In this Kung Pao Brussels sprouts recipe, Brussels sprouts get roasted and topped with a sticky, sweet, tangy, and spicy chili sauce, and crunchy peanuts. These Chinese-style Brussels sprouts are robust, naturally dairy-free/vegan, and they make an easy weeknight side dish that's ready in just 30 minutes.
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I love the versatility of Brussels sprouts. You can pair them with almost any flavor profile and they won’t let you down, like my roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic.
In this easy recipe, they get a fancy dressing-up: Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and hot chili paste all mingle together to create a thick and flavorful sauce for roasted Brussels sprouts (or use your air fryer!).
The best part is that this Brussels sprouts recipe can be made in just 30 minutes, so if you need to throw together a quick and delicious side dish, I encourage you to give this one a try.
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⭐️ Why This Recipe is the Best
- Robust flavor: Crispy, caramelized Brussels sprouts are coated with a spicy, sweet, and savory sauce that you might want to slurp with a spoon - it's that delicious.
- Naturally vegetarian and vegan side dish
- Quick and easy recipe that's ready in just 30 minutes
- Can be made allergy-free (nut free) & gluten-free
- Instructions provided for roasting Brussels sprouts in the oven or cooking them in an air-fryer
🤔 What's Kung Pao?
Kung Pao chicken is a spicy stir-fry dish traditionally made with Sichuan peppercorns. It's a classic Chinese dish that uses a spicy, tangy, and sweet marinade, with regional variations throughout China.
In this Asian Brussels sprouts recipe, we make a mouth-watering side dish by roasting Brussels sprouts instead of stir-frying them, and tossing them in this delicious spicy sauce.
🥜 Ingredient Notes
- Brussels sprouts - Depending on their size, you may need to halve or quarter them. Be sure to give them a good rinse and pat them dry before using.
- Sesame oil - Provides rich umami flavor.
- Hot chili paste - Gives the dish a slight kick of spiciness. This can be found in the Asian foods section of your local grocery store. Sriracha or Tabasco sauce can be used as a substitute.
- Cornstarch - This is a thickening agent which will help to thicken the Kung Pao sauce.
- Fresh ginger and garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic and ginger if you can. If not, dried ginger (1 teaspoon) and garlic powder (½ teaspoon) will work just fine.
- Low-sodium soy sauce - Make sure to use low-sodium soy sauce. If you only have regular soy sauce on hand, start by using 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. If you want to make it saltier, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce at a time until you reach your preferred level of saltiness.
- Sugar - Balances out the savory and spicy flavors. Don't skip it! Honey or maple syrup can be used as well.
- Rice vinegar - Adds tangy notes; you can find this in the vinegar section of the grocery story. You can also use white wine vinegar as a substitute.
- Unsalted peanuts, roasted - Nutty crunchiness gives this dish a real "wow" factor.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Skip the peanuts. If there are peanut allergies in your household, simply skip the peanuts. They are not necessary for this sauce to be delicious. You could also substitute any other nut in their place.
- Air-fryer instructions: Heat your air fryer to 380 degrees F. Toss Brussels sprouts with extra-virgin olive oil, place in the air fryer basket, and cook for 16-18 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Make gluten-free: Substitute tamari, which is a Japanese soy sauce that is very similar to Chinese soy sauce, except it's gluten-free.
- Frozen Brussels sprouts. They can be used in place of fresh Brussels sprouts, but you may need to roast them for a few more minutes to get them crispy.
🔪 How To Make Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts and oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until softened and browned, 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, mix cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth.
Heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Add chili paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and ½ cup water and bring to a boil; stir in cornstarch slurry.
Simmer, stirring, until sauce coats spoon, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Toss Brussels sprouts with sauce and serve topped with peanuts.
🫙Storage Instructions
Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers, as the sauce will make the Brussels sprouts soggy and it will be difficult to crisp them up again.
