easy, lemon-garlic pan-fried brussels sprouts

these brussels sprouts are not only addictive and insanely good, they are also insanely easy to make!

A couple of big revelations have been made recently when it comes to brussels sprouts. First: who in the world knew that this green vegetable is actually referred to as “brussels” sprouts and not “brussel” sprouts?!! I feel as though I’ve been living a lie. I literally had no idea until I went to google the vegetable in making this blog post. And I quickly updated my recipe to read “brussels” through out. But I don’t know you guys, there’s something about it that just doesn’t sit well with me. How can the “brussel” and the “sprouts” both be plural?! And why don’t we ever pronounce it as such!? I surely only remember ever hearing “brussel sprouts” growing up, hence the confusion I found myself in when prepping this recipe. 

Hopefully I am not alone in preference for a singular “brussel.” Nonetheless, even if I can’t pronounce the vegetable properly, I can definitely eat it and it tastes delicious. This leads me to my second brussels sprouts revelation.

The second revelation is a rather simple fact, and one that seems to only evolve with time, maturity, age and all those fun factors: I used to hate brussels sprouts and now I love them. It’s just one of those vegetables, that you have to grow to like, literally (or physically). It’s a vegetable that may scare aware young children, but hopefully, with the right cooking method and flavours, you can get them on your side. If not, you can at least enjoy all the delicious brussels sprouts all by yourself. So I mean, win win? 

These brussels sprouts contain the secret to making insanely addictive and delicious brussels sprouts: they’re pan-fried in a hot cast iron skillet. Who knew?! I was inspired to fry them after I tried Kristin Cavallari’s own fried brussels sprouts recipe in her True Comfort book, shared with me by an SCD friend. However, I didn’t go all in with deep-frying here, to keep it still a bit on the healthier side, I opted for a mix of pan-frying and roasting in the oven to finish it off. 

Lemon and garlic are the preferred flavours here, resulting in minimal ingredients and a very easy method to put this all together. The result is so freaking good, but best enjoyed with a sprinkling of fresh parmesan cheese, if we’re being honest.

Grab the recipe below, and let me know if you try making these brussels sprouts, you can always find me on IG @grainfreee or leave me a comment below!

easy, lemon-garlic pan-fried brussels sprouts: ingredients

• 1 lb of brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed, sliced in half if extra large
• 2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 3 tsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice 
• salt & pepper to taste

easy, lemon-garlic pan-fried brussels sprouts: how to

1. Once your brussels sprouts have been washed and trimmed, heat up two to three tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Once the pan is hot, lower the temperature a bit, and fry up the brussels sprouts for 10-15 minutes, until they turn bright green and some are slightly browned.
3. Remove from heat and add the garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, stirring around gently. 
4. Place in preheated oven at 375 for 10 minutes to finish off the brussels sprouts.
5. Optional but delicious: serve with shredded parmesan.