Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with spicy Kung Pao sauce! This is a delicious vegetarian appetizer or side dish inspired by a popular Chinese dish.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
May yesterday go down in history as the day that I spent twenty-five dollars on Brussels sprouts. I didn’t mean to do it! I knew I needed plenty of sprouts in case I encountered another recipe failure. The sprouts were packed in big bags, so I grabbed two and continued on to the green onions. That’s how they get you—with those big, pre-packed bags.
Then, I was a terrible customer and read email during check-out and didn’t even notice until I glanced at the receipt at home. Twenty-five hard-earned dollars! Who am I? The sprouts weren’t even good sprouts. I’ve been robbed.
My only consolation is that my sprouts turned out great on my next try, so I have extra sprouts for later. This Kung Pao Brussels sprouts dish is my take on a popular Chinese stir-fry recipe, Kung Pao chicken. I roasted my Brussels sprouts and tossed them in a completely irresistible, spicy soy-honey glaze with green onions and peanuts. It’s a stellar vegetarian appetizer or side dish, and I wouldn’t judge if you wanted to eat it for dinner on its own.
This recipe has actually been ten months in the making. I became completely enamored with the concept when I found it in the pages of Bon Appetit’s February issue, but when I cooked their version in our Austin kitchen, I was disappointed. It was crazy salty and just generally not awesome (sorry, Bon Appetit!). I gave it a couple more shots and eventually gave up.
Fast forward to December and I’m craving more roasted Brussels sprouts. I remembered the Kung Pao sprouts and wondered if I couldn’t come up with a similar, less salty and way more tasty version, based on my roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy baked tofu dish. It’s one of my favorite recipes, so I played around with it and here we are.
My version is, admittedly, pretty far from traditional Kung Pao chicken. I roasted the sprouts instead of stir frying them (too many sprouts for one pan) and omitted the Sichuan peppercorns (where do you find those?). It is awesome, though!
Watch How to Make Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with spicy Kung Pao sauce! This is a delicious vegetarian appetizer or side dish inspired by a popular Chinese dish. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
Roasted Brussels sprouts
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts (smaller sprouts are better)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kung Pao sauce
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari* or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ to 2 teaspoons sriracha, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Garnishes
- ⅓ cup roasted peanuts (either salted or unsalted)
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion (both green and white parts), about 3 green onions
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the Brussels sprouts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the nubby ends and any discolored leaves off the Brussels sprouts, then cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.
- Transfer the sprouts to a large, rimmed baking sheet (I covered mine in parchment paper first for easy cleanup), then toss them with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, until they are coated with a light, even layer of oil. Arrange the sprouts in an even layer, flat sides down, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are tender and deeply caramelized on the edges.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the sauce: In your smallest saucepan, add the tamari or soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ½ teaspoon sriracha and garlic. Whisk until combined, then taste and add more sriracha if you’d like (mine was just right with 1 ½ teaspoons sriracha, but I love spicy food).
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. It’s done when, if you take it off heat long enough for it to stop bubbling and carefully tilt the pan back and forth, the sauce will slide down the pan rather than slosh.
- Let the roasted sprouts cool for a few minutes, then transfer them to a medium serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the sprouts and toss to coat. Add the peanuts, green onion and optional cilantro and toss again. Serve immediately, with red pepper flakes sprinkled on top if you’d like a little extra heat (and color).
Notes
Recipe inspired by Bon Appetit and adapted from my roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu with honey-sesame glaze.
*Make it gluten free: This dish is gluten free as long as you use gluten-free tamari, which is a variety of soy sauce that is usually (but not always, check the label) gluten free. I always use tamari instead of soy sauce because I prefer the flavor of it! Look for tamari next to the soy sauce in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
Make it vegan: Simply swap maple syrup for the honey instead when making the sesame glaze.
Make it peanut-free: Just omit the peanuts. You might like a sprinkle of sesame seeds instead.
Change it up: Broccoli would be a fantastic substitute for the sprouts, and probably cheaper, too!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’ve recently gone veggie and love making asian food. This did not disappoint!!! I doubled the glaze to make it extra saucy and had with mushroom egg fried rice! So good. Excited to try more recipes of yours!
We had “apps for dinner” last night with family and hands down these were the winner of the evening! Thank you!
I don’t see Szechwan peppercorns in your recipe? I see red pepper flakes! Did you change it? Bought a two pound bag of Brussels sprouts at Costco for four dollars and change!
