Our 17 Best Brussels Sprouts Recipes for Thanksgiving

The vegetable stars among side dishes whether roasted, raw in salad, or headlining hand pies, bread pudding, or baba ghanoush.

Shredded parmesan brussels sprouts
Photo: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Sides are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. And if you're planning on having brussels sprouts at the table this year, we have tons of different ways you can prepare them, from salads and slaws to a cheesy bread pudding that can be a main course or side. There's the tried and true brussels and bacon combination, and roasted brussels sprouts with cranberry brown butter, too. Read on for even more Thanksgiving brussels sprouts recipes we love.

01 of 17

Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli with Cranberry Agrodolce

Brussels and Broccoli Agrodolce
Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee

A quick, high-temperature oven roast on a baking sheet yields crispy, golden brown brussels sprouts and almost charred, smoky broccoli. Tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce studded with tart cranberries, Fresno chiles, and shallots, the vegetables become an easy, elegant side dish.

02 of 17

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons

Brussels sprouts with onions and mushroom lardons
David Malosh

A duo of alliums — shallots and pearl onions — becomes irresistibly sweet when roasted, making an ideal partner to slightly bitter brussels sprouts. Bacon, the usual star in recipes like this, is replaced with "lardons" made from king oyster mushrooms for a superstar vegetarian side dish that even meat lovers will enjoy.

03 of 17

Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Hand Pies

Brussels sprouts and Sweet potato hand pies
Gerard + Belevender

Made with baker Lisa Ludwinski's Sister Pie All-Butter Pie Dough, the golden, crispy pastry encasing these savory hand pies shatters almost like a croissant. Lightly mashed sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, tangy sour cream, and aged cheddar make up the creamy, cheesy filling. It's a simple mixture, but it tastes like a handheld bite of Thanksgiving.

04 of 17

Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding

Cheesy-Brussels-Sprouts-Bread-Pudding-FT-Recipe2019178.jpg
Jennifer Causey

"This Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding is one of the crowd-pleasing mains we consistently serve during the holidays," cookbook author Hetty McKinnon says. "I started making it a few years ago as a hybrid recipe, inspired by the bread puddings we ate for dessert in Australia and the Thanksgiving stuffing that is served here in America."

05 of 17

Shredded Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Shredded parmesan brussels sprouts
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Why are these ridiculously easy brussels sprouts so good? First they're coarsely shredded, which gives them an appealing texture. Then the sprouts are roasted in a hot oven until they're lightly charred, which enhances their nutty sweetness. They're finished with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, which melts into the leaves.

06 of 17

Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush

Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush
Greg DuPree

Michael Solomonov, chef at Zahav in Philadelphia, has served this brilliant riff on baba ghanoush at the restaurant, but it's easy enough to recreate at home. After a whirl in the food processor, brussels sprouts and tahini come together to form a creamy dip. Solomonov serves it topped with more roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts, along with warm pita for dipping.

07 of 17

Brussels Sprouts with Shrimp Sauce

Brussels sprouts with Shrimp sauce
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

Born in a food stall in 2005, Xi'an Famous Foods is now a small empire in New York. Jason Wang, who runs the business with his father, David Shi, shared this family recipe for brussels sprouts with shrimp sauce, in which salty, briny, umami-rich dried shrimp rehydrate in hot chicken broth before cooking down into a savory glaze, yielding a quick, deeply savory side dish. Toasting the garlic and sautéing the brussels sprouts before simmering them in the glaze adds flavor and color while cooking the sprouts to a nutty, tender texture without getting soggy.

08 of 17

Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Johhny Miller

Instead of roasting brussels sprouts, toss them with arugula, parsley, and a light buttermilk dressing. If you've got a few extra minutes, quick-pickled shallots add color, texture, and tang.

09 of 17

Caesar Brussels Salad

Caesar Brussels Salad
David Cicconi

This recipe from Julia Sherman, of Salad for President, combines hearty brussels sprouts with a deliciously creamy Caesar dressing. It’s ideal for holiday gatherings because it can be prepared ahead, doesn’t wilt or get soggy, and makes great leftovers.

10 of 17

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Thyme

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Thyme

© David Malosh

This lemony brussels sprouts recipe from chef Nuno Mendes comes together in just two simple steps.

11 of 17

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

© Petrina Tinslay

The only thing better than a full plate of caramelized brussels sprouts is a plate of brussels sprouts with pancetta.

12 of 17

Spicy and Garlicky Brussels Sprouts

Spicy-and-Garlicky Brussels Sprouts
© Con Poulos

The staff at Myers + Chang restaurant have called these sprouts "green candy" because they get so sweet as they brown in the skillet.

13 of 17

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon
© John Kernick

You can use vacuum-packed chestnuts for this recipe, or roast fresh ones yourself.

14 of 17

Sautéed Brussels Sprout Slaw with Sweet Peppers

Sautéed Brussels Sprout Slaw with Sweet Peppers
© John Kernick

Instead of a green salad, chef Tanya Holland thinly slices these brussels sprouts like cabbage, then cooks them quickly to serve as slaw.

15 of 17

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

brussels sprouts with bacon
© Bobby Fisher

These bacon-laden Thanksgiving brussels sprouts from the late chef Anthony Bourdain are easy to throw together. Lemon juice provides a bit of tang to contrast with the salty bacon.

16 of 17

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Ginger Gold Apple

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Ginger Gold Apple
Con Poulos

Chef Christina McKeough loves to use a tart-sweet Ginger Gold apple in this slaw for its crisp texture.

17 of 17

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Brown Butter

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Brown Butter
© John Kernick

"This is where I like to use Thanksgiving cranberries," says chef Dean Fearing, who mixes them into the maple-butter sauce topping his brussels sprouts. He roasts the sprouts to bring out their nutty sweetness. "This dish turns a non-brussels sprouts lover over to the other side," he says.

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