Ta da! This super quick Brussels sprouts side dish concept came to me when my stomach was growling last week. In an act of dinner desperation, I whipped together some coconut milk, ginger and basic Thai ingredients for a spicy sauce. Then, I cooked Brussels sprouts the quickest way I know how, which uses a combination of the stovetop and broiler and yields tender, caramelized Brussels spouts in about six minutes flat.
The end result was so good that it made me want to do a little jig in my tiny kitchen, but I didn’t have the strength. Also, I’m not a very good dancer. My only move is what I like to call The White Girl Wiggle. It’s exactly what it sounds like.
In hindsight, this dish is a combination of two notable recent meals. The first is the sweet potato wrap at The Mixx in Kansas City, which features roasted sweet potatoes, arugula, coconut ginger sauce and chutney in a cardamom tortilla. Woah.
The second is the Brussels sprouts dish that my grandmother served at Thanksgiving, which consisted of roasted sprouts tossed in a maple-sweetened cream sauce with crispy bacon. It was the little darling of the Thanksgiving table. I’m so glad Brussels sprouts are making a comeback.
In keeping with the quick nature of this recipe and the pre-holiday rush, I’m going to keep this post short and sweet. Make this recipe, please! As written below, it requires a large cast iron skillet and yields enough for two. See my notes for suggestions on how to make a larger batch in the oven and/or turn this side into a complete meal.
Quick Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Coconut Ginger Sauce
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Side
Tender roasted brussels sprouts tossed in a simple, spicy coconut ginger sauce. This vegan and gluten-free side dish comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Spicy coconut ginger sauce
- ½ cup light coconut milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh grated ginger or ¾ teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
- 1 teaspoon reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce*
- ½ to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (to taste)**
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or lime juice)
Brussels sprouts
- ¾ pound Brussels sprouts, nubby ends cut off, discolored leaves removed and sliced in half (smaller sprouts are better than large sprouts)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your broiler. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk, ginger, agave nectar and tamari. Add chili garlic sauce, to taste. Whisk the ingredients together and simmer for a couple of minutes to infuse the flavors, stirring often. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the rice vinegar.
- Set a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Let it heat up for two to three minutes. It should be so hot that a few drops of water sizzle and quickly disappear after contact.
- Toss the prepared Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Toss well, so that the sprouts are evenly coated in a thin layer of oil. Once the pan is hot, dump the sprouts into the pan and quickly rearrange them so the flat sides are face down. Let them cook for about two minutes, or until they are starting to brown on the bottom.
- Transfer the pan to your broiler. The pan will be heavy and hot so use oven mitts and be careful! Let the Brussels broil for about three minutes. Check the sprouts for doneness—their tops should be a little browned and the bottoms caramelized. How long you should leave them in there depends on your preferences and your oven.
- Transfer the sprouts to a bowl(s), drizzle with coconut ginger sauce and serve.
Notes
Brussels sprouts roasting method adapted from my roasted brussels sprouts and cranberries with barley recipe.
Preparation tips: If you want to make more than 2 servings at once, I’d suggest roasting the halved sprouts, lightly coated in coconut oil, at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and caramelized (around 20 to 25 minutes), turning halfway. Multiply the quantities of sauce ingredients as necessary.
If you want to turn this side into a full meal, serve the sprouts and sauce over a bed of long-grain rice and tofu. Find my recommended rice cooking method here. For crispy baked tofu, toss drained and cubed tofu in coconut oil and tamari/soy sauce and sprinkle with arrowroot starch or corn starch (optional). Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, tossing occasionally, until nice and crisp, about 20 to 30 minutes (for more detailed instructions, refer to check out my crispy baked tofu method).
*Make it gluten free: Tamari is a delicious, readily available Japanese soy sauce that is gluten free. Regular soy sauce is not gluten free.
**You can find chili garlic sauce in the Asian aisle of the grocery store. I love the stuff. If you can’t find it, you could probably add sriracha, to taste, or just a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Jamie @ Dishing Out
Yum!! It’s great seeing a short ingredient list for such a tasty sounding dish. I’ll definitely be giving these a shot!
Meredith
Yum! We have just about everything for this recipe except the brussels sprouts themselves – we’ll have to get some this weekend and give it a go!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I love roasted brussels sprouts but I’ve never thought to add Thai flavors – brilliant!
Sophie
This is just perfect, Kate! All the usual pantry contenders, plus fresh brussels — side dish in no time! I love it! I adore brussels and love new ways to enjoy them. I can always count on you :) Bravo!
