Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts Recipe (2024)

I "discovered" this method a few years ago when I was feeling that roasting a few brussels sprouts in a hot oven was a huge waste of energy. Some tips: (1) place the brussels sprouts cut side down in the oil, let them brown, then add liquid, cover to steam. The cut side caramelizes best and the liquid spreads the goodness around. (2) Add any flavoring you like. My favorites include any combo of lemon, herbs, white wine, olive oil, balsamic, butter. Use your cook's sense to determine when to add.

Non-stick isn't necessary as the water deglazes the pan and prevents sticking. Furthermore I don't recommend using non-stick pans on super-high heat because it will shorten the lifespan of the non-stick coating. Plus it seems dicey to me to heat those chemical coatings to blazing temperatures. (Admittedly just my instinct, I have no proof of any danger.)

make sure you use hot water, from a kettle, Not semi warm from the tap

1/2 cup -- the instructions say to keep a 1/2 cup next to the stove. I use basically the same method for frozen dumplings, and it works great!

I made this with frozen petite brussel sprouts which I halved and cooked in the oil face down. I did not add water as petite brussel sprouts are much more tender to begin with than “adult” sprouts and these were throwing a good bit of steam on their own. I cooked them in the garlic chunks but added a teaspoon of chili crunch instead of red pepper flakes with a splash of soy sauce. My wife and I ate them from the pan! Next time I may add a splash of sesame oil to the cooking oil.

From Canteen restaurant in Provincetown, MA, where Brussels sprouts are one of the top-selling items on their menu - after they roast the sprouts (though it would work just as well with this method) they toss them in a sauce of fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili pepper. The fish sauce really takes the sprouts to a whole different level - thoroughly addictive!

You can use this method for pan cooking almost any vegetable that has a tough or crunchy part to it, like broccoli, bok choy, kale, etc! I call it sauteeing with steam.

Indeed woks are not ideal for conventional stoves--and pretty much worthless on magnetic induction stovetops (common here in Europe) which will only heat the very bottom part of the pan that's in contact with the stove surface.When I stir-fry I use a wide Le Creuset enamel cast-iron skillet, which retains heat beautifully and has sloping sides, unlike conventional cast-iron skillets.

Now add some apricot jam and a few sesame seeds. Powerful and yummy.

This was quite possibly the most epic fail in the history of my kitchen. Was waiting for the alleged "loud popping noises" and the "quiet to the crackle", which never transpired. Smoke alarm goes off, pan is blackened. Never say die. Will try again. But not tonight.

Some tips: (1) place the brussels sprouts cut side down in the oil, let them brown, then add liquid, cover to steam. The cut side caramelizes best and the liquid spreads the goodness around. (2) Add any flavoring you like. My favorites include any combo of lemon, herbs, white wine, olive oil, balsamic, butter. Use your cook's sense to determine when to add.

I've been using pretty much this method for years except that I add the pepper flakes to the pan after the garlic to toast for a couple of seconds before adding the sprouts, and let the spouts caramelize cut side down for a minute before I add the water. I've been using balsamic to dress them but I'm happy to try soy sauce for a change.

A favorite meal -- toss with pasta and serve

I use the same technique for sweet & spicy green beans. Saute until brown bits form, add water, cover and steam till cooked. Add a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce, ground chili paste, fresh ginger, brown sugar, and few drops sesame oil to finish cooking.

How much water to use? Water is not included in the list of ingredients but in the instructions.

These were great - easy & fast & very transportable for a Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house. Used my wok - was a little leery of the garlic chunks, but they almost disappeared in the final dish. Made 2x the recipe - still only add 1/2C water as I had to 'sauté' off some at the end. Also toasted some pine nuts & sprinkled them on top after the sprouts were in their serving dish. Will be my go-to sprouts dish from now on!

Careful with the salt!

This was not so great. Rather bland. Oh well. Win some lose some.

We really enjoy this recipe and it pairs well with other types of cooking. The sprouts turn out soft but not mushy… flavorful but not spicy. A winner that is super easy to make.

Great dish, easy to prepare. Made this last night, followed recipe but used honey instead of sugar and added a teaspoon of sriracha right at the end to add a little heat. Very delicious, will make this again.

These are great, and I'll definitely make them again! However, there's no need to sautee the garlic until "wisps of smoke rise from the oil" (which could set off your smoke detector). I simply sauteed the garlic until it was fragrant and then added the halved brussels sprouts. Also, I used some of the relatively mild Aleppo pepper flakes that I had purchased for another NYT recipe rather than the regular red pepper flakes as the latter can be overwhelmingly hot.

The combo of soy sauce and sugar makes for a nice salty and sweet mixture.

I've done this with water and without.....well, maybe just a tablespoon. Much prefer without the water. Steamed in so much water they tend to be just like steamed Brussel sprouts and lack that crispy carmelized flavor. After sautéing for a while, when they are nicely colored, I just put the lid on for a few minutes and they cook through well.

If you want to take these to the next level, finish and toss with a splash of fish sauce, either in addition to or in place of the soy sauce. I credit this tip to the utterly addictively delicious sprouts served at Canteen in Provincetown, MA.

Am allergic to soy (and seafood, fish, seeds, nuts - sigh!) - any ideas for an alternative for soy sauce?

How is the water supposed to evaporate if the lid is on the pan? The whole point of covering a pan is to prevent evaporation and keep moisture in the dish. Very confusing. No wonder people are having more success with browning the Brussel sprouts before adding the water...

I've been doing a Cook's Illustrated version of this for a few years. 1# sprouts, halved, cut side down. Just enough oil to coat the pan (5 tbsps?). Turn on heat to high and cover. 5 minutes. Uncover, lower heat to med-high. A couple splashes of lemon juice from a bottle (4 tbsps?), stir, 5 more minutes. Turn off heat, pile the sprouts on one side of the pan and sprinkle with whatever version of Parmesan you have. (I've resorted to that last step to avoid melting the cheese to the pan)

Roasting is SO much better.

I used maple syrup instead of sugar and it was delic! Also used toasted sesame oil. I mixed in some vermicelli noodles before adding soy sauce and honey. Topped with lots of toasted sesame seeds and black garlic. Such a fast easy meal. My husband loved it.

I’ve seen questions about how much water to add - it says 1/2 cup. I found that a bit much though. Next time I’ll reduce by half. Might help the veggies caramelize. As it was, the sprouts were a little mushy, and sugar was a must. But still delicious! I’ll adjust and make again.