Crispy Balsamic & Honey Soaked Brussels Sprouts

I’d imagine people who detest Brussels sprouts probably aren’t reading this, but on the off chance that you are someone who really just loathes the things, I’m here to tell you that if any recipe is going to turn you – to flip you clean onto team Brussels sprouts – then this is the one. These Crispy Balsamic & Honey Soaked Brussels Sprouts.

There are about 40 gah-billion Brussels sprouts recipes out there that dress the little cabbage patch dolls up so much that they’re really playing second or third fiddle to other things on the plate, but not this one. No, this recipe for crispy roasted Brussels sprouts flavors them with a surefire marinade – a “soak,” I like to call it – and keeps things very straightforward otherwise. No bacon, no other aromatics, no pine nuts, not nuts of any kind, for that matter. Just Brussels sprouts. But it’s all in the way we treat them that makes the magic come out. The special combination of marinade ingredients work together incredibly well … the high oven temperature helps conjure that oh-so-special caramelization that Brussels sprouts really require in order to be truly delicious … and the miso. There’s also that.

You might also notice that this recipe calls for garlic powder. Again, If you follow along and peruse my recipes, you’ll see that I do tend to reach for the garlic powder with relative frequency. I personally love the toasty, even flavor you get with the dried powder, and when you’re working in a high-heat oven like we are with these crispy roasted Brussels sprouts, using the garlic powder eliminates the risk of burning, as would be the case with fresh garlic. So, there’s my case, yet again, for the powder.

Ahem. To really make the most incredible Brussels sprouts ever, you need to halve them, so their flat insides can lay flush against the hot sheet pan, giving them the best fighting chance to caramelize and get all toasty and crazy, crazy good. The marinade is a combination of all-star flavor weapons that balance each other out perfectly here. The balsamic brings some brightness, the miso (an oft used secret ingredient for me) gives some umami funk that is rather game-changing if I do say so myself, and the honey is maybe the most important member of the whole squad. You can use more or less of each thing as you see fit. The honey’s sweetness combats the inherent funk of the Brussels sprouts beautifully and, similar to how I sprinkle a little sugar on my best ever roasted broccoli, I find the sweet note to be indispensable.

In short, it all just WORKS, and I hope you, fellow Brussels fan (I’m assuming you are one if you’ve made it this far) enjoy these as much as I do.

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