There are so many amazing restaurants in Portland. Living here is a foodie’s dream.
We recently tried Lardo (a food cart turned restaurant), which has become quite famous for its coma-inducing sandwiches. However, after sampling a few items all I could think about was recreating their crispy fried Brussels sprouts.
They’re perfectly tender with a crisp bite, and are tossed in a creamy, bright-orange “mustard” sauce that’s amazing. It’s quite possibly what dreams are made of.
For the sauce I went for spicy with loads of Sriracha*. I also think these would also be amazing with a creamy sweet “honey mustard” sauce, which you can adapt from this dressing recipe if you’d rather. Either way, the sprouts are where it’s at.
Note: sriracha is a spicy condiment originating in Thailand. You can read more about its origin story here.
I’m calling these sprouts “Faux Fried” because they’re flash “fried” or sautéed in a very hot skillet to give them that crispy outer edge and tender center.
The beauty of this over roasting? No preheating required, and the whole recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, start to finish. Also? Just 10 ingredients including the sauce.
I’m absolutely smitten with these guys. They’re
Savory
Crisp
Tender on the inside
Garlicky
Dunked in creamy sriracha aioli
& Seriously dreamy
These would make the perfect healthier appetizer or side dish for any weeknight meal, or to bust out when you want to impress friends.
I made a big batch and enjoyed leftovers reheated for lunch and alongside breakfast! The dipping sauce is certainly optional, but in my opinion, the sauce takes them to the next level.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with. Cheers!
Crispy Garlic Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha Aioli
Ingredients
SPROUTS
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts (rinsed and thoroughly dried)
- 3-4 Tbsp avocado, refined coconut or olive oil (any oil with high smoke point – check bottle)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
SRIRACHA AIOLI
- 3/4 cup your favorite hummus*
- 1 Tbsp sriracha (or sub hot sauce)
- 1/2 medium lemon (juiced)
- 1 pinch each sea salt + garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular)
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
TOPPING
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, scallions)
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet to medium high heat and cut any larger Brussels sprouts in half.
- Add to a mixing bowl and toss with a generous amount of oil and season generously with salt.
- Once the pan is hot, add a bit more oil to the pan and only as many sprouts as will fit without crowding the pan.
- Cover and cook for 1 minute, then use tongs to toss and turn over halved sprouts to cook both sides evenly. Cover once more and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Shake the pan once more to toss the sprouts and then cover for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and immediately add back to the (empty) mixing bowl. Top with minced garlic and season again with salt. Continue cooking other batches until all of the sprouts are sautéed.
- To serve, sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese, herbs of choice, and serve with Sriracha aioli or preferred dipping sauce. These would also be delicious with a honey mustard sauce like this one (just leave it thicker for dipping).
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a few days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a skillet or (gasp) the microwave.
Notes
*Instead of hummus, you could also sub vegan or regular mayonnaise. I just preferred the taste of hummus.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Kim says
Yum… the brussel sprouts came out wonderfully using this method. A lot less time and energy than roasting in the oven. The brussel sprouts and sriracha aioli were delicious together and on their own. The sriracha aioli reminded me of a plant-based queso I can sometimes find at Costco and I tasted great on my tacos and as a nacho dip for my kids. :) My oldest daughter who is super picky enjoyed the sriracha aioli quite a bit!
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed. Thanks so much for the great review, Kim!
Marisol Mendoza says
The Brussels sprouts are great but the sauce is the BOMB!!! I imagine it’s delicious on sandwiches and as veggie dip!!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marisol. Thanks for sharing!
Savanna says
Soooooo this is actually the second recipe I have made off this site. The other was actually some years ago.
So first of all, I made this recipe exactly as it is written. Exactly. I made this as a side for Christmas dinner.
I haven’t eaten Brussel sprouts since I was a kid. And I really didn’t think I liked them. But wanted to give this recipe a try. So glad I did. This was epic.
A couple notes
-All of my sprouts were small, but my pan may have been too big because not all of them were that amazing crisply fried crunchy greatness. Will definitely cut all of them in half next time to make them cook more evenly.
-The dip was GREAT- but I love hummus. So be aware that although the flavor is very different from hummus- you can still taste the hummus. I used Cedar’s brand since I didn’t have time to make any. I also dipped my broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower in it. Total win. But the sprouts were the stars.