To reheat, place Brussels sprouts in a 350 degree F. (pre-heated) oven for around 15 minutes.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Don't overcrowd Brussels sprouts. Make sure you spread them out on your baking sheet. Overcrowding will cause them to steam and prevent them from getting crispy.
- Pat Brussels sprouts dry. After rinsing them, be sure to pat them dry to ensure maximum crispiness in the oven.
- Use extra sauce on roasted vegetables. Make a large batch of the savory-sweet sauce and add it to roasted broccoli, cauliflower, or any roasted vegetable.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. These flavors are essential for this dish, so I highly recommend using fresh if at all possible.
- Serve Brussels sprouts as a side dish with my gochujang salmon recipe or pad Thai for a satisfying meal.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
There are several ways to ensure maximum crispiness when roasting Brussels sprouts:
* Cutting them in half (or even quartering them), which increases the surface area
* Spread them out on your baking sheet. Overcrowding will cause them to steam and prevent crispiness.
* Pat your sprouts dry after rinsing them.
* Roast them at a high heat, usually between 425 and 450 degrees F.
According to the USDA, Brussels sprouts contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K and vitamin C. In addition, they're high in fiber, can help with inflammation, and are rich in antioxidants.
They have a kick from the hot chili paste, but it's balanced by the accompanying sour, sweet, and bitter flavors, making it a perfectly harmonious dish.
🥦 Related Recipes
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Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- baking sheet
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered, rinsed and patted dry
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 2 Tablespoons hot chili paste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup unsalted peanuts, roasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Toss Brussels sprouts and oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until softened and browned, 20-25 minutes. Set aside. (For air fryer instructions, see "Variations and Substitutions" section above)
- Meanwhile, mix cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add chili paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and ½ cup water and bring to a boil; stir in cornstarch slurry.
- Simmer, stirring, until sauce coats spoon, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Toss Brussels sprouts with sauce and serve topped with peanuts.
Notes
- Storage Instructions: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers, as the sauce will make the Brussels sprouts soggy and it will be difficult to crisp them up again.
- How to reheat: Place in a 350 degree F. (pre-heated) oven for around 15 minutes.
- Don't overcrowd Brussels sprouts. Make sure you spread them out on your baking sheet. Overcrowding will cause them to steam and prevent them from getting crispy.
- Pat Brussels sprouts dry. After rinsing them, be sure to pat them dry to ensure maximum crispiness in the oven.
- Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
Jyoti Behrani
Great recipe! This is my favorite way to make brussels sprouts now! Thanks for sharing!
Gastronotherapy
So glad you enjoyed them, Jyoti! 🙂
Andrea
I'm all in for sweet and spicy brussels sprouts! Yummy!
Tara
Oh yum! You had me at crunchy peanuts and sweet and spicy chile sauce. Such fantastic flavors paired with the Brussels sprouts and so easy too!
Gastronotherapy
Totally - it makes a great anytime side dish!
Rick
We really liked the Kung Pao sauce on the brussel sprouts. Although 1/2 cup of soy sauce was way too salty for us. We're trying same recipe with 1/4 cup of soy sauce next time - which will be soon.
We wanted to make them crispy. We roasted for 25 minute at 425°, but they were soft. Do think 5 or 10 min under the broiler after roasting would make them crispy?
Thanks for your help!!
Gastronotherapy
Hi Rick, if it was too salty for your liking, definitely try 1/4 cup of soy sauce next time and that should do the trick. To make the Brussels sprouts crispy, you will need to roast them for longer, probably closer to 35-40 minutes. However, adding the sauce will soften them up a bit naturally, so one option would be to just serve the sauce on the side and everyone can add as much sauce as they like. I hope that helps, and thanks for for feedback!
Heather Perine
Whoa kung pao brussel sprouts?! Yup. Saving this recipe to try later....love sweet and spicy!!
Gastronotherapy
I hope you love it as much as I do, Heather! 🙂
Sara Welch
Love this twist to a classic dish! Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table; a recipe worthy of a restaurant, indeed!
Gastronotherapy
So happy to hear that it was a hit, Sara!