Marinated Brussels Sprouts are coated in a shallot, rosemary, and honey vinaigrette for a savory, earthy, lightly sweet dish perfect for an appetizer for guests, a potluck, an easy side for dinner, or a salad on its own.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
Brussels Sprouts on their own can be a bit dull - like other cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli), they need a boost of flavor to become something worth talking about.
My favorite way to do this is with vinegar, fat, fresh herbs, and an allium, like shallots, onions, or garlic. In this instance, even though a love for garlic is indelibly etched in my DNA, shallots offered the slightly sweeter, milder flavor I was after.
The bright champagne vinegar, rich olive oil, and sweetness from the honey and shallot paired with earthy Brussels sprouts and rosemary create a beautifully balanced bite that will be sure to impress your family and friends.
What You'll Need
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- Brussels Sprouts
- Fresh Shallot If at all possible, don't subtitute. However, you can try a small amount of finely chopped red onion marinated for longer in the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper mixture to tame its bite.
- Rosemary Fresh rosemary is best here. I am not hugely fond of dried rosemary because its texture can be a bit poke-y. If you can't use fresh rosemary, try some fresh thyme or a bit of dried thyme in its place.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Using high-quality extra virgin olive oil is always a treat, but any kind you have on hand will be fine here.
- Champagne Vinegar Again, champagne vinegar is a light flavor. You could try a bit of red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar instead, but be sure to taste as you go to ensure the marinade is not too acidic. If it is, add more olive oil and honey!
- Honey I prefer honey in this marinade, but you can also use a bit of sugar.
- Kosher Salt I always recommend using kosher salt in recipes. It is easier to control the saltiness and it coats food more evenly.
- Black Pepper These Malabar black peppercorns ground fresh are fantastic.
How to Make Marinated Brussels Sprouts
Step One: Prep your Brussels sprouts. Cut off the end as shown below and slice in half.
Step Two Finely chop your shallot.
Step Three Create your marinade by adding the olive oil, vinegar, honey, shallots, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper to a bowl and whisk together until combined.
Step Four Place a pot of salted water on a burner on high heat to boil. Once boiling, add the Brussels sprouts for 3 to 4 minutes, then strain.
Step Five Add the Brussels sprouts to a bowl and dress with the marinade.
Step Six Mix well, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve either chilled or at room temperature.
Variations
Sugar Try using a bit of sugar in place of the honey for a slightly sweeter dish.
Thyme You can use thyme in place of rosemary for a lighter herbal note.
Different Cruciferous Vegetables This marinade would also be delicious on some blanched cabbage, as a dressing for kale, or over blanched broccoli or cauliflower.
FAQ
Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables that grow as a stalk and are cultivated for their edible buds. Their taste is similar to other cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage.
This recipe is a perfect example of marinating Brussels sprouts, but you can also roast them, sauté them (like in this Garlicky Sautéed Cruciferous Crunch), or thinly shave them for a salad!
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend it. If you can marinate the Brussels sprouts for 24 hours before serving, the flavors will have melded perfectly and the sprouts will have taken on more of the delicious flavor from the marinade.
I am big on texture, so I personally would not. The texture of the Brussels sprouts will become much softer. If you do elect to freeze, freeze the Brussels sprouts separately and create the vinaigrette once they have been thawed.
Expert Tips
- Clean your sprouts well and remove any outer leaves with noticeable browning. Once you've peeled back a few layers the leaves underneath are usually just fine.
- Marinate longer for a more pronounced flavor. The marinade will have more of a chance to permeate the Brussels sprouts.
- Taste as you go to ensure the flavor is to your liking. Is it too sweet? Add more olive oil and vinegar. Is it too sour? More olive oil and sugar will help. Too bland? Try adding more salt.
How to Store
You can store this marinated Brussels sprouts recipe for about 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
If freezing, be sure to only freeze the Brussels sprouts, and be prepared for the texture to be much softer. Prepare the vinaigrette after you have thawed the sprouts in the fridge overnight.
If serving at a party, the rule of thumb for food safety is 2 hours without refrigeration. After that time, it is best to put them back in the fridge.
How to Serve
These Brussels sprouts will go with just about anything. Here are some suggestions:
Italian Chicken Cutlets Serve with a breaded, fried chicken cutlet for a delicious, hearty meal.
Appetizer Serve with toothpicks for an appetizer at your next party or potluck. Looking for more appetizer ideas? Try this amazing baked brie in a bread bowl, roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine, almond pesto, or roasted garlic!
Steak Try with your favorite grilled or pan-seared steak recipe!
Sandwich or Soup Serve with a half sandwich or a cup of soup for a satisfying lunch.