Thank you for a really tasty recipe. I will definitely ear a lot more veggies with great dips and methods like this.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Savanna. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Sarah says
I make roasted Brussels sprouts all the time. So I was looking for something to make them more epic for thanksgiving. This was it. The sriracha aioli sauce was SOO good. It elevates the Brussels to the next level. So creamy and tasty yet still vegan! I’m definitely putting this sauce in my rotation because it was just so damn good. Thanks for this awesome recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Alexis says
This aioli is beyond delicious. It goes well on everything. Thank you!
Eugenia says
Just made these and eating them now. The brussels sprouts are DELICIOUS even without any dipping sauce. I made the sriracha aioli using the 5-min microwave hummus (which is super tasty by the way) and hot sauce to substitute for the sriracha sauce and did not really like it very much. Instead, I used the left over hummus as the dipping sauce and it pairs perfectly! I also tried them the honey mustard sauce (just regular honey with mustard mixed up – I didn’t have the ingredients for the no-honey mustard sauce in hand…) and that pairs great with the sprouts as well. Thank you so much for this recipe! I never really enjoyed eating brussels sprouts before. They are so tasty!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Eugenia. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Rhoda L says
This is soooo good! I used rice wine vinegar (coz I’m Asian;) & honey coz that’s what I got. Best delicious baby Brussels sprouts I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Rhoda. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Amy Grigg says
Made this as a Thanksgiving side dish this year, received lots of compliments on the sprouts and especially the sauce (“what is in this???”). This is going in my special ultimate-favorite recipes notebook for sure!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this, Amy! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Liz Mason says
Is Avocado oil ok to use? Or you only recommend using extra virgin olive oil?
Avocado oil is fine!
Elizabeth Taylor says
My boyfriend – who claimed he hated Brussels sprouts – LOVED it! Had 2 helpings and said it was fantastic. I made it exactly as written. I used a bit too much salt for my taste, so I’ll use less next time.
Diana Gardiner says
Hi Dana, this sounds awesome. Could I sub white wine vinegar for the apple cider vinegar? If not could you suggest something else?
Cheers!
London UK
Yes, that should work!
Maria says
This was delicious!
Xoe Solrana says
I was so excited for this recipe after buying a bunch of brussels sprouts from the farmers’ market. Love spice and Oregon has such a good food culture, but . . . I put these fresh little sprouts in the pan and they turned into gorgeous bright green rocks. I eventually had to turn the heat down to keep them from turning into little briquettes. All in all, it took about 20 minutes over the heat (mostly covered) to get them soft enough, and by then they were fine – I mean brussels dipped in sriracha hummus can’t be bad – but none of the crispy fried goodness I was going for. Suggestions? (Sorry if this question sounds vapid -I am so not a cook.
I would recommend throwing some oil over them and roasting for longer!
Amber says
LOVE these. Made them tonight for me and my boyfriend. Followed the directions exactly but in addition to the fresh garlic I mixed some ground mustard seed (it reactivates the sulforaphane in cruciferous that gets destroyed by heat—VERY health beneficial). We both absolutely loved them. And the dipping sauce is also great with MinimalistBaker’s black bean falafel!
Whoop! We are glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed them, Amber!
Carrie says
Hi Dana. I have constructed soooo many meals from your website, it’s crazy. Your recipes are just amazing and I’m a huge fan. My hubs and I have been vegan for going on 3 years now and have gone totally SOS-free because of continuing health issues related to oil and salt intake. I sure wish you had more of those kinds of recipes. For instance, we adore Brussels sprouts but sautéing them in water or veggie stock leaves them soggy and disappointing. Since oil has been labeled the ‘vegan killer’, it would be a tremendously helpful (and healthful!) addition to your site to see alternate ways to create your delicious, edible works of food art minus the salt, sugar and oil. Thank you SO much for everything you’ve contributed to the plant-based community! ❤️
Hi Carrie! Thanks for reaching out! I will pass this request along and am glad you have found our recipes helpful :D
Laurie says
I made this and it was delicious! Just remember that the sauce will only be as good as the hummus base. If the hummus is meh, the sauce will taste meh. My favorite hummus is either homemade or Hope brand original flavor hummus. I cannot get enough of the stuff! The Minimalist Baker is a treasure trove of deliciousness! Y’all are always my first tap when I need to find a great and easy recipe. You’ve made my almost six years of plant based eating fun and delicious. Thank you so much!
Ally S says
This was so so so good!! The sriracha aioli put it over the top! Even my daughter who doesn’t usually like Brussels sprouts liked it!
Yay! We are glad to hear it, Ally!
