Korean Brussel Sprouts

I absolutely HATED them as a kid, those little balls of mushy nastiness, GAH! But THESE Korean Brussel Sprouts are absolutely delicious! What have I been missing?

I remember running OUT of the kitchen whenever my mom made Brussel sprouts, probably due to the fact she boiled them into pure slimy oblivion.

And that smell! Gah!

So all these years since I have avoided them like the plague. But having heard SO many people say how delicious they are if you ROAST them, especially with a little balsamic glaze, I figured it was about time I try them again.

After a quick search online, I soon realized everyone made them the same way....

usually coated with some kind of oil
roasted or air fried until crispy
and tossed with some sort of sweet vinegary glaze.

And I immediately knew I wanted my recipe to be different. So I thought, "Instead of vinegar, why not kick it up a notch?" I LOVE Korean food, and I REALLY LOVE that spicy Korean chile flavor of gochujang....

So this is the recipe I created - and oh boy, they are GOOD!

Sticky sweet
Slightly spicy
Savory
Oil-Free
Multiple cooking methods (instant pot, stove, air fryer, oven)
And only 6 ingredients!

Hope you give them a try.

Korean Brussel Sprouts

You will want about 1 pound of fresh Brussel sprouts. Frozen will work too but you will want to thaw them first. Give them a rinse and pick off any weird leaves, and then cut them in half lengthwise.

Next, you want to pre-cook them before we toss them in the sauce and roast them.

You can parboil them by tossing them into a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes
Chef AJ likes to microwave hers in a steamer bowl for about 5-6 minutes
Or you can use your Instant Pot for 1-2 minutes with a quick release (my method))

While those are heating up, you can make the sauce by whisking all the remaining ingredients in a 1-cup measuring cup.

You can find gochujang at many grocery stores in the Asian section
Whole Foods also carries it
Trader Joe's may have it
Or use my Amazon Affiliate Link

All that's left is to drain your Brussel sprouts, toss them with the sauce making sure they are coated evenly, then arrange them cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 400° F for 20 minutes.

brussel sprouts on a baking sheet with Gochujang

Done.

You can sprinkle them with chopped green onion tops or sesame seeds as I did in the photo, or enjoy them just the way they are.

Let me know what you think and we'll see you soon!

Korean Brussel Sprouts

Author: Chuck Underwood
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Category: Appetizer
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Vegan

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Description

I absolutely HATED them as a kid, but THESE Korean Brussel Sprouts are absolutely incredible! Sweet & spicy deliciousness!

Ingredients

Units

1 lb Brussel sprouts
2 Tbls gochujang chile paste
2 Tbls rice vinegar
1 Tbls maple syrup
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400° F
Clean Brussels and cut them in half lengthwise
Parboil or microwave Brussels for 5 min. Alternatively, you can cook them in your Instant Pot for 1 min with a Quick Release
Whisk sauce ingredients together
Drain Brussels, coat with sauce, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet cut-side down
Roast for 20 minutes.
Alternatively, you can also air-fry them using the same temp, checking or shaking them after 10 min