Easy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to boil brussel sprouts before roasting? ›

Yes, you can cook fresh Brussels sprouts without boiling them. You can roast, sauté, grill, or even microwave them for alternative cooking methods that can enhance their flavor and texture.

Don't soak sprouts before cooking them, they don't need it. Rinse before cooking, and if you want to store them ready-prepped but them in a reusable bag or container in the fridge.

Individual sprouts: Brussels sprouts sold by the pound are what you find most often at the market. They need to be trimmed of their dry ends and yellowed or damaged leaves before halving and cooking.

Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Panko

Serve alongside roasted chicken, fish or pork.

To boil, put into a pan with some salt, cover with boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook, covered, for 5-10 mins. They take 5-10 mins to steam. A sharp knife should easily go through the base then they are done, but with a little resistance.

Your first step should always be to blanch the brussels sprouts. This is basically when they get submerged in boiling water just for a few minutes, not until they're fully cooked, but just enough to take away some of the bitterness. Blanching also softens them and preserves their beautiful bright green color.

For best results, soak your Brussels sprouts in salt water. Not only does salt act to tenderize the dense sprouts, but it will also help to season them all the way through. It won't take a lot -- just add 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 quart of water and toss in trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts.

Sprouts on the stalk will stay fresher longer than sprouts that have been picked off and sold loose. Plan on about 1/2 pound (8 ounces) of raw brussels sprouts per person.

Yes, you can eat the stalk. Slice off the Brussels sprouts when they're fork tender, and return the stem to the oven. Let it roast for another 15 minutes. Test for tenderness, and then split the stalk with a sharp knife.

Can you cut off bad parts of brussel sprouts? ›

Using a chef's or paring knife, trim off the dried-out portion. Inspect the outer leaves of each sprout as well. If they look dried, bruised, insect-damaged, or otherwise undesirable, remove them until you reach the more appealing leaves underneath.

When we think about which meats go with Brussels sprouts, bacon usually comes to mind first. Upgrade that to prosciutto, add poultry and fish to the list, and leave room on the menu for steak.

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.

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!

Steaming and boiling use moist heat, and moist heat can make Brussel Sprouts mushy and stinky—not a good combo. Give them the treatment they deserve by roasting them instead.

Boiling them renders them easier to digest, making the nutrient-rich sprouts more tolerable for sensitive digestive systems. Additionally, the boiling process significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses associated with raw sprouts, ensuring safer consumption.