How To Roast Brussel Sprouts

Last Updated on 24th February 2022 by

Brussels sprouts may just be the epitome of acquired taste vegetables. Some people don’t even like the smell of them cooking, much less their taste and texture.

I think they’re lovely, especially when you serve them up with a little bacon or as a side to grilled chicken. If you’ve cooked them and seasoned them properly, they can be complex, flavorful veggies, and I’ll show you how to roast Brussels sprouts to make them really shine.

A lot of the dislike for sprouts may just come from their look and the fact that people don’t always know how to prepare them properly. They can be a little tricky, which is why I’m going to take you step by step through how to roast Brussels sprouts crispy and perfectly so that you get the lovely texture that Brussels sprout fans adore.

How Long to Roast Brussel Sprouts

The temperature you cook them at and the length you cook them for is important. If you overcook them, they’ll turn out dark and burnt in have an ashy texture. If they’re undercooked, they won’t be tender enough and will be unpleasant to eat.

Somewhere right in the middle of those two are perfectly roasted, delicious brussels sprouts. I usually cook these at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s important that you preheat the oven before you put the Brussels sprouts in.

That way, they cook perfectly and at the right heat the entire time. If you don’t wait for the oven to heat up all the way, you can get unevenly cooked sprouts.

They take about 35 to 40 minutes to cook. Since most Brussels sprouts are about the same size, you’re going to get sprouts that are cooked well pretty much every time using that temperature and duration.

How Long to Roast Brussels Sprouts at 400 Degrees

Fahrenheit will depend partly on how many you’re cooking at once. The recipe I’ll give you in just a moment will be for a pound and a half for Brussels sprouts. You’ll need to modify the cooking time a little bit if you’re using more sprouts or fewer than that.

How to Roast Brussel Sprouts in the Oven

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of Brussels sprouts
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Snip the ends of the Brussels sprouts (that’s the brown part), and take off any exterior leaves that are looking yellow.
Toss the sprouts in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Place them on a baking sheet and allow them to roast for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know they’re done cooking when they look crispy on the outside and the interior is tender. It’s not a bad idea to give them a little shake a couple times during their baking time.
You can add a little salt on them when they come out of the oven and serve them hot. When they’re just done cooking, they’re at the perfect texture and temperature to serve.

How to Roast Frozen Brussel Sprouts

The big difference between frozen and fresh Brussels sprouts is at frozen ones are usually sold whole, whereas fresh ones are usually cut in half. So, if you’re cooking frozen Brussels sprouts come you may find recipes that tell you to cut them open halfway through the cooking time period this can help with the texture and taste a little bit, but it’s not necessary.

If you’re just trying Brussels sprouts for the first time and you want to see how frozen ones turn out, you don’t have to cut them open at all. You can let them cook normally, preparing them and cooking them the same way you would fresh Brussels sprouts.

You’ll find that they’re not quite as flavorful, if you’re doing a side-by-side comparison. The texture will be a little different, as will the color. The frozen ones get a texture that’s soft all the way through.

Fresh ones tend to have a little bit of a bite to them in the core. They darken a little differently as well, but that won’t affect the flavor. What you’re getting really is a different density level. It may be nice for a change, if you’re someone who’s used to eating fresh Brussels sprouts.

Cooking them up from frozen means you don’t have to wait for them to thaw. They also store for a lot longer, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad if you don’t cook them up shortly after you purchase them.

There’s a little tradeoff on the texture, but it may be worth trying something a little bit different for once, if you’re someone who’s had fresh Brussels sprouts more than a few times.

What temp to roast Brussels sprouts from frozen? You can actually use the same 400 degrees Fahrenheit that I recommended for the recipe earlier for fresh Brussels sprouts. It works just as well for the frozen ones. The ice will melt off them and they’ll cook all the way through and be perfectly tender from inside to outside.

How to Roast Brussel Sprouts in Air Fryer

Let me leave you with one more method for making Brussels sprouts, and this uses the air fryer.

Directions:

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half.
For a softer, more tender Brussels sprout, you can soak them in water for about 10 minutes before frying them up.
Then, drain off the excess water and mix them up with spices and olive oil. You can use the same recipe up above, make up your own mixture, or find a recipe online that’s different from what I’ve given you so far.
Heat up the air fryer, and once it’s hot, you can add the Brussels sprouts to it. Try not to pack too many of them at once into the fryer basket.
Allow them to cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of five minutes. You can mix them around in your seasoning again at that point or just give the basket a stir. You want to help air them out and make sure every one of them is cooking thoroughly and evenly.
Cook them for an additional 5 minutes, give the basket a shake again, and then cook for about three more minutes.

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Pauline Loughlin

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I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food! You can find my Facebook here