloin in the hot oven while I was roasting the sprouts and made mashed potatoes on the side. The creamy potatoes did help to calm the vinegar down a bit.
I will definitely be making these Brussels sprouts again, but next time, I’ll cut the vinegar by half so the wonderful roasted flavors of the sprouts can shine through.
Perfection! This balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe requires few ingredients or steps, making it an easy weeknight side dish. However, the balance of flavors makes this a side dish worthy of any special event.
Brussels sprouts are one of my absolute favorite vegetables and when they are roasted in the way this recipe calls for the leaves are crisp and the body turns to chewy perfection. The seasonings add tremendous flavor that compliments the Brussels sprouts and the final drizzle of balsamic vinegar adds a lovely taste of salty-sweet.
Easy and delicious! Nearly perfect as is.
I think 3 tablespoons of olive oil was unnecessary and that 2 would have been plenty, especially since they are cooked on parchment and there is no risk of sticking. (Thank you for this instruction—cleanup was a breeze!)
Same goes for the balsamic—I used 2 tablespoons and I think 1 would have been plenty. There was some left in the bowl and my husband found the balsamic slightly overpowering. A little less would have been perfect.
A short, simple list of ingredients. Easy to put together. Not much time or effort involved. The result is a tasty side dish.
We often eat more Brussels sprouts than one might think is possible, but we did have enough leftovers for me to discover that these also taste wonderful cold. I had them ready to reheat the next day but ended up eating them right out of the container I had them in, no heating necessary.
This recipe will go into our Brussels sprouts rotation, to be enjoyed either hot or cold.
A nice, tangy alternative to plain roasted Brussels sprouts. The garlic and balsamic make you want to put more on your plate. I served them with grilled steaks and a cucumber-feta salad.
Simple roasted Brussels sprouts are amped up with the addition of tangy balsamic vinegar and minced garlic. Roasting the sprouts in a hot 400°F oven really helps them to caramelize nicely and absorb the flavors of the fruity olive oil and minced garlic. Just like this they’re grand, but once you remove the warm Brussels sprouts from the oven, you drizzle them with rich balsamic vinegar. Doing this to the sprouts while they are hot is important, in my opinion, as that way they are better able to absorb the vinegar.
I served this lovely side dish with some grilled lamb chops and a turmeric-scented pearled couscous side dish. Overall, we loved this simple recipe! And I would like to try it with other veggies, perhaps cauliflower and broccoli.
I don’t know if I can say enough good things about these balsamic Brussels sprouts. The recipe is easy, you can make it quickly, and the Brussels sprouts have such great flavor that you will not want to stop eating them.
We love Brussels sprouts and they make an appearance at least weekly. I’ve made a version of this dish more times than I can count but these were delicious and having a recipe means that I don’t have to try and freehand it next time!
Balsamic and garlic make a delightful combination and leaves the outsides nice and caramelized. This is so versatile and went really well with the pork shoulder I made with them. And they were great cold on a salad the next day!
If you love, or even like, Brussels sprouts, these balsamic Brussels sprouts are a must. We typically eat ours sprouts roasted, so that’s nothing new, but the addition of garlic and balsamic vinegar takes this vegetable to new heights! Even my two “I don’t like balsamic vinegar” eaters gobbled their sprouts up. Absolutely delicious!
This is just about the exact way I generally cook my Brussels sprouts and it hasn’t failed me yet. I don’t add as much garlic but I definitely will from now on. I noticed a real difference in the flavour of the dish with 3 full cloves.
The only thing I won’t change from my own recipe is to put the balsamic on halfway through the cooking as I prefer the way it reduces and thickens during the last few minutes. Otherwise, I will continue to use this version of the recipe when I make sprouts.
Brussels sprouts aren’t my favorite vegetable but with this method they have a great taste as they get crisp outside and soft inside. This is an easy-to-prepare recipe and a perfect side dish.
This recipe is so easy and so delicious! I love roasted Brussels sprouts so I could eat this every week. They came out nicely browned and crisp on the outside, just as described.
If you need an incredibly easy but seemingly stepped-up-a-notch side dish, please try these balsamic Brussels sprouts. A simple balance of flavors brings the little cabbages to life to accompany a wide array of entrees.
Sadly the crisp edges from roasting disappear once the balsamic vinegar is added, but try it for the flavor and appreciate the tender-but-not-mushy texture. I was afraid vinegar would be too harsh of an acid flavor, but it actually balances perfectly with the sulfury vegetable. I’ll be making these again.
Simple and delicious Brussels sprouts. A snap to prep and a treat for fans of roasted vegetables. The crisp outer leaves were the best along with the sweet and tender inside. We loved the balsamic finish. I tucked 2 bone-in chicken breasts onto the far end of the baking sheet and all was ready in 30 minutes.
Originally published June 19, 2020
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Loved it. Ate the whole sheet pan on my own😍
Laughs. That’s impressive, Johnson!
Super yummy! Definitely making again!
Awesome. Thanks, Bety.
Wow!!! Love this!! Easy and very tasty!! 👍🏻
We’re delighted to hear this! Thanks, Ginger!
They were very good. Will make again. I like easy recipes!😃
We do, too, Mrs. Poulin! So glad you enjoyed them.
Delicious and super easy to make!
Wonderful, Sarah! Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know.