Grilled Crispy Mustard Brussels Sprouts Recipe

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated October 12, 2018
20101214-128728-grilled-brussels-sprouts.jpg
Photographs: Joshua Bousel

Finishing my Brussels sprouts was never a problem growing up—no one in my family liked them. I can't even remember a time we made them. But now there's a different problem: I've grown very fond of them, and nobody else in my family has joined me. I tried sneaking Kenji's sprouts into the Thanksgiving meal, but even when bacon-laden, my family wasn't having any of it.

With the window to enjoy Brussels sprouts quickly closing, I grabbed a bunch to grill up and enjoy solo.

How to fall in love with Brussels sprouts: get them nicely browned and crisp. That slight crunch and mellowed bitterness is a winning combo. These particular sprouts got a dousing of mustard and oil before being grilled, then another toss in the sauce once they were cooked.

I tried to force these on my wife. Her take? The mustard was adding bitter to bitter, and if not eaten alongside some mashed sweet potatoes, she wouldn't have finished as much as she did. My reaction was quite the opposite; I felt the bitterness was just right and the mustard added a tang, in a good way. I guess when it comes to Brussels sprouts, to each his own. (And I'm still left going it alone.)

Recipe Details

Grilled Crispy Mustard Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Active 25 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon Country Dijon)

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Rinse Brussels sprouts. Trim off stem and pull off dark outer leaves. Score an X into bottom of the sprout 1/4 inch deep, then split in half. Place Brussels sprouts in a large microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Remove the Brussels sprouts microwave and drain. Pour mustard sauce over sprouts and toss to thoroughly coat.

  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Using tong, place Brussels sprouts on the grill, keeping the bowl nearby with the sauce reserved. Grill until browned and slightly charred on both sides, flipping half way through cooking, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

  4. Remove Brussels sprouts to the bowl with reserved mustard sauce. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Grill

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
166Calories
14gFat
9gCarbs
3gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories166
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g18%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 385mg17%
Total Carbohydrate 9g3%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 70mg352%
Calcium 48mg4%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 376mg8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes