Best Brussels Sprouts
The best way to make Brussels sprouts, caramelized with honey and Dijon mustard on the stovetop. Super easy and guaranteed to turn a Brussels sprouts hater into a fan.
I had Brussels sprouts for the very first time in my 30's. My parents never made them when I was growing up. Then I got married. Oh boy. Lots of things my husband liked I had never had before.
Early in our married life he said he had a hankering for Brussels sprouts. Yes, he said hankering, or maybe our friend Jim said that. Can't remember. So the good wife that I was (and sometimes still am) bought some fresh Brussels sprouts to make for my husband.
Yuck. Have no idea how I made them, probably boiled or steamed the heck out of them and then put some butter on them. Hated them and the smell.
Fast forward several years and I tried again. This time I hit the jackpot. Fresh Brussels sprouts, sautéed in olive oil and butter until caramelized and crisp-tender. Then, the secret -- honey and dijon mustard.
HOW TO CLEAN AND PREPARE BRUSSELS SPROUTS
It's easy to prepare fresh sprouts. With a sharp paring knife, trim off the ends. Remove any outer leaves that are discolored, yellowed or brown. Then rinse under cold water. Cut sprouts in half, through the stem, and keep any leaves that fall off in the process. They make the best little crispy pieces. They're ready to go now.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat some butter and olive oil in a skillet, add the prepared sprouts and a sprinkle of salt.
- Sauté and stir until nicely browned and crisp tender.
- Plop in some Dijon and a swirl or two of honey.
- Stir to combine and continue caramelizing a few minutes, season with salt and pepper.
And sometimes I cook and caramelize the sprouts in bacon drippings, because ~ yum ~ and because I almost always save my bacon grease (drippings sounds better) and keep in the fridge. Really, really good in bacon fat. Just sayin'
RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS
- Look for smaller Brussels sprouts that are hard and compact. The smaller ones are usually sweeter and just the right size.
- Keep any of the good outer leaves that fall off and toss in the pan, too. They make the best crispy bits!
- Use a good quality Dijon mustard, like Maille. It has a really good flavor and bite to it.
- I just eyeball everything, which is to say that the following "recipe" is open to interpretation. I plop in some mustard and drizzle some honey. I did my best to pay attention to measurements on how I make this. You should start here and then adjust to your tastes.
- Try bacon drippings instead of butter and olive oil. Bacon and Brussels sprouts are a match made in heaven.
Not too long ago my husband texted from work asking me how I make my Brussels sprouts. I asked why and he said he was telling a couple of women he worked with about them and they wanted the "recipe"... weird.
This is the way we all (yes, the kids too) love Brussels sprouts. Next time you have a hankering for Brussels sprouts, try these. You won't be disappointed. Best, Kelly🍴🐦
Two other vegetable side dishes my family loves, and you might, too, are Glazed Carrots and Spinach Rockefeller, both perfect for the holiday table.
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UPDATED: Originally posted in June, 2015, when I first started this blog. Recently updated in November, 2019, with spruced up copy and photos. No changes to original recipe.
Best Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ~ or about 2 tablespoon or more of bacon drippings, instead of butter and oil
- 1 tablespoon good quality Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey ~ I really do just eyeball the amounts of mustard and honey
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Over medium high heat, melt butter and olive oil in large nonstick pan.
- Add brussels sprouts, toss to mix and add a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook and stir until brown and crisp-tender
- Stir in mustard and honey until well combined and caramelized, a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Look for smaller Brussels sprouts that are hard and compact.
- Keep any of the good outer leaves that fall off and toss in the pan, too. They make the best crispy bits!
- Try bacon drippings instead of butter and olive oil. Bacon and Brussels sprouts are a match made in heaven.
Delicious...easy to prepare
Always my family's favorite, I don't make them any other way!
I got Paula ( who will not eat them when I roast them), to try them. She loves them.
Hahaha! That's great, I know how she feels but they are so good this way, even my kids love them!
Thanks for sharing! Do they reheat well?
I think so, we reheat them all the time if we have any leftovers.
These look so good! It is so nice to spice up brussell sprouts. There's no reason not to like them!
Agreed!
My hankering for brussels sprouts has been fulfilled.
I don't honestly see why you would want to mess with Brussels Sprouts, they are delicious steamed or boiled and nothing else.
I found your lamb roast recipe the other day and cooked it. I only have a small 3 qt Instant Pot so cut the amounts down. However, I used the 40-45 setting as you had suggested. In my opinion it was still a bit long - maybe 5 minutes or so. Just thought I would let you know. It was delicious by the way.
Absolutely love this recipe! I also just started eating brussel sprouts and love trying new ways to cook them.
I'm glad you tried them this way, so good and easy.
Can I use frozen Brussel sprouts?
I'm not sure, I've only used fresh for this recipe. You could try but I find frozen Brussels to be mushy... ?? Let me know if you try and how it turns out.
These ROCK! This is my 6th or 7th time making these and I just have to come on here to say thanks. Really adds flavor and dimension to the veggie I hated growing up. And, couldn't be easier. Love them!
Yay! This is how I always make them, never disappoints.
Amazingly simple and delicious!
I have loved Brussels Sprouts since I was
a child. Later on my husband would roast them-he did all of the cooking (which I loved). My husband passed away 4 years ago and I just recently started cooking for myself. I tried this recipe and it was glorious!! It was also faster than roasting and I’m a sucker for anything carmelized!
Thanks for sharing with me! I'm so glad you liked these Brussels sprouts. My dad did all the cooking too, and my mom has been cooking for herself for awhile now. She loves these Brussels!
Made these tonight and they were super! I love love love Brussels Sprouts anyway and make them all sorts of ways (although I had kind of settled on roasting them as my go-to). But this. This just might be my new all-the-time favorite. Thanks so much for sharing it!!
I don't remember seeing any approximate time it takes "in the fry pan to cook and stir till brown." I have no idea how long it takes to cook and stir....using med. high heat or low heat?
Hurry please, I want to make these in two days for a dinner. Thank you in advance.
Medium heat, stirring occasionally until browned, and crisp tender when pierced with a knife, usually about 8 to 10 minutes. It’s really your preference how tender you want your sprouts, I like them very brown but not mushy. After adding the mustard and honey, I only cook another couple of minutes. Hope that helps!
This is my new favorite brussels sprouts recipe! If I have bacon on hand, I like to cook a few slices, remove them from the pan, cook the brussels sprouts in the bacon fat (omitting the other oils and butters), and then throw the crumbled bacon back in at the end. With or without the bacon, these sprouts are delicious!
Ok, so for the sake of honesty: if you put honey mustard on a shoe, I'd probably still try to eat it. That's how much I love honey mustard. That being said: these Brussels sprouts were SO SO SO tasty. I don't think I'll even bother ever making them any other way. The jury's still out on what my fiancé thinks because he absolutely hates mustard, but we'll see. 🙂
Thanks for letting me know how your's turned out. I ALWAYS make Brussels sprouts this way, so good! Hope your fiancé liked them ?