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kung pao brussels sprouts in white pasta bowl over jasmine rice

Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts | Oven Roasted or Air Fried

Crispy Brussels sprouts are tossed in an addictive spicy-tangy-sticky sauce for a perfect Meatless Monday style meal. Naturally vegan, too!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese, Fusion
Servings 2
Calories 231 kcal

Ingredients
  

Kung Pao Sauce

Optional, For Serving

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.
 
Brussels sprouts aren't really my favorite. Any other suggestions?
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!

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 9gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 609mgPotassium: 988mgFiber: 10gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 2019IUVitamin C: 195mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Cheap, Easy, Fast, Gluten Free, Healthy, Sheet Pan, Vegan, Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!