Tina
This looks yummy, can’t wait to try it. On a different note, you might want to check with your family this weekend…they may be getting some more icy weather. Brrrr…
Kate
Brussel Sprouts are such a good vegetable to flavor with unique flavorings. I love the ginger idea!
Last night I actually made Maple Brussel Sprouts — turned out great!
http://www.coffeewithkate.com/2013/12/20/tgif-salted-maple-brussel-sprouts/
Thanks for the recipe!
Katrina @ WVS
These sound soooo lovely!
Liz
Thank you for the nice recipes. Happy Holiday to you and your family.
Tova
I’ve never actually eaten brussels sprouts so this might just give me the push I need to finally try it!
Rika
Roasted brussel sprouts are pretty tasty, love a bit of miso sauce on it, too!
Katie @ Produce on P
Um..yum!!! I love those little elf heads, as we call them. What a great flavor combination :) Thanks for sharing!
Skye
I would never have thought to cook brussels with ginger or coconut – but it sounds delicious… A really nice alternative to the traditional sprouts and bacon…
Have a happy Christmas, Kate! x
Alice // Hip Foodie
what a great idea to do a coconut ginger sauce. . love this!!! definitely going to try this recipe. Happy holidays!
Joanne
The.Boy, unfortunately, detests brussels sprouts with a fiery passion. And to that, I say. More for me. I will be so happy to eat this whole batch.
laurasmess
Yum, I love roasted brussels sprouts! Or any kind of brussels sprouts, actually… for some reason I’m one of those strange people who has always loved them (I guess I was lucky enough to have a mother who knew how to cook them, even when I was small). My favourite way to cook them is usually roasted with bacon and pine nuts (and a splash of red wine vinegar, possibly some chilli…) but I love the sound of this coconut ginger sauce. Beautiful photos Kate, love everything about this post. Hope that you, Cookie and the family have a wonderful Christmas! xxx
Phil
My wife and I made this last week and loved the sweet coconut sauce! We will be adapting it tonight (New Years Eve) by adding some jumbo prawns over rice…Great post, Kate…this has been my go to healthy recipe blog since the summer!
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BeckyCalculatedWhisk
I used this roasting method today (without the sauce) and just seasoned the sprouts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Right before they were ready to go in the broiler I made space in the middle, added a little more oil, and cracked an egg in. The egg and brussels sprouts were perfect after about four minutes in the broiler. It was delicious! Thanks for the awesome quick method!
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Kate
Becky, so sorry for the slow response. Your egg cooking method is genius and I can’t wait to try it!
Mara
Just made it and loved it! Added some cashew nuts and eat it with rice. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
Mara, you’re welcome! Thank you for commenting!
New Vegetarian Kate
This is literally the best recipe I have ever attempted. I loved that I made the sauce myself and it was just ENOUGH! If I had made any more if it I probably would have just drank the stuff straight up. THANK YOU. You are making my venture as a brand new vegetarian absolutely effortless and amazing. I did a jig too!
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Kate
Kate, your comment made me smile big. Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
New Vegetarian Kate
You’re Welcome and seriously – thank you. I have been struggling with my weight most of my life and never considered vegetarianism because I was one of those people who bought into the food industry’s propaganda that MEAT IS LIFE. I did okay on different low carb diets but was never fully successful. So far I’ve been doing this diet for about two weeks and I’ve lost 10 pounds and it has been the easiest diet ever. I feel freaking full of energy & life and the food is actually fun and really satisfying. If I had realized that it could be like this – I would have done it years ago. I am constantly in search of easy to prepare, satisfying and tasty recipes and thus far… this website seems full of them. Keep up the great work!
Kate
Kate, you make my work worthwhile. I’m so glad you’ve discovered a “diet” that works for you and I’m glad it’s vegetarianism! I don’t know if it’s for everyone, but it certainly treats me well. I feel great, my weight is stable, and I’m certainly not going hungry. Unfortunately, I think people get over-focused on protein and don’t appreciate the fact that vegetables and whole grains are full of vitamins and fiber and yes, protein, too! Plus, vegetarian dishes are prettier. :-P
Susan
Loved it…how long can you keep the sauce?
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Kate
Hi Susan, good question. If you are keeping the sauce separate from the other ingredients, I think it could last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. You will be able to see mold if the coconut milk has gone bad, but I think the vinegar will help it keep longer than usual.
Amanda
This was simple and delicious. I made this for my dinner tonight, so I served it with some rice and toasted cashews to make it a bit heartier. I will definitely be making this again!
