These Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts are the perfect balance between sweet and salty. They're crispy, flavorful, and so simple! They're easy enough to be served as a side for a weeknight dinner but they taste fancy enough to be a part of your holiday table! They make a great fall or winter side dish for any occasion.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Perfect for your holiday table - Crispy roasted brussels sprouts are tossed in a garlicky honey balsamic sauce. They're a great side for dinner any time of the year but especially during the holidays! Serve them along with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, other veggies, and turkey!
Flavorful sauce - Balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, lots of garlic, and other ingredients are simmered on the stove for a few minutes to create a delicious sticky sauce that pairs perfectly with the crispy brussels sprouts. It's simple but so good!
Easy to make - These brussels sprouts are totally foolproof! They only need about 10 minutes of hands-on work and call for just a few simple ingredients. They're restaurant-worthy but simple enough to make at home for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts - Pick brussels sprouts that are bright green, firm, and without any visible bruises or yellow spots.
- Cooking oil - I use avocado oil to roast the brussels sprouts and get them crispy. You can use any cooking oil you'd normally use. I don't recommend using olive oil for roasting because it has a low smoke point.
- Balsamic vinegar - Balsamic vinegar is dark red, tart, and a little sweeter than other kinds of vinegar. You can also drizzle the roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic glaze right before serving for even more balsamic flavor.
- Honey - Honey and balsamic is an amazing flavor combo! Maple syrup also works.
- Olive oil - I add a little olive oil to the honey balsamic sauce to balance everything out and add flavor. You could also use a more neutral oil like avocado.
- Garlic - Grated or minced garlic is simmered in the sauce and gives the brussels sprouts an amazing flavor.
- Sea salt and pepper - I recommend using sea salt or Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper whenever possible.
Variations and Substitutions
- Maple syrup - If you don't have honey or want to keep the dish vegan, use maple syrup instead.
- Tapioca starch - You can add tapioca or corn starch to the sauce to thicken it up. Mix a little bit of starch with water and add the slushie to the sauce as it simmers. It will thicken as it cooks and even more when it cools. This is totally optional. The sauce will thicken on its own as well.
- Different vegetables - You can use the balsamic honey sauce on other roasted veggies as well. It would be delicious on roasted broccoli or cauliflower!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Slice the brussels sprouts in half and add them to a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle them with avocado oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat and lay them all out cut side down.
- Roast for 18-20 minutes until golden and crispy.
- While the brussels sprouts are roasting, make the sauce.
- Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, and grated garlic.
- Use a small whisk to mix everything together.
- Simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Be careful, it may rise quickly when stirred.
- Take off heat and set aside until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools.
- Take the roasted brussels sprouts out of the oven and toss them with the balsamic sauce.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Always roast the brussels sprouts cut side down. This will help them crisp up more and caramelize and brown beautifully on the cut side. No need to toss them while roasting.
- Toss the the brussels sprouts with the sauce right before serving to prevent them from losing their crispiness too early. They will eventually lose their crispiness either way but
Serving Suggestions
These brussels sprouts are perfect for the holiday table with roasted turkey and other sides like these Rosemary Mashed Potatoes or this Orange Maple Cranberry Sauce. They're also delicious served any time of the year with roasted chicken, steak, or any meat. Serve it with roasted potatoes, more roasted veggies, or anything else!
Storing and Reheating
Storing: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Keep in mind that once you mix the brussels sprouts with the dressing and refrigerate them, they'll lose their crispiness but they'll still be delicious. I don't recommend freezing the brussels sprouts.
Reheating: Reheat the brussels sprouts in a small saucepan on the stove with a splash of water over medium heat until warmed through.
FAQs
When you overcrowd your baking sheet, the brussels sprouts end up steaming instead of roasting and don't crisp up enough. Always give them enough space to breathe and don't overlap them.
Some recipes recommend it but I've never done it. I don't find it necessary at all. After 15-20 minutes of roasting, the brussels sprouts are perfectly soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
This is up to you but I usually don't use any parchment paper so the brussels sprouts touch the pan and get nice and golden. I don't recommend using tinfoil.
More Brussels Sprouts Recipes
If you like these balsamic brussels sprouts, I highly recommend you try one of the three recipes below as well! They're roasted in the same way, just served with different glazes and dressings. To see all the latest ones, head over to Sides.
📖 Recipe
Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts are the perfect balance between sweet and salty. They're crispy, flavorful, and so simple! They make a great fall or winter side dish for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, stems removed
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Slice the brussels sprouts in half and add them to a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle them with avocado oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Toss to coat and lay them all out cut side down.
- Roast for 18-20 minutes until golden and crispy.
- While the brussels sprouts are roasting, make the sauce.
- Set a small saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, and grated garlic. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
- Simmer the mixture on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Be careful, it may rise quickly when stirred.
- Take off heat and set aside until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools.
- Take the brussels sprouts out of the oven and toss them with the balsamic sauce.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep in mind that the brussels sprouts will lose their crispiness once stored.
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Veronika Sykorova says
These are delicious and tried and true for Thanksgiving when you want to try a new side with your dinner. They're so good!
Dominique says
I tripled the recipe and the sauce was way too vinegary. I kept adding spoonfuls of honey and it still didn’t thicken up. I’m not sure what I did wrong ☹️
Veronika Sykorova says
I'm sorry to hear the recipe didn't work for you! It's not a very thick sauce but the honey caramelizes a little bit which should thicken it slightly. It works well with the brussels sprouts because they soak up the sauce.
Someone on Pinterest commented the sauce is way too sweet suggesting it needs more vinegar, it's hard to fit into everyone's preferences.
If you really want it to be thick, I recommend adding tapioca starch or cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking and simmering it gently for a minute or so until it thickens. This will save any sauce that isn't thick enough. Be careful though, if you add too much, it can turn the sauce slimy. Hope that helps!
Lisa says
This was absolutely amazing!! I will be making this over and over it’s a staple now!!! 5 stars for sure
Emily says
These were fantastic. Super easy!! My only issue was the sauce wasn’t reminiscent of a glaze. It was super runny. Upon reading other comments, I’ll try a cornstarch slurry next time. Otherwise, these were divine. Highly recommend.
Akers says
Have you taken these to a pot luck? If so, would you suggest baking and then packing. Then adding the sauce when you arrive?
Veronika Sykorova says
No, I've never taken them anywhere but I think this is a great idea! After you add the sauce and let them sit, they do soak up a lot of it and become a little soggy. I'd roast them and pack the sauce separately to add when you arrive to avoid that.