Grill/Barbecue
by: kitchenwitchcookie
October11,2022
4.6
5 Ratings
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Cook time 15 minutes
- Serves 2-4
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
My husband turned me into a huge Brussels sprouts fan with this fuss-free, endlessly adaptable recipe. He varies it a little each time, but the result is always delicious.
Helpful tools for this recipe:
- GIR Grill Tongs
- Five Two Essential Knives
- Yellowware Mixing Bowl
—kitchenwitchcookie
Test Kitchen Notes
Grilled Brussels sprouts? Yes, please, and thank you. We were drawn to this recipe because it approaches this fall-favorite vegetable in a way we'd never tried before. First, you blanch the sprouts in boiling salted water, and then you coat them in a mixture of olive oil, celery salt, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper before charring them lightly on the grill. Another toss in the seasoned oil, and they're ready to eat.
Grilling the Brussels sprouts gives them a nice smokiness, and it really wakes up the flavors in the onion and garlic powders. Of the optional ingredients, we chose to add only the lemon zest and really liked the extra bit of perfume. Next time, we'd love to add in some crispy pancetta in place of the bacon (or leftover diced ham!).
Kitchenwitchcookie rightly insists that you blanch the sprouts for no more than 5 minutes—if you like your sprouts a bit firm, as we do, you can get away with a minute or two shorter. Take them too far and they'll fall apart on the grill. The easiest way to check their progress is to pull a Brussel sprout and give it a (careful, it's hot!) taste. When you drain them, they should be slightly firmer than you'd like—remember, they're going to keep cooking on the grill.
Now, a note about that blanching water: "Salted" means generously salted. We estimate about 1 tablespoon kosher salt (we use Diamond Crystal) per 1 quart water. This will help season the sprouts throughout as they cook.
If you don't have an outdoor grill (or if you're making these in the dead of winter), a grill pan will work just fine. Make sure you heat it up generously before adding the Brussels sprouts—they should sizzle as soon as they hit the pan. If they threaten to stick when you're trying to flip them, just give them another minute or so and they'll usually un-stick themselves.
We love serving this alongside any roasted or grilled protein—from chicken to fish—but this "side" could easily serve as a main, too. Top with some halved, soft-boiled eggs and plop a crusty loaf of bread alongside. Or toss the Brussels sprouts with hot pasta and lots of grated cheese. —The Editors
- Test Kitchen-Approved
- Best Brussel Sprouts Contest Winner
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Best Grilled BrusselsSprouts
Ingredients
- 12 small to medium Brussels sprouts
- 1 1/2 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoonkosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoononion powder
- 1 teaspoongarlic powder
- 1 teaspooncelery salt
- 1 handfulcrumbled bacon (optional)
- 1 teaspoongrated lemon zest (optional)
- 1 tablespoonParmesan cheese grated or shredded (optional)
Directions
- First, clean the sprouts. Trim the cut ends back without interfering with the leaves, and peel any withered leaves off the bulb. Score the bottoms; one cut will suffice.
- Add the sprouts to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook, about 5 minutes.
- Drain well, then drizzle with oil and toss in a bowl with the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery salt.
- Place sprouts on a hot grill, turning every 4 minutes for a total of 12 minutes.
- Remove from the grill back to the seasoning bowl and toss to coat with any remaining seasoning.
- If desired, add any or all of the remaining three ingredients (bacon, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese). Serve immediately.
Tags:
- American
- Brussel Sprouts
- Grill/Barbecue
- Winter
- Fall
- Side
Contest Entries
- Best Brussel Sprouts
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60 Reviews
Lisa H. January 15, 2017
I am making these for the family tonight. The only person that likes them is our oldest son. So I am hoping this recipe and 2017 will give BS the much needed love it deserves..
GiGi E. November 17, 2015
Yes! I need to grill brussels sprouts! HAPPENING! :P
Christina June 24, 2015
Why blanch? For the color? I cook sprouts on the grill every couple of weeks and it never occurred to me to blanch them, they cook up just fine without that extra step (and water waste since we are in a drought in our area). Also if you buy them still on the stalk, it is the perfect natural skewer!
WildFly September 19, 2014
These came out great! Excellent recipe.