Hi Mary, the recipe never called for Szechwan peppercorns because they are hard to find, and I try to keep my recipes accessible. You could experiment with them if you’d like.
I know the Szechwan peppercorns are not in your recipe, but if you read your old comments quite a few people said they could not find them. That’s why I thought you maybe changed to pepper flakes. Made the brussel sprouts….they were to die for! My husband and I ate the whole two pounds!
This is my go-to recipe every week. I have shared this with so many veg and non-veg friends and the ADORE it! I increase the vinegar (because I love it so much) add chili garlic sauce with the Sriracha instead of red pepper flakes at the end as I found it more well rounded heat. I have even used cauliflower rice instead of white rice. Thank you, thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Jillian! Your variation sounds wonderful.
This recipe is beyond awesome. I have to force myself to stop eating it. Yes, I ate an entire pound of these brussels for dinner once. (Don’t judge me…) Brussels sprouts get way too bad of a rap in the culinary world, but this recipe should make them a believer!
It’s so unfortunate that people have aversions to Brussels sprouts before they even try them! I’m so glad you loved these, hopefully this will help redeem their reputation. :)
Sichuan peppercorns are not a real pepper- in fact they are NOT even in the pepper family at all. They are from a citrus tree. They have only become available here in the U.S. in the last few years. They were completely, 100% banned & barred from importing into the US by the FDA because of a fungus on the tree that they grow on. Look it up- it’s very fascinating. They’re not really hot either, they may seem it for the 1st 30 seconds or so, but then it rolls over to a piney taste. You really have to try them. They are “Mala” which is ‘numbing yet spicy’ (translation is very -not exact). If you are as interested as I am in all things Asian- U should DEF find TheMalaProject.com to get the real story on most things Sichuan. Wow just found out the site now has a “Mala Market” for real authentic Sichuan pantry ingredients. Loving your site Kate and have put u in my favs, so I’ll definitely be back often to try out the other recipes -and will tell friends as well. Thanx so very, much much for the brussel sprout recipe- MMmm!
This was a great recipe. I added steamed broccoli and string beans to the roasted brussels sprouts for some more substance. For the sauce, I substituted balsamic vinegar for rice vinegar because that’s all I had. I used maple syrup but I think honey or brown/cane sugar would’ve worked better. Also added some minced ginger to the sauce for a kick. Finally, added raw/thinly sliced red onion at the end which added another kick and some crunch. I was lucky to have Szechuan peppercorns around so I added that at the end and it 1000% enhanced the dish. Would highly recommend.
Your version sounds delicious, Husko. Thanks!
Amazing!!
:)
How do you think this would work with Worcestershire sauce as a substitute for the soy sauce? I am allergic to soy.
Hi April – Great question! You could try that or coconut aminos are a great sustitute when you are looking for similar flavor but cannot do soy. I hope this helps!
I love, love, love this recipe! My partner and I are brussels sprouts freaks and are often looking for the perfect recipe for them, which isn’t easy! This is it. We leave off the garnishes and it’s still delicious. I won’t make sprouts any other way!
That’s great to hear. Thanks so much for your comment and review, Andrea!
Hi Kate,
I don’t know what made me wait so long to try this- it was amazing!! I can’t wait to try on broccoli next :)
Have a great weekend!
I’m happy you tried it Amy! Thanks for your comment. I would welcome a star review since you liked it so much :)
Here it is :)
Thanks, Amy!!
OMG! This is so delicious. Doubled the sauce and added some sautéed tofu, mixed it together with the roasted brussels sprouts, poured the sauce over all, sprinkled with peanuts and served over brown rice as our entree. Husband says it is the first time he’s ever enjoyed Brussells sprouts and asked that it go into our regular meal rotation. Crazy good!
Now, he will be more likely to eat them from now on right?! That’s great to hear, Sue. Thanks so much for sharing and for providing a review.
I have made this several times with Brussel sprouts & with broccoli. What I like to do to make it for dinner is double the yummy sauce & put it over soba noodles. BIG hit – thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Angela!
Hi Kate – I LOVE your website and I love this Brussels sprout recipe. Lately the brussels have ended up totally mushy. I think my WOLF oven runs hot. Should I be lowering the temp I’m roasting at or should I be shortening the time to avoid the over-cooked mushy sprouts? Thanks so much!!