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Kate
Yes! Cashews sound like a tasty addition. Thank you for commenting, Amanda.
Jennifer
Hubby loved this! I topped some quinoa with these sprouts and it made for a hearty main dish
stasia
Roasting the sprouts as I type this, plan on serving with brown jasmine rice with sauteed bella mushrooms and red pepper. I made extra sauce and it is yummy! Am also going to add toasted cashew nuts as another poster recommended. Taking to a Kentucky Derby party!
Kate
Stasia, hope your friends loved the sprouts at your Kentucky Derby party! Your version of the dish sounds so good.
Rachel
I just made this recipe but it didn’t come out as good as I was hoping. I don’t have a cast iron skillet so I just popped the brussel sprouts in the broiler in a room temp dish. They didn’t brown on the bottom. The sauce was ok. I ended up dipping the brussel sprouts in just the chile sauce cuz it was so good. Next time I want my sprouts crispier and I want more chile sauce in the coconut ginger sauce mixture.
Kate
Rachel, I’m sorry your sprouts didn’t turn out great. I have a note in the recipe that explains how to roast the sprouts properly. You definitely need to spread them on an even layer on a baking sheet in order to get the crispy bottoms. You can see how crispy mine get in the oven here: https://cookieandkate.com/2014/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-crispy-baked-tofu-with-honey-sesame-glaze/
JiggyTrim
Hi Kate,
I just found your blog last week and have been obsessed with reading the recipes and seeing all the beautiful photos. I just made this recipe and I noticed one small improvement: the soy sauce is only mentioned in the ingredients, and not in the directions. I didn’t include it in the coconut sauce at first because it wasn’t specified (I thought it was supposed to be added later) but then I noticed that it was never mentioned.
They turned out super tasty!!!!! I ate them with black rice. I will definitely be making these again. :)
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Kate
Hello! Thank you for pointing that out. I fixed it. So glad you enjoyed the sprouts, I bet they were marvelous with black rice!
Anne
I made these for the first time a couple of months ago, and now my daughter begs me to make them regularly. I never thought my 11 year old would beg for brussel sprouts! Thanks!
Kate
Hooray! That makes me happy. Thanks, Anne!
Rosemarie Sandvik
Hi Kate
Made brussel sprouts, was really yummy,but was not crispy enough Please tell me what I did wrong. love all your the healthy recipes.
Thanks Kate.
Rosemarie.
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Kate
I’m sorry your sprouts weren’t crispy enough, Rosemarie! Maybe you just need to leave them in the oven a little longer next time and/or use a little more oil?
Kia
Made this tasty dish last night. The flavor is incredible. Quick to make and short ingredient list = my kinda recipe.
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Kate
Thank you, Kia! Happy to hear it. Loved your picture on Instagram!
Sara
Made this tonight! Added Tempeh and served it over some quinoa, one of my favorite meals. Thanks for sharing!
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Kate
Sounds like a great addition! Thanks, Sara!
Ava
That sauce is unbelievable! Total hit…
Kate
Yay, thanks Ava!
Antonia
I can’t get sprouts but was inspired to do a similar with these mini cabbages I’ve seen in the market near my apartment in Taipei. They caramelised beautifully, I made a sauce of soy, ginger, chilli, garlic and sprinkled lots of fresh coriander on top. Yum! Will definitely make again.
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Kate
Those mini cabbages sound so cute! Glad you enjoyed your version!
Serena
I bought a bag of fresh brussel sprouts yesterday and was looking for a new recipe to try. Can’t wait to try this one! Ginger and coconut sounds delicious!
Mie
Just made these and they are amazing!
I have been following this blog for quite a while but this is the first time that I try out the recipe!
Thank you so much for the great idea!
Greetings from Japan!
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Emily
SO delicious! I could eat that sauce with anything.
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Kate
Thanks, Emily!
Cheryl
I loved this! Served this over sprouted rice.The quick cooking brussels sprouts came out great, I was so surprised how good they were with such little time to cook. I omitted the sweetener. I had leftover coconut milk, so I made the sauce again the next night and threw it over broccoli and red peppers. Yummy, thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Cheryl! This sauce is so versatile.
Felecia J
Tasty and quick! I loved it!
Kate
Thank you!
Louise Thompson
Hi Kate,
This brussels sprouts recipe was amazing. I had a whole bag full of fresh sprouts, so I used a whole can of coconut milk, and consequently had a good amount leftover. I had planned to make salmon tonight, so I used the rest of the sauce to braise my fish, and it was gloroius! Thanks!