Fry

Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Sriracha

by:
March 28, 2011
4
8 Ratings
Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Sriracha
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 2 to 4
Author Notes

My husband and I love to go to The Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, on a weeknight, sit at the bar, which faces the open kitchen, and order a bunch of appetizers and nibbles. Nibbles are a Vanderbilt specialty. There's great homemade beef jerky and pickles, and blistered shishito peppers with dipping salt, but the undisputed star -- which we order every time we go -- is the fried Brussels sprouts. The sprouts arrive in a towering pile; the leaves are pulled apart and fried, with the sweet hearts tossed into the oil and cooked just to the point of tenderness. The crisp shards are then painted with a mix of sriracha, honey and lime juice, making the sprouts tangy, hot and sweet all at once. In an attempt to replicate these at home, I painstakingly peeled a pound of sprouts and got frying. Happily, I discovered that if you're willing to deal with a little hot oil, you can do a pretty good job of replicating these guys at home. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! —Merrill Stubbs

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha (or to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • Juice of 1 large lime
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
  1. Trim the stem end of the sprouts and gently separate the leaves with your fingers, collecting them in a large bowl. When you reach the heart of the sprout (where it's tough to pry off the remaining leaves), add the heart to the bowl with the leaves.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sriracha, honey and lime juice. Taste and add more sriracha or honey if you like. Set aside.
  3. Set about 2 inches of oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Heat until a Brussels sprout leaf begins to sizzle and crisp as soon as you add it to the oil. Fry the sprouts in batches, using a screen to protect you from sputtering oil and keeping your face away from the pot as the sprouts cook. Remove the sprouts with a slotted spoon after 30 seconds to a minute, when crisp and brown. Drain them on a double layer of paper towels while you fry the rest of the sprouts.
  4. Once all the sprouts are fried, transfer them to a large bowl and sprinkle them generously with salt. Toss gently to combine. Working quickly, drizzle some of the sauce over the sprouts and toss again to coat lightly. Taste, add more sauce if necessary, and serve immediately, before they wilt!
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59 Reviews

Bradthoc
Bradthoc February 9, 2021
These are the easiest and best tasting sprout snack. Heat up the oil while you prepare the sprouts and dump them in. I fry them up a little like my frites. 4 minutes at 325, then pull them out and turn the heat up to 350. Then back in for a few more minutes! Must try these great tasting sprouts.
 
Sasha
Sasha November 6, 2020
Delicious! I cut the honey in half and doubled the lime juice and it was perfect. I also don't do hot oil so i bake the sprouts apart and roasted them (I'd recommend pre-roasting the hearts by 10-15 mins and then adding all the leaves).
One of my new faves!
 
Debbie F.
Debbie F. June 5, 2020
Whoooweeee! Just made this five minutes ago, It's tangy and sweet and spicy. So simple and delish. Would never have thought to put Sriracha on sprouts but it hits the mark. Now sautéing them in garlic, oil oil, s/p will seem so sedate. Thanks for this revelation.
 
Debbie F.
Debbie F. June 5, 2020
That would be 'olive oil' not 'oil oil' Lol
 
Chardonnay
Chardonnay May 27, 2020
Totally divine....I swapped the honey for pomegranate molasses, and added fresh pomegranate and caramelised onions.....divine!
 
Christina
Christina November 22, 2018
These are so delicious!! I have used this recipe probably a dozen times now and cooked it for family and friends who all became OBSESSED. It's easy enough to modify the spicy/sweet ratio if you're feeding people who aren't fond of the Sriracha flavor.
My favorite way to cook them is with Coconut Oil for extra flavor.
 
Larry C.
Larry C. June 6, 2017
We have a place in Baltimore called the Wicked Sisters and they do the same thing! Only difference is that the sprouts are flash fried and then the sauce applied. Either way it is super good!
 
Amber C.
Amber C. November 13, 2016
This sounds amazing but who wants to be frying sprouts right before sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner?
 
kaye.spaude
kaye.spaude February 18, 2015
PS I didn't make a pound. I made just enough for a little appetizer for one. You don't need to measure.
 
kaye.spaude
kaye.spaude February 18, 2015
OMG!!! I love brussels sprouts!!!
 
kschurms
kschurms January 7, 2015
So simple, so full of flavor, and so easy to make. Peeling a pound of brussel sprouts is surprisingly time consuming, but so worth it.
 
Angie
Angie November 29, 2014
These are so delicious people keep clamoring for invites to my dinner parties now that they've heard how amazing they are. One of my favorite (and now-a-staple) recipes for special dinners.
 
Alexandra S.
Alexandra S. November 12, 2014
This sounds SO good. Need to try immediately.
 
Susan W.
Susan W. October 3, 2014
Can't wait to try this. I don't do vegetable oil and can't bear to use my expensive avocado oil or grass fed beef tallow, so I am going to coat in oil and blast it in a really hot oven. The sauce sounds delicious.
 
Ariel P.
Ariel P. September 10, 2014
This recipe is AMAZING. The brussels sprouts without the sauce are really good, but when you add the sauce its extra delicious. The sauce is the best part about it. I made brussels sprouts, green beans and salmon burgers and we actually dipped everything in the leftover sauce. I would recommend this recipe to anyone who likes sweet and spicy and doesn't know the true tastiness of brussels sprouts
 
Sirid
Sirid February 15, 2014
This is the first recipe I've ever tried that actually has me eating brussels sprouts for dinner and nothing else. Just a big bowl of crispy, salty-spicy-sweet brussels sprouts. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm....
 
bamavb2014
bamavb2014 December 21, 2013
These were so good! I did think the sauce was a little too sweet. I would add more sriracha than the recipe calls for next time. Still amazing, though.
 
kzmccaff
kzmccaff February 19, 2015
Love this idea! Thanks!!
 
diego
diego November 27, 2013
Coated in Olive Oil, cooked the hearts first in the broiler until crisp and tender, put in the warming drawer, then proceeded with the leaves. Much healthier. But I'll give you thumbs up on the sauce!
 
Ashley M.
Ashley M. October 21, 2013
Made these last night with some sweet pepper-encrusted cedar plank grilled salmon. They were exceptionally easy, especially considering my lack of experience with frying in oil deeper than 1/8th" (I usually just pan-fry anything). The sauce was a little hotter than we expected so instead of tossing them in it, we served it on the side for dipping - my boyfriend was in heaven with the sauce, I quite liked them just salted! Thank you so much for helping me switch up a rather mundane green!
 
hb
hb September 20, 2013
Made this last night and it was a hit! I add thinly sliced carrots to the mix. Mos Def a new go to side. THANKS!
 
Marsha B.
Marsha B. August 9, 2013
Where do you find siracha?
 
tt
tt August 18, 2013
Chinese stores TNT or other