Ashley M. April 13, 2014
We've made these twice now, and they're perfection every time.
Heather P. January 26, 2014
Having these for dinner tomorrow
Jewel P. July 27, 2013
I've never liked brussel sprouts, ever! I have tried them over and over in my 39 years only to be disappointed. I can't even believe how wonderful this recipe is. I am now a huge fan of brussel sprouts done this way. I am so glad for sites like this, so people like me who want to like all foods, can. Thank you for this recipe!!
KRo May 19, 2013
Just curious, how do you put them on the grill? In a pan? Maybe I'm missing something here?
DesireeDuym February 18, 2013
Thank you for such a great way to enjoy brussels sprouts! We love a bit of spice; so I added a squirt or two of Sriracha Chili Sauce to the marinade! So delicious!
KitchVega August 14, 2012
Really enjoyed these and they will be on rotation!
cakillgore April 17, 2012
I used the COSTCO 2 lb bag of brussell sprouts (yielded 72 small brussel sprouts). I changed the recipe to accommodate the batch. Loved the end result, but way too much salt again, after reading all your comments as well as kitchenwitchcookie, I agree, very flexible with seasonings. Next time (which there will be many times I make this) I'll elilminate the salt, and cut some of the celery salt in half. The grilled consistency makes them more fun to eat, and were perfect side for our grilled steaks.
cakillgore April 17, 2012
I used the COSTCO 2 lb bag of brussell sprouts (yielded 72 small brussel sprouts). I changed the recipe to accommodate the batch. Loved the end result, but way too much salt again, after reading all your comments as well as kitchenwitchcookie, I agree, very flexible with seasonings. Next time (which there will be many times I make this) I'll elilminate the salt, and cut some of the celery salt in half. The grilled consistency makes them more fun to eat, and were perfect side for our grilled steaks.
wickedkac March 20, 2012
I made these tonight and they were fantastic! Through an odd mishap/misunderstanding, there was a little balsamic vinegar mixed into the oil mixture- maybe one to two teaspoons. Even so, they were delicious. I added bit of lemon juice and lemon zest to finish, intentionally, and they had such a great fresh taste- really excellent. Overall, they were a hit in a pretty high stakes meal!
Ileana M. March 19, 2012
Love sprouts, but I haven't tried grilling them yet. That first photo looks amazing!
chicagoem February 9, 2012
Just tried this recipe for the first time and thought it was great! Instead of grilling I roasted them in a 400 degree oven on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roasted for about 20 minutes stirring every 6-7 minutes.
Kourtney August 16, 2011
I have always shied away from cooking brussel sprouts but your recipe sounded interesting. Can I just say....wow....amazing. My husband loved them and so did I! Thank you so much for sharing good food.
Rachel G. July 25, 2011
http://rachelgaffney.blogspot.com/
THank you so much.... I just made these yesterday and shared that I found it through Huffington Post...can't seem to add link for some reason (on my end) otherwise I would. Thanks...They were delicious.
Rachel Gaffney
DeArmasA February 19, 2011
I've made this twice, both times in the oven (too lazy to fire up the grill), and maybe my brussels sprouts are ginormous, but i found cutting them in half (the second time) got more of the dressing onto more of the sprouts and made it even yummier! Thank you so much for posting!
kitchenwitchcookie July 12, 2011
Cutting them in half is a great idea for larger sprouts. And you're right, that means more surface area for the seasoning. Yum!
Diethood December 1, 2010
Maybe this is a way that I can get my household to eat brussel sprouts. I love them, but everyone else around here runs from them. I'll definitely try these. Thanks!
kitchenwitchcookie July 12, 2011
Yes, my husband has made believers out of a few people in my family with this recipe. Also make sure you have very fresh brussel sprouts. That helps with the final flavor profile.
marynn November 27, 2010
KWC, I made these for the neighborhood Thanksgiving. They were spotted immediately, or should I say smelled immediately, and were gone by the time I made it through the buffet line. Plenty of green bean casserole (no disrespect--I like a bite or two) and all the rest, but a Brussels sprout blowout. Many, many thanks.
kitchenwitchcookie July 12, 2011
Yes, these are a great Thanksgiving dish. Glad to hear that your crowd received them so well! (Hope they left you a few, at least!)
