Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
How To Cook Brussels Sprouts
- Grab a skillet and fry some bacon.
- Leave a little bacon fat in the pan (but probably not all of it) and add some olive oil.
- Fry the Brussels sprouts until they’re caramelized and crispy.
- Add the bacon back to the pan, drizzle in a little maple syrup.
The Difference in Taste and Texture Between Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
While both oven roasted and pan sautéed Brussels sprouts have similar qualities—both taste addictively crispy and caramelized on the outside and distinctly savory—I have observed some differences between the two.
- Oven roasted Brussels sprouts tend to be softer all the way through the interior.
- Pan roasted Brussels sprouts stay firmer. They’re still delightful to eat, but they don’t totally melt in your mouth the way baked sprouts do.
Variations
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Dice 4 slices of bacon, and cook them in your skillet. Once crispy, remove to a plate. Then, cook your sprouts in the bacon drippings. Top your finished sprouts with the crispy bacon pieces. YUM!
- Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Onions. Add ½ cup of thinly sliced onions to the pan with your Brussels sprouts. They’ll crisp and caramelize in a most excellent way.
- Pan Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Nuts. Stir a handful of chopped, raw nuts into the pan with the Brussels sprouts at the very end. Continue stirring, allowing the residual heat from the pan to toast the nuts. For today’s recipe, I used pine nuts. Walnuts and pecans are two of our other favorites.