Ovens! They can be tricky. I would recommend checking on them more frequently, instead of turning the temp down as you aren’t sure how the temperature varies. To test the temperature, you can always insert a thermometer in the oven to see exactly what it is up to. Hope this helps!
Thank you! Dinner was amazing thanks to your recipe.
Oh, great, Sandy! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the review!
This recipe is my favorite recipe on the blog (and that is REALLY saying something)! My husband has never liked Brussels sprouts, but he gobbled these down. I use this sauce on all kinds of roasted root veggies (sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc.), or anytime I need a stir-fry sauce, and it’s my go-to recipe for convincing people that vegan food certainly doesn’t have to be bland. Thank you, Kate, for teaching me how easy and delicious it is to make my own sauce!
Favorite on the blog! That’s wonderful. You’re very welcome! The combination sounds great.
OMG! These were so good, my absolute favorite way to eat brussel sprouts. Thank you for the recipe :)
I know! So good. I’m glad you think so too.
Made this tonight and it was SO good! We used the green onions & chopped nuts, and I added avocado. I doubled the sauce portion and it was fantastic over brown rice. Will definitely make this again. :-)
Wonderful, Janene! Thanks for your review.
I loved this recipe! I made some brussel sprouts for two and then used the rest of the sauce on our salmon filets. It was a great dinner!
Wonderful, Theresa!
I picked up some frozen sprouts on my last trip to Trader Joes — do I need to defrost them and cut them before making this, or can I roast them whole from frozen and just cut them on the plate as they are devoured? Where we are, fresh sprouts are hard to come by!
Since you only have access to frozen, I would make sure they are thawed otherwise they will take a lot more time. Let me know what you think!
Kate – the first time I tried the receipt everything was fine and delicious… but after that I’ve tried other 2 times and it did not work… after 5 minutes cooking I don’t get a homogeneous sauce, it seams that the oil is on top and the test of the ingredients at the bottom. Is there an email address that i can send pictures so you try to help me figure out what I might be doing wrong? Thank you!
Hi Flávia, I’m sorry to hear of your troubles with this recipe! It sounds to me like you need to whisk it more while it’s cooking. Otherwise, I really don’t know why the ingredients won’t mix together!
Made this with Brussels sprouts and baked tofu. Yummy!!
Thanks for sharing, Shelly!
Made this for dinner last night. I added some mushrooms and it was so good! I love finding easy, healthy week night recipes!
Sounds wonderful, Maria!
I love sprouts, but have only ever eaten them as a boiled vegetable with a roast dinner (preferably Christmas dinner LOL). I wouldn’t have ever thought to use them in this way – what a brilliant recipe, I will have to try it! x
Let me know what you think when you try it, Becca!
This is a family favorite! Even my kids, 8, 5, and 3, all love it!
That’s awesome! I love it’s loved by all ages.
I didn’t have any of the ingredients for the garnishes on hand, and this recipe was still fantastic! My husband even brought up how good the brussel sprouts were the following morning thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Melanie!
Delicious!!! I made the same amount of sauce but for halt the Brussels sprouts (cause I love sauce). Turned out a little salty but delicious nonetheless. Sprouts were lovely and creamy, sauce sweet and salty with a little bit of a kick. I used to make Thai Brussels sprouts, in a pan, just with soy sauce, chili and some honey (I think), but cooking them in the oven is much easier and gives a better texture. Thanks for the great recipe!
I just tried this recipe. They are awesome! My family loved them! I did not have peanuts, so I toasted sesame seeds and garnished with them.
I’m happy to hear that, Walter! Thanks for sharing.
This was absolutely delicious! My Daughter who always said that she hated Brussels sprouts said that she liked these. Thank you very much for the recipe.
I’m glad you liked it, Maria! Thanks for sharing.
My boyfriend hates veggies and I’m constantly trying new recipes, but when I made these he couldn’t stop going back for more. Easily one of my favorite veggie dishes I’ve made to date.
That’s great to hear, Allison!
So funny you like spicy food, so you added 1/2 teaspoon of sriracha.. That’s only enough to make me mad! Lay it oon girl. Love your site and recipies and this is another good one.
Mike
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Mike.
This is another great recipe, Kate.
