They're spicy and sweet. They're naturally vegan. And they're a gee dang delicious and filling dinner that is cheap enough for rent week. Meet Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts, your new favorite way to eat the smallest of the cruciferous.
If you're on the hunt for a tasty Meatless Monday option, or you're just short on time and cash, this recipe is for you. Brussels sprouts are halved and roasted (or air fried!) till crispy, then tossed in a spicy, sticky, finger-licking sauce that'll have you coming back for more. Serve over a big bowl of jasmine rice and top with salty roasted peanuts for a dinner worthy of a prince (on a pauper's budget).
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Is Awesome
Sometimes I crave salty-sweet-spicy-sticky Kung Pao, in no uncertain terms. Doesn't matter if the addictive sauce is on tofu, chicken, cauliflower or delicious, nutty, ever-so-slightly-charred Brussels sprouts like this recipe. The point is, I want it.
The benefit of making Kung Pao anything at home is that you a.) get to control your nutrition, and b.) can use whatever vehicle for the sauce that you like best. These Kung Pao Brussels sprouts rank up there in my list of recipes I crave most often.
I also love that this recipe makes it so that even if I am on a ravenous, hangry tear where I will eat seconds or thirds to sate my hunger, I don't feel guilty about it. Rich in nutrients, fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids, Brussels sprouts are a nutritional power house.
This recipe is also pretty dang low in calories, so even if I end up eating the whole batch for myself (I've dango righteo done that), I'm not kicking myself.
How to Oven Roast Brussels Sprouts
Have I mentioned that I LOVE roasting vegetables? Because I do. Not only are sheet pan meals awesome for super-fast cleanup (thank you, parchment paper!), they also help to heat up my winter house (bonus!) and the oven does all the work. Sheet pan cooking is pretty magical.
Preheat your oven to 450F. Prepare your Brussels sprouts by washing them, removing the root end and cutting them in half vertically. Remove any exterior leaves that look yellow or otherwise sad. Place them on a parchment lined sheet tray.
TIP: Since you're using a sheet pan already, I like to have it pull double duty and use it for tossing the Brussels. You can also dirty a separate bowl if you prefer, but there's no need.
Drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt and ground Sichuan pepper. Toss everything together. Spread your Brussels sprouts out in a single layer, leaving as much space as possible between them to prevent steaming.
Roast for about 10 minutes, remove from the oven, flip the pieces and return to the oven. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, until fork tender and lightly charred on the edges.
How to Air Fry Brussels Sprouts
If super crispy exterior leaves are your favorite part of eating Brussels sprouts, the air fryer is the way to go. While this method requires that you stay nearby and keep your eye on your veggies (more so than roasting, anyway), it will produce superiorly crunchy results.
As with oven roasting, you'll need to prepare your Brussels sprouts by washing them, removing the root end and cutting them in half vertically. Remove any exterior leaves that look yellow or otherwise sad. Place them in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt and cracked pepper/coriander combo. Toss everything together. Working in batches if necessary, spread your Brussels sprouts out in a single layer in the frier basket, making sure not to overcrowd it.
Air fry at 400F for about 12-15 minutes, shaking and tossing every 4-5 minutes to prevent scorching.
How to Make Kung Pao Sauce
While it might seem like there are a lot of ingredients to make this sauce, I'd bet you likely have many of them on hand. Here's everything you need:
If you, like me, don't have the coveted Sichuan peppercorns on hand to make a more authentic version of the dish, you can make a pretty close approximation by grinding together ¼ teaspoon of coriander seeds with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn. I used a mortar and pestle to do just that.
Next, if you've never worked with cornstarch, you might not realize that you should start by adding it to a *little bit* of liquid, or it'll clump up. In this case, I opted for the rice wine vinegar that I had already measured out. Just stir it together until the cornstarch is diffused in the liquid.
Heat the sauté pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Once it's shimmering, add the peppercorn mix, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Now add in the remaining sauce ingredients - soy, rice wine/cornstarch slurry, agave. Stir to combine.
Allow the sauce mix to continue cooking until it is viscous enough to draw your spatula across the bottom of the pan and have it leave a streak.
Putting It All Together
When your sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and your Brussels sprouts are fork tender, simply mix them gently together. If there happen to be a few leaves that are crispy still left on the pan or in the frier basket, leave them out and sprinkle them as garnish for a little extra crunch.
To make these Kung Pao Brussels sprouts more of a whole meal experience rather than as a side, I recommend serving them over a generous spoonful of some long grain rice. Top with a rough chop of salted, roasted peanuts or cashews, sliced green onions and cilantro. Serve with some sriracha or ghost pepper flakes for extra spice, then enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
To maintain that crave-able crispiness from the Brussels sprouts, they are best served immediately after tossing in the sauce. That said, the leftovers will be just fine in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just note that they won't have the same textural oomph as a fresh batch.
