The easiest Thanksgiving brussels sprouts ever! Start them in a cold pan for crispy, evenly cooked sprouts. Finish with a maple-miso mix for amazing flavor with just 5 ingredients, including oil and salt!
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Thanksgiving for two: Maple Miso Brussels Sprouts
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
Description
The easiest Thanksgiving brussels sprouts ever! Start them in a cold pan for crispy, evenly cooked sprouts. Finish with a maple-miso mix for amazing flavor with just 5 ingredients, including oil and salt!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil, divided
- ½ lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large, cold (!) nonstick pan. Swirl to make sure the bottom is coated.
- Arrange ½ lb halved brussels sprouts, cut side down, in a single layer. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil all over.
- Place pan over medium to medium-high (depending on how strong your stove is) heat and cover. Let cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove lid and check the bottom of the sprouts. They should be a an even light brown. If you still have some white spots or uneven browning due to hot spots on your stove, move the sprouts around a bit (but keep them all cut side down), recover and let cook for another few minutes.
- Once the sprouts are all a light brown, remove the lid and continue cooking until they are a more golden brown and a knife easily pierces through. This normally takes another 5 minutes for me, but just hang around and keep checking!
- While the sprouts finish cooking, combine 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon white miso paste in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Once sprouts are a golden brown, add maple-miso mixture and toss everything to combine. Let cook for 1-2 minutes to let everything caramelize.
- Taste a sprout and then add salt as needed (miso is salty, so I like to taste first. Generally I end up using about ¼ teaspoon!).
Brussels sprouts are no stranger to my Thanksgiving table, but I think these really might be my BEST. And they are so SO easy!!
I've been using this cold-pan technique for sprouts ever since I first saw it on America's Test Kitchen. It's just the perfect way to get crispy, yet tender, sprouts on the stove top.
These are especially wonderful for a small-batch Thanksgiving because you probably don't have to worry about finding the largest pan on earth to fit all the little guys you need (single-layer is VERY important here).
Why a cold pan?
Two words: Even cooking.
Starting the sprouts in a cold pan allows them to cook slowly and evenly, which is exactly what you want here. Covering them for the first 5 minutes lets them steam so you have a tender bite, while the oil and space in the pan gives you a crispy outside.
But listen, the sprouts MUST be in a single layer and ideally with a little space in between. You really need to give them space, otherwise they won't really crisp up. Again, this is why it's perfect for a smaller batch!
If oven space is not an issue for you, you can definitely roast these! I like to toss with oil and then roast at 425, cut side down for 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of my sprouts). Just keep an eye on them and take them out when they look perfect to you. I take mine to the edge of burnt, but that's just me!
Then you'll add the maple miso sauce, toss and stick back in the oven for another minute. Done!
Maple miso finisher
When the sprouts are just about finished cooking (which will take less than 15 minutes thankyouverymuch), you're going to toss them in a little maple-miso mix which adds the perfect sweet and salty flavor.
The final minute of cooking caramelizes the sprouts a bit and makes them borderline addictive.
Looking for more brussels sprout recipes?
I got you!
- These caramelized apple butter brussels sprouts are similar, but a little sweeter!
- If you're looking for a more salad-like side, I love this brussels sprouts salad with bacon and apple vinaigrette.
- More crispy shredded sprouts!
- Lastly, for something a little different, I love this brussels and cauliflower rice situation. I eat it like twice a month throughout the year, but it's a great, easy side for Thanksgiving. (p.s. it's great with a little bacon added in.)
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