Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (2024)

Vegetable Sides
Frying
Brussels Sprouts
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Christmas Sides

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated August 30, 2018

(7)

Why It Works

Deep frying Brussels sprouts is a sure-fire cooking technique that brings out the best flavor with a crispy outside.
Not overcrowding the fryer and maintaining oil temperature ensures crisp and tender Brussels sprouts, not greasy or undercooked.

Before you continue reading, may I kindly suggest you do the following in order to save yourself some time in the future: Drop what you are doing right now, and shoot an email to all of your Thanksgiving guests informing them of the menu change you are about to make. This year, you will be frying your Brussels sprouts.

I apologize for the imperative tone of the first paragraph of this post—normally I'd strongly suggest or heartily endorse a recipe. In this case, however, the results are incredible enough that not only do I think you should try it, I insistthat you do. I take full responsibility if you aren't completely blown away by how tasty the results are.

Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (3)

The first time I tried deep fried Brussels sprouts was in Austin, Texas. First in the form of asalad sopped with aromatics and a fried steam bunat Paul Qui'sEast Side King, shortly followed by the awesomely addictive and well-lovedfried Brussels sprouts with lemon chili at Uchi.

Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (4)

When you fry them, Brussels sprouts become everything you love about Brussels sprouts with none of their downsides: the nutty aroma, the mildly sweet flavor, the just-tender-but-still-crisp interior. Couple that with the crisply frizzled edges and tiny pockets perfect for coating in a sweet-tart sauce, and you've got the perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving flavor-bomb.

Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (5)

The key to perfectly fried Brussels sprouts is to use enough oil,and to work in batches. The goal is to get the exteriors to brown and frizzle just as the interiors barely finish cooking. If you try and add too many sprouts at once or you don't use enough oil, the temperature will drop and your sprouts will end up overcooking by the time they crisp properly, leaving you with soft, greasy centers. Here's some additional information on how to deep fry at home without a deep fryer.

But honestly, it's a pretty foolproof technique, especially compared to other stove-top methods like searing or pan-roasting, which require a careful eye and constant attention to ensure that they're cooking at the right rate. With deep fried sprouts, all you gotta do is heat your oil, dump your sprouts in, and wait.

Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe (6)

A few minutes later, they emerge.Crisp, golden brown, and glistening.Want to get extra fancy? Throw a few sliced shallots in there with' em. They frizzle up in about the same time, becoming as sweet and aromatic as the best onion ring. You can eat everything as-is with just some salt and pepper, but I like tossing them in the followinghoney and balsamic vinegar.

The best part is that deep-frying conforms perfectly to my philosophy of using as many different cooking methods as possible on Thanksgiving day (or any other big meal) in order to make sure that food isn't fighting for oven or pan space. The sprouts fry up easily in the time it takes the turkey to rest.

Recipe Details

Fried Brussels Sprouts With Shallots, Honey, and Balsamic Vinegar Recipe

Active20 mins

Total20 mins

Serves8to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 quarts vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
3 poundsBrussels sprouts, stems trimmed, outer leaves removed, split in half
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine honey, balsamic vinegar, and parsley in a small bowl and set aside.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels. In a 14-inch wok or 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil to 400°F. Add half of Brussels sprouts and half of shallots. Oil temperature will drop to around 325°F. Adjust heat to maintain this temperature. Cook, stirring and agitating with a metal spider (a small metal strainer that has a long handle) until Brussels sprouts are deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet. Reheat oil to 400°F and repeat with remaining sprouts and shallots.
Transfer sprouts and shallots to a large bowl and add dressing. Toss to combine, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Special Equipment

deep fryer, 6-quart Dutch oven, or 14-inch wok, spider

This Recipe Appears In

The Food Lab: My Favorite Brussels Sprouts Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
210	Calories
15g	Fat
18g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories	210
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g	19%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 126mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 18g	7%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 88mg	439%
Calcium 58mg	4%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 502mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)