Yes! I actually tend to buy regular black peppercorns in the Costco size (I use a lot of pepper) and my spice cabinet is pretty stuffed to the gills. I like to substitute using 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns and ¼ teaspoon of coriander seeds to emulate the more floral properties of Sichuan peppercorns. It's not a perfect substitute, but it's pretty close in my book.
This sauce is boss with just about everything, so if Brussels aren't your thing there are a lot of other options. I recommend preparing cauliflower or broccoli in the same way for a milder, slightly sweeter vegetable option.
Oven baked, air fried or pan fried tofu also makes an excellent choice. If you are an omnivore, it's also very good on sautéed shrimp or diced chicken. Feel free to mix and match with your favorites (e.g. onion, bell pepper) and make more of a stir fry out of it. This is your dinner after all!
Need more Meatless Monday inspiration? Check out these other yummy recipes:
- Sheet Pan Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and Potato Curry)
- Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (or check out this roundup of over 20 soup recipes!)
- Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Creamy Maple Vinaigrette
- Ratatouille Style Ratatouille
If you tried this yummy recipe for Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts, let me know what you think in the comments and ratings below!
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Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts | Oven Roasted or Air Fried
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussels Sprouts trimmed of root end and halved
- 1-2 glugs Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt to taste
Kung Pao Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorn divided. Preferably Sichuan, but add coriander seed below if not
- ¼ teaspoon Coriander Seed optional
- ¼ teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 4-6 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce or sub Tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoon Agave or sub maple syrup, honey or brown sugar
Optional, For Serving
- Long Grain Rice
- Chopped Peanuts
- Cilantro
- Sliced Green Onions
- Sriracha
Instructions
Prepare Sauce Ingredients
- Measure and prepare ingredients. Grind together ¼ teaspoon of coriander seeds with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn with mortar and pestle or spice grinder.Make a slurry with cornstarch and one of the liquids (I used the rice vinegar). Just stir it together until the cornstarch is diffused in the liquid.
Prepare Brussels Sprouts
- Prepare your Brussels sprouts by washing them, removing the root end and cutting them in half vertically. Remove any exterior leaves that look yellow or otherwise sad.
How to Oven Roast Brussels Sprouts
- Preheat your oven to 450F. Place prepared Brussels on a parchment lined sheet tray.Drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt and half of the ground pepper/coriander mix. Toss everything together. Spread your Brussels sprouts out in a single layer, leaving as much space as possible between them to prevent steaming.Roast for about 10 minutes, remove from the oven, flip the pieces and return to the oven. Roast for another 10-15 minutes, until fork tender and lightly charred on the edges.
How to Air Fry Brussels sprouts
- Place prepared Brussels sprouts in a mixing bowl.Drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt and half of the cracked pepper/coriander combo. Toss everything together. Working in batches if necessary, spread your Brussels sprouts out in a single layer in the frier basket, making sure not to overcrowd it.Air fry at 400F for about 12-15 minutes, shaking and tossing every 4-5 minutes to prevent scorching.
How to Make Kung Pao Sauce
- Measure and prepare ingredients. Grind together ¼ teaspoon of coriander seeds with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn with mortar and pestle or spice grinder.Make a slurry with cornstarch and one of the liquids (I used the rice vinegar). Just stir it together until the cornstarch is diffused in the liquid. Heat the sauté pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. Once it's shimmering, add the peppercorn mix, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Now add in the remaining sauce ingredients - soy, rice wine/cornstarch slurry, agave. Stir to combine.Allow the sauce mix to continue cooking until it is viscous enough to draw your spatula across the bottom of the pan and have it leave a streak.
Assembly
- When your sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and your Brussels sprouts are fork tender, simply mix them gently together. If there happen to be a few leaves that are crispy still left on the pan or in the frier basket, leave them out and sprinkle them as garnish for a little extra crunch.Serve either as a side, or as a meal by scooping out over a generous spoonful of some long grain rice. Top with a rough chop of salted, roasted peanuts or cashews, sliced green onions and cilantro. Serve with some sriracha or ghost pepper flakes for extra spice, then enjoy!
Notes
-
- To maintain that crave-able crispiness from the Brussels sprouts, they are best served immediately after tossing in the sauce. That said, the leftovers will be just fine in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just note that they won't have the same textural oomph as a fresh batch.
- Gluten Free Option - Sub either Tamari or coconut aminos for soy sauce.
Joe says
This recipe looks amazing
ashley.schuering says
I hope you like it!