Simple Steamed Brussels Sprouts

A white bowl of brght green Brussels sprouts tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

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Bright green steamed Brussels sprouts, a simple side dish that takes minutes and goes with just about anything. See the notes at the bottom for 7 flavor variations beyond simple salt and pepper.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: Side Dish, vegetables

Cuisine: American

Servings: to 6

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

Medium pot with a lid 5 quarts
Steamer basket that fits inside pot

Ingredients

1 ½ - 2 pounds fresh Brussel sprouts of similar size trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Prep Brussels sprouts

Trim the stem ends, remove any yellowed outer leaves, and halve the sprouts.

Steam sprouts

Add a steamer basket to a medium pot 4-5 quart pot and pour in cold water just to the bottom of the steamer basket (the sprouts shouldn’t sit in the water).
Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, cover, and steam for about 5–8 minutes, until bright green and just tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Check at 5 minutes.

Season and serve

Toss the hot Brussels sprouts with a little butter or olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
For more flavor ideas (garlic confit, miso–maple, soy–ginger, lemon–Parmesan, and more), see the “Variations: Flavor Ideas for Steamed Brussels Sprouts” section in the post.

Notes

Using frozen Brussels sprouts: You can make this with frozen Brussels sprouts when fresh aren’t available. Cook them from frozen (don’t thaw) and steam just until heated through and tender, 4–6 minutes. When they’re done, drain well and let excess moisture evaporate for a minute or two, then toss with one of the flavor variations. They’ll be softer than fresh, but still good—see the post above for more tips and flavor ideas.

Flavor variations: This recipe card gives you the basic method for perfectly steamed Brussels sprouts. In the post above, you’ll find 7 easy flavor ideas—like garlic confit + lemon, miso–maple, soy–ginger, Dijon–ACV, and lemon–Parmesan—to dress them up.

The garlic confit flavor variation is one we have often. Use 1 tablespoon of the oil and 3-4 garlic confit cloves, mash into a paste (a mortar and pestle work well), and toss with the hot sprouts to serve. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, lemon, if desired.

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