roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic and thyme
I bring these roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Thyme to you today because they are long overdue and I have a debt to settle in that regard.
Let me back up. Last year in November, a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I was in Chicago at a food blogging conference. I distinctly remember where I was standing in a hallway when an email came into my inbox from a woman. Let’s call her Donna. She said she had been on my website, looking and looking but she couldn’t find that roasted Brussels sprouts recipe. She had made it Thanksgiving the year before and her family had requested it again. She said that she KNEW she had found it on my site yet couldn’t find it again.
You see, it’s actually an embarrassment that “Seasonal” is my middle name, I spout off about CSA shares this or that more than anyone really wants to hear, and yet I have glaringly omitted sharing a recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts until now. I mean Brussels sprouts are THE seasonal vegetable right now. And they are SOOOooo good roasted. How can this be? This is a fail. And I had to let Donna down easy that the search would continue.
Trying to be helpful I pointed her to the Brussels sprouts recipes I did have on my site at that point. I have them shredded and steamed with garlic and sautéed with chorizo. But I definitely did not have roasted Brussels sprouts on here. (Yet.)
Update, since I shared this post I have also shared these Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon! OMG!!
So you’re wondering why does this really matter that much, why do I remember the email coming in. It’s what my friend recently told me is called a lollypop moment. It was the moment where I had an epiphany, thanks to Donna, she gave me a lollypop, and made a subtle pivot point in my food blogging journey. I alluded to it here in my year in review post.
What I mean is, that Lollypop moment was the realization that you guys love me for my veggies. And you come here for the veggies. For my Brussels sprouts. And I am so relieved to not have to pretend that I am someone else, because I LOVE vegetables and can rock a roasted Brussels sprouts recipe like it is my job. (Hey, it is.)
Once I had that moment it was like things got a lot easier. I didn’t have to worry about hashtagpaleocopycats anymore. You just want the veggies. And I am all over that.
So here they are, one year later. They’re back in season, and it’s almost Thanksgiving. I sure hope Donna comes back and gives these roasted Brussels sprouts a try.
So how did I make them?
5 Tips for the best Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- First and foremost, you have to get your oven hot. When you’re roasting veggies, you want to roast them hot so that they don’t steam in their own juices. You can read more about how liquid impedes caramelization here.
- Cut your Brussels sprouts in half, or not. You just want to make sure they are all the same size. I like to cut them in half so that they cook more quickly. I figure since I am trimming them anyway, I may as well cut them in half. Plus I like the way the flat surface gives more opportunity for a good sear!
- Avoid burning. Because you’re going for browning, you don’t want to add things that, when chopped fine, will burn like garlic. If you do want to add garlic to roasted vegetables, that’s fine, just stir it in toward the end and only roast it for the last 5 or so minutes. I left it out entirely here since I wanted this recipe to be as easy as possible.
- Choose the right pan. You want a large rimmed baking sheet. I almost exclusively use half sheet pan. You can get them at Williams Sonoma or the Pampered Chef. Or if there is a restaurant supply store that is open to the public that will be the cheapest place to find them. One thing to know about half sheet pans is that they are made out of reactive aluminum and you shouldn’t use them with acidic ingredients. That’s why I drizzle the Balsamic on after it’s in the serving dish.
- Season it up! Speaking of balsamic vinegar. I used balsamic here because it is so simple and the sweetness of the vinegar goes so well with the roasty toasty nuttiness of the Brussels sprouts. I also used thyme since I have some growing in my garden (still!) and it will definitely be elsewhere in our Thanksgiving menu, so I know that this will jive with the other flavors in the meal.
Menu Ideas For This Recipe
Because Thanksgiving is only one night, I should say that if you (or Donna) want to make it a meal on another night, these Roasted Brussels Sprouts would be divine served with these delicious Coffee Crusted Pork Chops by My Gluten-Free Miami!
And to really take that meal to the next level add in these Salt and Vinegar Smashed Sweet Potatoes by Allergylicious. Seriously… brussels, sweet potatoes and pork chops… dinner is served!
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
- This is surprisingly easy, but full of flavor: Roasted Cauliflower with Curry.
- In this recipe for Roasted Carrots they can be made with or without Onions. They go with everything!
- These Roasted Green Beans with Almonds are classic and elegant!
- Try making Roasted Broccoli with Cauliflower with Cheese too!
- These Roasted Parsnips and these Roasted Turnips are both great ways to use underappreciated root veggies.
- We make this Roasted Butternut Squash with Smoked Paprika all the time and it is amazing!
- Did you know you can even roast cabbage? It’s true! Try this Curry Roasted Cabbage!
Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!
Printroasted brussels sprouts with balsamic and thyme
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic and thyme are the perfect Thanksgiving vegetarian side dish! And they’re ready in 45 minutes leaving you time to focus on the rest of the meal.
Ingredients
- 8 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped toasted sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, thyme salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once or twice until softened and browning in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving platter or bowl. Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 828 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
I love Brussels sprouts, they are one of my favorite vegetables! This looks delicious!
I love Brussels sprouts too Marye! This is why we are friends! Have a great day.
I sure wish my family loved brussels as much as I did, because I could eat these every night
Well if you do make them, the bright side is there will be more for you! Ha ha! 🙂 Thanks so much for coming by Heather.
Brussels sprouts are a family favorite especially around the holidays…this sounds wonderful. xo, Catherine
I’m so glad my family loves them too! Have a great day Catherine.
I really look forward to your posts Katie and this one doesn’t disappoint. Images are stunning and the food is even better. Thank you so much for posting healthy recipes that are also delicious.
Thank you so much. That isreally nice of you to say. Have a great week!
Katie,
I just have to try these brussels sprouts- they look so good! I had some luck growing them last year, but this year my garden looked like a pinterest fail posting with our lack of rain and abundance of rabbits. Sounds like you had better luck! Beautiful photos as usual!
That happened to us with rabbits years ago, and Jase took revenge with a bb gun. That reminds me, I never did cook it. Our vegetable garden didn’t get chowed as badly by rabbits this year because we added a layer of chicken wire inside the wooden fence and buried it down into the soil. That said those little green worms went to town on my kale. It’s always something!
This dish is delicious! Brussels sprouts were never a favorite growing up so I had been reluctant to try them again. The balsamic vinegar added a great contrast to the roasted sprouts and the toasted almonds…Mmmm. They were a big hit! Thank you Katie. Your photos are stunning too. Healthy eating never looked so good.
Thank you so much Kathy! I am really glad you liked them and I appreciate your coming back by to review!
Not a big fan of brussel sprouts but I like them roasted with a splash of aceto balsamico 🙂
Family fan favorite!
★★★★★
Hi Kristen. I am so psyched you tried this one and that the family likes it! Thanks for rating today! Have a great week!