Upon arriving back at my parents’ house after our Christmas in Arizona, we all unpacked and breathed a huge sigh of relief… For about 2 seconds. Mom and Dad planned to leave on a road trip down to San Diego less than 36 hours later to visit my other grandparents and pick up the comfy easy chairs Mom has been lusting over for years. But the day before, in a fit of holiday cooking excitement, Dad filled his shopping cart to the brim with fresh produce at Trader Joe’s, most of which would spoil before they returned.
With the incredible amount of veggies and bananas I consume, he generously offered to create a “care package” and send me back home with the majority of his loot. I immediately agreed, and we loaded up my car with onions, shallots, parsnips, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Although fairly confident with my produce preparation skills, that last item threw me for a loop.
With only one previous opportunity to taste the little guys, I had no idea how to cook Brussels sprouts! Before losing my marbles, I flipped the plastic container around and scanned the bag for directions. TJ’s to the rescue! “Steam for 2 minutes, then roast at 350°F for 20 minutes.” (Well, something to that effect… I finished off the last package before remembering to copy down the instructions!)
But… Steaming and roasting? Who wants to wash both a pot and a baking sheet? My lazy I’m-still-pretending-I’m-on-holiday-break side shone through, and I decided to skip the first step. To compensate and hasten the cooking process, I cranked up the oven temperature an extra 50° and crossed my fingers.
When the timer beeped, I pulled on my oven mitt and removed the pan. Too impatient to let them cool, I scooped the Brussels sprouts off the tray and onto my plate, promptly stabbing one with a fork for a taste.
I dropped the oven mitt, raised my arms above my head, and twirled around in a little victory dance. The soft centers… The crunchy leaves… The seasoned earthy flavors… I quickly snapped a picture for Instagram before devouring the entire batch, which received more “Likes” than my extra chocolaty skinny mocha fudge!
My super simple Skinny Brussels Sprouts recipe requires just 2 ingredients, 1 minute of prep, and 15 minutes of cooking. Yup — that’s it!
I usually plan for about 4 large Brussels sprouts per person, or 6-7 little ones. To get that addictive contrast of tender centers and crunchy leaves, I quarter each Brussels sprout and place them cut-side down on a baking sheet. If you lay them facing upwards instead, the centers stay firm and the leaves turn soft. Not worth it — I love those crunchy bits!
Many recipes for roasted vegetables direct you to toss them in oil before spreading on the pan. Not this one! To keep these Brussels sprouts extra skinny, mist the baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray, and after laying the little guys on top, lightly coat them as well. This lowers the fat and calories while bringing out their earthy flavor and ensuring they turn tender.
To finish off the prep, just sprinkle them with a little bit of salt. I typically wiggle my salt shaker over the pan a few times instead of measuring out an exact amount, but I included a guideline measurement in the recipe below. (Since about half of the salt ends up on the pan, I incorporated that into the Nutrition Information.) Feel free to season to your own tastes!
These healthy roasted Brussels sprouts only spend about 14-17 minutes in a 400°F oven—a little less for smaller sprouts, a little longer for larger ones. I judge based off of the color of the outer leaves: when they start darkening and turning crispy, I pull them out. They taste best fresh out of the oven, when the leaves are still hot and crunchy… But please try to avoid burning your mouth!
After my first bite of these Easy Skinny Roasted Brussels Sprouts, I immediately gobbled up the rest. Their warm earthy flavor fills every quarter, leaving no trace of bitterness. With their gorgeous brown stain, the tender yellow centers contrast beautifully against the crisp green leaves (which almost taste reminiscent of crunchy potato chips!).
I ended up roasting a second batch later that day and offered a sample to my guy. He hates veggies — except potatoes, corn, broccoli, and raw carrots smothered in Ranch — and always shoves them onto my plate instead. (Not that I mind!) He timidly nibbled off a mouse-sized bite of a Brussels sprout quarter… And then stole the fork to finish off the plate.
So yes, these healthy roasted Brussels sprouts are guaranteed to convert even the staunchest of veggie haters!
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy roasted Brussels sprouts!
Healthy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 16 medium to large Brussels sprouts (or 24-28 small)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
- Cut each Brussels sprout into quarters (or halves, if using small Brussels sprouts), and place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly mist with olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake at 400°F for 14-17 minutes, or until the outer leaves begin turning dark and crispy. Serve immediately.
Notes
![Carrot, Tomato, and Egg Salad with Creamy Dijon Dressing [clean-eating]](https://amyshealthybaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/smaller-IMG_7606-edited-copy.jpeg)
Made these meatballs and added two hot sausages for an extra kick. They were amazing.
Thank you Amy,
Is there a way to use frozen Brussel spouts.
I have 3 PKGs in my Freezer. There were days I had a difficult time getting veggies during the height of the pandemic.
Thank you ,
JETTA
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jetta! I haven’t tried using frozen Brussels sprouts, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If you do end up making them, I’d love to hear what you think!
Do you cut the bottoms off first?
If there’s a lot of the stalk left on the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts, then yes! If there’s isn’t too much, then I just go ahead and use them as is. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these Brussels sprouts if you try making them, Regina!