One of our favorite recipes from you is “Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Crispy Baked Tofu with Honey-Sesame Glaze.” I roasted the Brussels Sprouts with the tofu for this recipe the same as I do for that one. I know that you don’t have tofu in this recipe but this was a main course for us and we were not including rice so I thought the addition of tofu would be good. I normally have sriracha sauce but was out so I substituted sambal oelek for the sriracha in the Kung Pao sauce. Sambal oelek is a ground fresh chili paste. I toasted some peanuts, added finely sliced scallions, and some minced cilantro. Yum. This was filling and satisfying. I really like the sauce and will probably find other uses for it.
I love that one too! Tofu would be a great addition! Thank you for sharing, Ken.
this was awesome! i roasted the 1/2 the sprouts amount as directed and then sauteed some green and orange bell peppers and put everything over rice. drizzled the sauce and it was a perfect dinner portion. will definitely make again!
OMG!!!! This was AMAZEBALLS! My husband and I were fighting over the leftovers for lunch!
Thank you, Susan!
Fabulous recipe. The Kung Pao sprouts turned out great on my first try. I served with brown rice and toasted some cashews instead of using peanuts. I also tried to make your crispy baked tofu. I think I need to practice a few more times with the tofu to get it more crispy. My husband took the leftovers to work and was asked what he was heating up because it smelled so good. I might add some other vegetables next time just to be fancy :)
Hooray! That’s great, Jamie.
Sooooo good! I consider myself a Brussels sprouts aficionado, and prepare them weekly in my house, but this is my new favorite recipe! I made one slight modification, which was to sub half of the sriracha with Asian chili garlic sauce (it has more depth of flavor). Make this recipe now!!
I love that! Thanks for sharing, Jackie.
I don’t know how you take the simplest of ingredients and create these amazing recipes. These sprouts were outstanding and made a full meal served on a bowl of brown rice. I love all your recipes so thank you for creating and sharing them.
Thank you, Jacquie! I’m happy you loved them.
Excellent. My daughter and I were making dinner together and although not vegetarian, we were looking for a meat free meal to make. This..was EXCELLENT. We used brussel sprouts that we pulled right off the stalk. Nothing left after dinner. Easy to make. Sauce was excellent. We crushed peanuts. Might be interesting to toast the peanuts and toss with cayenne to top. Highly recommend.
I made this dish tonight and it was amazing! My partner hates brussel sprouts, but he had a taste, then got a 2nd serving. He kept coming up with ideas for other veggies we could use this fab sauce on. Thank you so much for another winner!! Bravo!
I love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Laura.
Fantastic. An overachiever recipe with nuanced flavors.
Great spicy recipe! I didn’t have sesame oil so I used sesame seeds instead.
Really yummy! Thank you!
Super yummy! Made this for my wife and myself exactly as described except made for 2 so halved the brussel sprouts but made the full amount of sauce and served over rice with the extra sauce weaving its way into the rice. Have printed the recipe and added to the magic folder of faves.
I have literally never. ever. commented on the internet. I am newly vegan. I feel like this recipe has changed my life. In particular the sauce. I have cooked it every day since I first tried it and put it with everything. Thank you so much for this recipe!
My first attempt at these sprouts and they were awesome – however I did make the following changes: For the 2 lbs of Brussel sprouts I tripled the sauce recipe. I also added bacon. Was missing peanuts which would have made it perfect. Thank you Cookies and Kate!
On my last grocery trip 2 weeks ago, I loaded up on cruciferous veggies, as they last a little longer and then I can reduce the number of shopping trips at this time. The bag of Brussels sprouts was on the menu tonight with your luscious and easy Kung Pao sauce. My husband asked if we could try the sauce with the head of cauliflower tomorrow night!
YUM! This was strangely delicious! I don’t love brussels sprouts but they are so healthy so I still eat them, and this is definitely my new favorite way! Works just fine using no oils and raw sugar instead of honey :)
I’m happy you were surprised! Thank you for sharing, Lydia.
I was looking for a recipe to make Brussels sprouts a main meal (and not have the regular ol’ plain roasted sprouts) and stumbled upon your site/this recipe. It’s the first recipe I’ve tried from your site and it was DELICIOUS. The sauce, the peanuts… everything was perfect! Will definitely make this again!
You hit this one out of the park! I added broccoli and served it over quinoa so that it made a meal. My kids asked for seconds and the hubs had thirds.
This was yummy! It would also be great as a side dish but we had it for the main course.