Kylie says
These went fast in my house. I love how quick it took (compared to roasting them in the oven). My 10 year old made the aoli while I cooked the brussels. Used hot sauce since we didn’t have sriracha and it was the perfect amount of heat.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Kylie!
Beth says
I’m curious why you put olive oil as an oil with a high smoke point? As far as I know olive oil is best for low heat/no heat..and can be very unhealthy for you if used with high heat.
Hi Beth! Thanks for reaching out. High quality extra virgin olive oils (with low free fatty acids) have a high smoke point, where as mass produced, lower quality olive oils have a much lower smoke point. We recommend checking the bottle to see what it recommends! Hope this helps.
Elizabeth A May says
Could you make these into brussel sprout tacos?
Hi! We haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it turns out!
Erin Mistretta says
I’ve been making a rendition of these as a side dish for our weekly homemade pizza night. I typically pluck off the leaves of the brussels sprouts and bake them in the oven to get some extra crispiness. Vegan mayo was my go-to condiment to make an aioli, but the hummus substitution was WAY better! I rarely have vegan mayo in the house. Yet another fabulous recipe by Dana! I think about 70% of my dinner menu each week comes from your blog :)
So kind! xoxo!
Melissa says
Hi – Will I ruin these if I make them a day ahead and reheat? Thanks!!!
Mara says
These were really yummy. BTW, Dana, have you ever considered being on the Food Network show, “Chopped”? I think you’d have a really good chance of winning. :)
Jan says
I made these for Christmas dinner and everyone LOVED it! I don’t love the flavor of smoked anything, and didn’t love the aioli when I first made it. I added more lemon juice, and the next day when I used the sauce the smoked flavor had mellowed and was fantastic. I’m sharing this with friends, will make this again and will put the aioli on EVERYTHING!
Cathy Kandianis says
You are a GENIUS!!! I planned to make this as a side dish for Thanksgiving 2016. Amidst the cooking chaos, the sprouts were never tossed with garlic or topped with cheese. But HOLY COW was the mixture of sprouts and sriracha hummus good! The sauce has a sweet, slow burn… perfectly complementing the earthiness of the sprouts. My post-Thanksgiving breakfast? A toasted kaiser roll with sprouts and sriracha aioli. Thank you!!!
Pam says
I always held a stigma against brussel sprouts, but wowzers, this was super fab. I sprinkled onion powder in the pan as well with the sprouts and added some horseradish root to the aioli sauce (we used mayo this time, but I’m sure hummus would be great too).
Nancy says
Wow that looks so good! I was looking for a recipe to use up some fresh brussels sprouts my son brought home from the farmers market. Cant wait to dig in!
Kristen says
Made these yesterday. It was first time eating Brussels sprouts and I love them! The sause is amazing.
Rob says
We’ve made this twice since having the version they serve at BJ’s Brewhouse. The second time we substituted Just Mayo by Hampton Creek for the hummus. We liked it better that way. Keep the great recipes coming!
Rebecca says
Made this today. I have been using this blog a lot lately and thought I would chime in that these were delicious. I love that feeling when I’ve eaten a huge plate of healthy food, and it was so good I feel like I was eating cake or something. Creamy, flavorful, yum! I literally had only this for lunch. Keep the vegan recipes coming.
Connor says
the brussel sprouts are good. for me the sauce wasn’t amazing, but still added to the dish. I’d suggest cutting recipe for the sauce in half if you use 1lb of brussels. overall an enjoyable dish. …but 5 garlic cloves? you must be out yo mind.
Tara G says
Do I understand correctly that the minced garlic stays raw? Cannot wait to try this recipe tonight!
Yes! But if you want it cooked a little more, add it to the pan in the last minute of cooking. Good luck, Tara!
Christine says
Just made these and they are delicious! Loved the dipped sauce. Next time I think I’d slice them all in half to get a more crispy texture. Yum! Ps I also dipped some zucchini fries in the sauce which was a big win.
Murielle says
I made this recipe yesterday for a couple of friends; everyone loved it!! So delicious; the aioli was deadly. I will be remaking this again! Thank you Dana for your wonderful recipes! xo
Murielle
Rebecca says
Absolutely delicious!! Made these for a date night for my boyfriend and I …easy and delicious!
dahlia says
I always liked brussel sprouts, but this is a new level of awesome! really fantastic, thank you!
While eating these I was remined of a favorite childhood dish of mine, german cabbage rolls (kohlrouladen) They are not just steamed, they are first fryed in a pan, so you get the same browned cabbage aroma.. The filling is traditionally minced meat and some old bread, egg and diced onions etc but maybe you have an idea for a vegan version? some umami flavour is needed, maybe mushrooms and lentils?
