Need to know how to cook Brussels Sprouts? This is the post for you! Brussels sprouts are small, round, leafy vegetables that are part of the cabbage family. They became popular a long time ago in the area now known as Belgium. And while The Netherlands and Germany are the largest producers of brussels sprouts these days, they’re still pretty popular little vegetables across Western Europe.

How to Cook Brussels Sprouts

They’re quite tasty, but like artichokes (which we discussed a few weeks ago), prepping and cooking brussels sprouts can be a little intimidating if you’re not familiar with them. When you purchase them at the grocery store, you might get just the buds (the small round part), or you might end up with a whole stalk covered in buds. If it’s the latter, you’re going to need to start by cutting off the buds before starting your food prep. Then, cut off any additional stem on the bottom of the brussels sprout and pull off any loose or yellow leaves. Now you’re ready to go!

One of the more popular ways to cook brussels sprouts is to saute them, but there are plenty of ways to cook these delicious foods to bring out their flavor. Here’s a few of our favorites.

How to Cook Brussels Sprouts – A Saute

Food Advertisements by

Sauteing brussels sprouts is probably one of the more popular methods of cooking them. To start, bring 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cut 2 pounds of brussels sprouts in half (lengthwise) and add to skillet. Toss in olive oil for 8-10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup  of water and simmer until water evaporates (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

How to Cook Brussels Sprouts – Roast Them Up

If you’re making brussels sprouts for a large group, roasting is the way to go because you can cook a much larger batch of sprouts at a time. Also, roasting helps bring out the delicious natural flavor of brussels sprouts (and that’s never a bad thing). Heat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit (or 204 Celcius). Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of brussel sprouts and coat thoroughly. Move them to a flat pan and roast for 40 minutes. To see if they’re done, stick a fork in one of the brussel sprouts. It should be tender on the inside. Finish them out by sprinkling a little salt on top. Or, if you want to get fancy, sprinkle some lightly shaved Parmesan on top. Yum.

How to Boil Brussels Sprouts

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop, and add a dash of salt to flavor the water. Once the water is boiling, add brussels sprouts and cook for 10-15 minutes or until they’re tender enough to easily stick a fork in. Once they’re done, take them off the heat and drain them. Add them back into the pot, along with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste and enough butter to coat. Toss them in the butter and then serve warm.

What’s your favorite method of cooking brussels sprouts? Share your favorite recipe with us in the comments!