Pasta These are delicious as a side to any pasta dish, like this Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, or a pasta of your choice with this wonderful Almond Pesto.
Looking for a fun party cocktail? Try this amazing Christmas Margarita, this Espresso Martini or this Whiskey Sour recipe!
More Recipes You'll Love
Try these other cruciferous veg sides:
Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
Garlicky Sauteed Cruciferous Crunch
📖 Recipe
Marinated Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1 shallot
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts, then slice in half lengthwise.
- Finely chop the shallots.
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, shallots, honey, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper to a bowl and whisk to emulsify.
- Place a pot of salted water on the stove on high heat to boil. Once boiling, add the Brussels sprouts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Strain the Brussels sprouts, then add to a bowl. Pour over the marinade and stir well to combine.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can use thyme in place of rosemary.
- This marinade would also be delicious on some blanched cabbage, as a dressing for kale, or over broccoli or cauliflower.
- You can make this in advance. If you can marinate the Brussels sprouts for 24 hours before serving, the sprouts will have had a chance to take on more of the delicious flavor of the marinade.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If serving at a potluck or party, the rule of thumb for food safety is 2 hours without refrigeration. After that time, it is best to put them back in the fridge.
- If you choose to freeze, freeze the Brussels sprouts without the vinaigrette for up to 12 months. Create the marinade once they have been thawed in the fridge overnight. The texture of the Brussels sprouts will be softer after thawing.
Shelby says
I never thought to marinate Brussels sprouts but the flavor on these came out so lovely it's going to be a weekly staple now!
Genevieve says
Wow, thank you so much, Shelby! What a lovely compliment.
Glenda says
This is the best way I have EVER eaten Brussels sprouts! The marinade is so flavorful and I love that the sprouts are just blanched. They stay so bright and colorful and the texture is heavenly. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Genevieve says
Yay! Thank you so much, Glenda. I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
MacKenzie says
Can’t wait to add this to my thanksgiving menu.
Genevieve says
Fantastic! Thank you, MacKenzie!
Mandy Applegate says
I loved the marinade, I was intrigued to try them as I’ve never made Brussels sprouts like this before,they turned out great!
Genevieve says
Thanks, Mandy! So happy you enjoyed them.
Allyssa says
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Genevieve says
Thank you!
Journa Liz Ramirez says
This was a hit! I'm having this again on our Thanksgiving menu. YUM!
Genevieve says
Thanks Journa!
Greta says
Peefect side dish for our dinner. Thanks for sharing it. The recipe is saved!
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Greta!
Heidy says
I was impressed with these Marinated Brussels Sprouts ! The flavors of all the ingredients really amped this veggie dish up! Great recipe for Brussels Sprouts!
Genevieve says
Thanks Heidy!
Gina says
Made this as a side dish with our dinner tonight and they came out fantastic! So tasty and easy to prepare! We really enjoyed it!
Genevieve says
Thanks, Gina! Happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Macy says
My entire family loves Brussels and this recipe with the marinade is delicious. I served alongside steak for a restaurant quality dish.
Genevieve says
Wonderful! Thank you so much.
Beth says
This recipe is perfect - easy for me to make and gobbled up by my pickiest eaters!
Genevieve says
Fantastic - thanks Beth!
Mandy Applegate says
This is a great recipe for Brussels sprouts! I was a little hesitant to try them, but they turned out really well. The marinade added a great flavor and the sprouts were cooked perfectly. I will definitely be making this again!
Genevieve says
I’m glad you gave them a try! Thanks so much, Mandy!
Tara says
This crazy good veggie dish is coming with me to every potluck ever in the future!
Jenn says
Love these sprouts! So easy and so much flavor, and the marinade masked the sprout flavor so even sprouts haters loved them!
Genevieve says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Jenn!
Bella B says
I made this on the weekend with a roasted chicken. It was a delicious side dish! I am always a fan of rosemary.
Genevieve says
I'm so happy to hear it! Thanks Bella!
Kris says
This was such a tasty side dish! We topped it with a little parm before serving and it was fab! 🙂
Genevieve says
Sounds excellent! Thanks Kris!
Vladka says
I never thought of marinating Brussels sprouts but it made a huge difference. These are just perfect! Thanks
Genevieve says
Wonderful! Thanks, Vladka!
Sharina says
Served this recipe as an appetizer last weekend and it was sooo delicious! Brussels sprouts were perfectly marinated and cooked, even the kids liked them. So impressive!
Genevieve says
Yay! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed.
Gina says
I never would've thought to marinate brussels but wow does it make them so much more flavorful than just roasting or pan frying. Thanks for such a delicious idea!
Genevieve says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Gina!