Alicia says
It was delicious! I needed something quick and this was perfect!
Thanks!
Alicia
Katie @ Veggie and the Beast says
I’m eating this for dinner right now and it is AWESOME. I always roast my sprouts, but this pan-frying technique might be my new go-to – so fast and the perfect texture. Little vegetable candy!
Segz says
This is good!
Whoop! xo
Leslie Carden says
I made this without the avocado, cheese and hummus. Instead, I made the brussell sprouts as stated, then mixed honey, sriracha and ground mustard seed together and coated the brussell sprouts. Served with a side of honey, mustard and cumin glazed salmon fillets. Yum!
Julianna Horvath says
Brussels are my fav veggie yet!!!!!!!!!
And this recipe just made them even better!!!!!!!!!!
Chelsie says
Funny I was just doing research on restaurants in Portland when this post popped up in my feed… the Brussels Spouts look delicious, however, you and I have very similar taste in food judging by the content of your blog and I’m curious what are your opinion of what the “must eat at restaurants” when I’m in Portland next week?
Supriya says
Hey Dana
This recipe looks delish and I’m so eager to try it like tomorrow itself. But instead of Brussels sprouts, I have some broccoli on me. Do you think I could try the same method with broccoli?
Yes, I think so!
Lekan says
I made this for my friends and they loved it. I felt that my hummus came out chunkier than yours looks in the pictures. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix that?
Hmm, just start with super creamy hummus.
Lekan says
Maybe I used too much Tahini when I followed the 5 minute hummus recipe. Next time I’ll make it Super creamy!
Nadja says
How do you actually make the aioli? Just whisk the ingredients together or is it best to put them in a food processor?
MARA SOHN says
also have this question!
Elaine says
My wife is a brussell sprout purist so she was hesitant to try this dish but she absolutely loved it. It’s on the rotation now!
Suzanne says
Eating these right now….amazing!!!
Rosey says
Love this recipe! Love the sauce! So creamy-this is one non-vegans would
Love! I have just roasted the sprouts both time I have made this and it has been so yummy! My carnivore husband requested I make it again!
Elli says
I’m so excited to try these. I host a vegan cooking night once a month with some non-vegan yoga friends and one of them keeps asking me to make brussels sprouts. Any suggestions on what to serve them alongside?
Jeana says
This is one of my favorite recipes now. I made spicy ranch dressing instead of using hummus- so good.
Thank you for always sharing such healthy & easy to recreate recipes!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Jeana!
Evi @ greenevi says
I love brussels sprouts, especially the crispy ones ;)
And this sriracha hummus/aioli sounds amazing! I have to try it…yummy!!
Teju says
Hi, I am always drooling over the food pictures. Now,my teen daughter is also loves all the pictures.
Just one question, can I make this recipe with frozen Brussels sprouts?? Pics look so yummy that I am dying to make it but worried about the result.Thanks
Hmm, it won’t work quite the same (they won’t be as crispy), but still good! Just cook them for a little longer!
Eveline says
I will try this recipe tonight. Sounds too nice not to try! So you don’t boil the sprouts in water?
Nope! No need. They get plenty cooked through with the lid on as it steams them.
Geoff Stewart says
Love the recipe, however there is no way they will cook in the three minutes as per the recipe unless the sprouts are the size of peas. I had to cook for at least eight minutes and added water at the last minute or so.
Maggie says
I don’t even like brussel sprouts….but THIS!!! Gorgeous pictures.
Yay! Hope you give them a try, Maggie!
tammy thiele says
First, I love the idea of the two of you and your culinary adventures in one of my favorite food cities, Portland! Welcome big time to the West Coast! (waving from up the coast in Bellingham!)
And second I love the idea of these as an appetizer! So good! Hoping to try them soon, and hoping the sauce might be temptation enough for our teenagers who are into siracha!
Cheers!
Thanks Tammy! You’re too good to us!
Reema S. says
I’m always up for anything with garlic. Must give this a try!
Liz @ lizinpdx says
I’ve been to Lardo once. Of course I got the one that came with Sriracha.
The Lardo on Hawthorne is across the street from my absolute favorite sandwich places in the city of Portland.
The Grilled PB&J cart. Tell me you’ve been! If you haven’t, promise me you and John will ditch whatever you’re doing tonight to go! I love love LOVE that cart!
Haven’t been there yet but when we were at Lardo on Hawthorne last time I seriously considered going over there even though I’d just eaten! Thanks for the tip!!
Always Me says
Sriracha over everything! These look so amazing, I featured you in my Friday Faves post!
Thanks for sharing and for the feature!
Linda Kay says
Hubby and I gave Brussels Sprouts a try the other night, and we did like them. Used a bit of sour cream, pepper and a bit of Parmesan cheese. Very tasty.
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
jane says
I have a huge craving for sprouts lately but never would have thought to add parmesan. Have to work on getting the Sriracha.Looks yum!!
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
I just tried brussel sprouts for the first time ever at Christmas! My sister roasted them and then I tried a few weeks later and it was an epic fail (yeah I over-roasted/incinerated them!), this looks like a good recipe to start over with (plus I put sriracha on everything so I have my eye on that aoili)!
Tina Jeffers says
I had no idea that you lived in Portland! I love Lardo, Portland is such a great innovative city for food. My whole outlook on eating and cooking changed when I moved here 10 years ago. Thanks so much for the inspiration and wonderful recipes!
I’m smitten with this city! The food scene is one of the many amazing perks.
Sammy says
Omg, those look obsession inducing as well. Will definitely have to give these ago for my brussel sprout loving dad. Gorgeous photography as always.
Anna says
Strangely, people either love brussel sprouts or hate them. Not everybody in my family like them, and I put some effort in figuring out how to cook these babies to make them more appealing. What I realized is that, although brussel sprouts look better whole, to enhance the flavor they should be halved and cooked, or at least served with some kind of sauce, like in this recipe. I am sure that creamy Sriracha sauce will be perfect a choice.
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Love the new backdrop and looooove sriracha aioli. Well, love sriracha anything, but this sounds especially good.
Dalia says
I always look forward to your recipes in my inbox. Love.
Too kind!
Ian Robson McCormick says
WOW! Just made this and it’s absolutely amazing! Will be taking the rest to work tomorrow for lunch (if the leftovers make it through the night). Thanks for yet another fabulous recipe.
Yay! You work quickly! So glad you enjoyed it!
Yay!
chrysta@noshed says
OMG, this looks so delicious! wow! Totally random too but I just made some brussels with an orange sriracha dressing. Crazy…. beautiful and I cant wait to try this recipe out!
Anna says
Love this <3 you are such a source of inspiration <3
Raeleen says
These look amazing! I just had a craving for Brussels sprouts yesterday (it’s normal to crave Brussels sprouts, right?!) and I love Sriracha; definitely need to make these this week! Thanks!
andie says
oh yay, your new background! :)
I love brussel sprouts so much. So easy and so yummy and good for you.
Good eye! Yeah, I’m in love ;D
andie says
it looks amazing ;)
DEBBIE says
I love brussel sprouts, and was asked to bring an appy to a dinner party this weekend & I always like to bring something off the beaten path so this is the one. thanks for posting.
Hope you love this recipe, Debbie! thanks for saying hi!
Nicole says
I love brussel sprouts, but you have made them look tantalizingly good! Wow! I might just start craving brussel sprouts instead of chocolate;>
Abby says
These brussels sprouts look incredible, Dana! And your photos are perfection <3 :D
Jessica Charlotte says
I love brussel sprouts, and I never thought to make a full recipe from it. Love this so much, and I’ll be sure to make these. Thank you for sharing. X
Jess X
Elizabeth @ Pineapples and Polka Dots says
Thanks for sharing this- we are a sriracha loving household!
Cassie says
SRIRACHA!!!!!!!!!
haha, YES! You get it!
Lee says
can you make this without the oil
We haven’t tried, but if you do, report back on how it goes!
Heath says
I doubt you can make any vegetable crispy without oil. Without oil it’s steamed garlic brussel sprouts I’m afraid and they don’t serve them on some trendy foodcart turned restaurant in portland.
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
I knew I should have bought brussels sprouts when I was at the store yesterday!! Now I am definitely going to have to go back. These sound incredible especially with that dip!
Sara @ Oats and Rows says
Holy crap. I am drooling over this combo. I must make this soon!
Mabel @ Ma Bella Vita says
Brussels sprouts are my favorite veggies (I think that was one of several “aha” moments for me during 2014 :). This recipe looks easy enough to make not to mention delicious. Looking fwd to trying it.
ashlee says
I am def going to make theses! I usually bake mine with soy sauce, cracked pepper and some sprinkled parm!